At first glance, it looks like a lesson in horsemanship. Explore a little deeper and it's actually much more than that - it’s a lesson in personal growth and life skills development that centers around a horse, of course.
The concept, known as Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL), helps youth develop essential skills for building social-emotional well-being. The Changing Leads program offered by Hearts & Horses Therapeutic Riding Center in west Loveland is an example of such a program, and is tailored to youth who may be vulnerable to problem behaviors that cause them to struggle in one or more life areas, or with emotional challenges like depression and anxiety.
MEANINGFUL LESSONS
Participants as young as five years old attend 6-8 weekly sessions where they learn ‘transferable life skills’ through coaching from certified instructors. The hands on experience of working with a horse is robust with basic life skills that students acquire and practice, and which they then apply in their life relationships such as:
• Using your words to communicate needs and expectations
• Tuning into body language and physical cues to gather information and to make decisions on how to best proceed in a confident, empowered way
• Applying non-verbal communication to convey that you mean what you say
• Managing one’s own internal emotions to positively influence your relationships
• Staying focused and mindfully present
• Speaking with confidence
Chloe, a poised and empowered 18 year old who has been participating in the Changing Leads program since she was a little girl reflected, “When I started I was very quiet and had low self-esteem; through the program I have become an empowered leader.” She affirms that what makes the difference is being in a positive environment, feeling supported, and learning how to trust.
“I’ve learned to not give up; in real life you have to try again.” - Annie, Changing Leads program participant
Eleven year old Annie who has been involved since she was 7 years old, says that the program challenges her to learn new skills like how to lead Romeo who, in Annie’s words, is a ’sweet and sassy’ dark bay Arabian horse who ‘wants what he wants when he wants it’. Her solution? “I refocus him to do what I want him to do”, she said.
Annie’s grandmother and caregiver, Carol, adds, “It’s been amazing to see how Annie has grown up through the program; I’ve seen so many changes in her maturity, responsibility, confidence, and peace; it feels good to see her so happy.”
What happens in the space between the human and the horse is a transformational, life-giving experience. As Tamara Merritt, Associate Executive Director and curriculum creator for the Changing Leads program puts it, “Kids sometimes arrive with a hardened exterior shell; compare that to the last day when they are in tears because they don’t want to leave - it’s amazing.”
Participants who may have come feeling weighed down by low self-esteem, anger, depression, or other social challenges, leave with self-confidence, improved focus, stronger interpersonal skills, and a sense of leadership. They are equipped and empowered for life in ways they may not have otherwise been exposed to without the program.
I FEEL YOU
“Horses are social beings, they pick up on people’s emotions.” - Tamara Merritt, Associate Executive Director, Hearts & Horses
Horses are emotional mirrors for people which is part of what makes EFL so useful and effective. The horse reflects the student’s emotions in the moment, which helps the youth to become consciously aware of what they feel inside. They learn how to choose healthy coping strategies that produce a sense of inner calm and to which the horse responds in kind. That’s real-time success that makes a difference.
It’s no wonder there are so many repeat students in the Changing Leads program - it’s a pathway to empowerment and healthy relationships. Despite the slowdown of 2020, or perhaps because of it, the number of young people in need of supportive experiences like this is growing. There is currently a 200+ person wait list for the program.
Hearts and Horses Therapeutic Riding Center is a non profit organization established in 1997. Find out more about the Changing Leads program, as well as other available programs at heartsandhorses.org.
Hearts & Horses Therapeutic Riding Center
163 N CR 29
Loveland, CO 80537