Equine-Assisted Learning
A hands-on, experiential way of learning life skills where the horse does the teaching.
Horses can be powerful partners in healing and personal growth.
What is Equine Assisted Learning?
Equine Assisted Learning is a non-riding experiential learning technique that facilitates personal growth by teaching social/emotional and life skills with the horses as teachers.
Equine-human interactions heighten self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-confidence in an unparalleled way; relationships with horses are built on trust, respect, and honesty that overflow into our relationships with ourselves and others.
Horses have a way of bringing us to a place of authenticity and peace that can only be described as magical and healing.
How It Works
As prey animals, horses are highly attuned to their environment and are sensitive to people's emotions. Even more so than dogs and other animals typically used in assisted therapies. Horses are capable of sensing a person's feelings instantly and giving feedback such as moving toward or away from the client.
As horses are large and powerful they have the innate ability to support people as they overcome fear and generate self-confidence for real-life situations. They are unbiased and non-judgmental, responding only to a person's intent and behavior. Horses are social animals with their own personalities and will often engage with people to build a relationship.
For people struggling with their mental well-being, horse-based learning can provide numerous benefits that can be distinguished in as little as two to three sessions.
There is evidence that these sessions decrease anger, depression, dissociation and aggression.
Horses provide connection. Awareness goes hand in hand with connection. Students are taught how their body language, behavior and energy level have an impact on those around them (horses and people). They are learning how to read and respect non-verbal cues from a horse while going through problem-solving activities that build on connection and skill, which help transition from connecting with the horses to connecting with their peers and adults.
They also learn to be resilient as they overcome a challenge that stretches their tolerance and discomfort.
They learn empathy and communication as they work together as a team through the stations.
Who is EAL for?
Equine Assisted Learning fills in the gaps of traditional education with a hands-on approach to problem-solving.
Families
Trauma Survivors
Young Parents
Married Couples
Date Nights
Youth Groups
Kids 8 and up
Team Building
Sports Teams
Homeschool Groups