Equine Programs

---

Horses are proven to be excellent partners for Experiential learning.

They are prey animals and have a heightened sense of self and their environment and are incredibly in-tune with the energy of those around them.

Unlike humans, horses live in the present and, for survival purposes, react immediately to outside stimulus. As herd animals, they live in constant connections with others.

The herd is socially organized with hierarchy and purpose for each member. Using non-verbal communication, they set clear boundaries for each other. Their inability to be judgmental makes their work with humans invaluable in the learning process.

Horses respond immediately and authentically to the energy from their human partners. Their heightened prey senses give them the ability to read any internal tension of their partners.

With the help of their horse "teacher", learners are able to discover their own abilities to lower stress, be "in the moment", and plan effectively to keep their horse engaged in the activity.

Many participants have found that being around horses is a grounding or calming experience while others have found a heightened awareness due to the size and nature of the horse. Each experience is unique; however, they all have one thing in common:

Every person has learned at a deeper level because of the horse.

The RPC program builds teamwork and leadership skills through Experiential learning with lasting results; leveraging the horse-human connection in a hands-on environment where the horse is your teacher. Our horses can help people get out of their comfort zone to achieve objectives towards communication, active listening, problem solving, leadership, collaboration, empathy, and trust.

The following are some of the beneficial outcomes of equine Experiential Facilitated Learning:

• The impact of being mindful & present versus distracted, rushed
• Learning to recognize opportunities to release and ground unnecessary energy
• Noticing and responding to nonverbal cues
• Valuing connection over perfection
• Seeing behavior as communication
• Approaching undesirable behaviors from a place of curiosity and problem solving
• Setting and respecting boundaries
• Seeing from other's perspectives
• Noticing the effect of one's energy and behavior on another
• Balancing the use of compassionate, visionary, and assertive energy for effective leadership

Participants work with horses on the ground completing various activities designed for each stated objective. It is through the non-riding interaction that participants gain these beneficial outcomes.

The most beneficial outcome is a sense of peace and self-awareness from partnering with a horse.