First let’s learn a bit more about horses and how the positive influence they can be:
Horses as Therapy animals – it’s a common adage that horses are good for the soul. For so many people they help make average daily stresses more tolerable – even while adding much to the overall workload of the typical life. Their physical benefits shine in therapeutic programs for the physically disabled. They are profoundly successful in PTSD programs for veterans and teens. It is widely known that the therapy benefits can be seen in structured (guided by licensed therapists) and unstructured environments.
Horses and HeartMath Institute – Many studies support the theory of why horses are so beneficial to humans, and the HeartMath Institute has conducted a variety of studies to attempt to explain why. These studies indicate a connection between heart rhythms, and heart energy fields (the measurable electromagnetic field surrounding the heart) and the emotions of each participant. Horses have an energy field much stronger, and 5-times larger than a human. Interacting with horses is proven to have even more positive emotional impact than interacting with our more common feline and canine companions.
Now, let’s look at the social concerns for young people in today's world:
Depression – An estimated 5 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the United States had at least one major depressive episode. This number represented 20.1% of the U.S. population aged 12 to 17. The prevalence of a major depressive episode in girls is 2.5 times higher than in boys. (NIMH 2021 Study).
Physical activity – adolescent physical activity is insufficient for overall health and well-being according to a 2019 study by the WHO, and horses definitely require a lot of physical activity for their care, training and riding.
Screen Time/Getting Outside – Kids are spending way too much time behind their devices and it’s literally damaging their brains. Being outside in nature is a known health benefit that doesn't need a study cited. It’s hard to see that dang screen in the sun anyway, and it’s pretty tough to spend much time with horses indoors.
Academic Pressures – For many kids, the pressure of academics is riddled with anxiety and stress. The right kind of horse activities can help reverse much of the harm being done by such anxiety. It can also allow those not so academically astute to shine above their peers in another way, leading to a better life balance for those on both sides of the academic spectrum.
How we do it:
Since 2001 we have run a no-cost, sweat-equity program for kids to work in exchange for learning all aspects of horse care, including grooming, feeding, training, riding, wound care, basic medical care. They do horse and other animal-related chores 2-4 days a week in exchange for currency – “PonyBucks” we call them. They earn enough PonyBucks to begin paying for their horse time. They have to do the math to keep track of their earnings, and subtractions when they pay for their time. Since we began, we have had more than 75 kids in the program. Some only stay for a few months, but many are here for 6 - 8 years.
We train in a natural horsemanship environment, learning about relationships and reading behaviors. Kids must first learn to demonstrate safety and competency working the horses on the ground, learning how to be a good leader – understanding that horses need a good leader to help them feel safe and when they feel safe, they become a better partner. So, before they ever get on their backs, the kids know how to help the horses feel safer and they know how to be “in charge” while on their backs, which makes the kids safer as they begin to learn balance, directional cues, and control, etc.
The life skills that come natural to this program include:
The reward and value of hard work. Work comes before the fun. Doing the right thing for these animals that we count on to carry us around and keep us safe feels good. Working with horses happens in all weather extremes and the kids have to rise to the challenge of working when it’s cold and rainy and when it’s hot and dusty. But if you've ever heard the phrase "do what you love and you will never work a day in your life" then you will understand why our kids in the program will literally volunteer to have a barn cleaning day, spending hours vacumming, washing, dusting, sweeping, scrubbing - when they never volunteer to clean at home. These kids learn that working in your passion rarely feels like work.
Responsibility, dedication, communication and commitment. In order to stay in the program, the kids must commit to a schedule, they must communicate when conflicts arise, and they must find their own coverage for days they miss. When they do not do this, they are made aware that their actions negatively impact the horses, and the others in the program... just like what happens in real life jobs.
Managing their own energy and emotions, caring about the well-being and emotional health of others (the horses, and with the other kids as well). Horses are often very sensitive creatures and if a person in their presence is putting out some wild, high-frequency energy (high excitement or dark clouds of frustration), the horse is going to respond, likely in a manner that lets you know they are NOT comfortable. Kids must learn to meter their own energy and emotions. They learn that their energy impacts the world around them, and when they are practiced at controlling those emotions and energy, they often move through the non-horse world a bit easier as well.
Tenacity, perseverance and leadership. Horses, while uber-sensitive, can also be challenging, defiant and they have an innate, physical “opposition reflex” which means they are programmed to sometimes lean in to pressure applied, whereas we usually want them to give, yield, and move away from the slightest pressure. In order to have a harmonious relationship, the kids must learn to be very strong, to be very soft, and they also must grow to be confident enough to know when to apply either pressure. This is one piece of the puzzle of becoming a great leader.
Learning how to learn, how to teach, and how to read the horses - and do all the same with their fellow barn friends. Every interaction with a horse is training them. And along the way they have much to teach us if we will only listen – here the kids learn to listen to the horse, and attempt to understand from where a certain behavior stems. Additionally, we place a big focus on mentorship between more experienced barn kids and the new-comers. Those with innate “horsemanship” talent might not have natural teaching skills, but here they will be tasked with helping newcomers or less-experienced kids get to some of the same levels of success. The teaching of others ingrains their own knowledge helping them to understand deeper level of both how and why things are done a certain way, and how they feel. It also fosters a strong community of supporting and nurturing fellow barn friends.
We have testimonials from parents, prior barn kids who are now adults, and those in the program as of this writing. There have been kids who have overcome extreme depression, major anxiety, feelings of exclusion, those who have lost parents, or friends, and those who - even if they didn't have those traumas - have found peace, joy, confidence, compassion, love and community. This is why we have done it for the past 24 years and why it is incredibly important that we be able to keep it going.
Next time, we will talk about the horses and how what we do impacts them on a very positive level too.
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