Welcome to my Equine Assisted Learning program — designed specifically for children, teens, and youth.
Through guided interactions with horses in a safe and supportive environment, participants develop essential life skills such as trust, confidence, self-worth, communication, and connection.
Who These Programmes Are For?
These Equine Assisted Learning programs are designed for children (8+), teens, and youth who may be:
• Struggling with confidence, self-worth, or anxiety
• Finding it hard to express emotions safely or handle stress
• Experiencing learning challenges or feeling stuck academically
• Wanting to improve social skills, communication and relationships
• Searching for a safe space to slow down, reconnect, and build trust
• Needing gentle support to explore new ways of coping, problem-solving, and growing
PROGRAMMES
Open to children over 8, teens and youth.
No horse experience is necessary.
Required : Closed in shoes, sunhat, and rain jacket.
Note: This is not therapy and there is no riding or instruction, as it is all on the ground.
-
Connect
10 week programme (60 min sessions)
This program provides opportunities to explore and further develop self-awareness, social and emotional awareness, regulation skills, relationship and communication skills all within the relational space of horses. Promoting safety, empathy, trust, self-worth, confidence, connection, and fostering new insights toward self-management and responsible decision making.
Through observation and reflection, Participants are encouraged to apply their new insights and tools into their everyday lives.
These sessions are held over two school terms.
Some funding is currently available for 2026. Get in touch for how I can assist you, your teen or child.
-
Horse Powered Learning Sessions
1 Hour Sessions
Horse Powered Learning integrates social-emotional learning with academics. It is a form of experiential learning which focuses on the learning process for the individual. Issues affecting learning are made visible by identifying obstacles (through the use of props) that get in the way of understanding. This allows students a chance to reflect on what they are experiencing and create new patterns of learning, whilst promoting confidence, clarity, problem solving skills and a joy for learning all in a fun, safe, supportive and creative outdoor space.
These sessions can be designed around specific learning goals. It can be a one-off session but recommend 3 minimum sessions.
Available on some school holidays and during summer and autumn school terms either during school hours or after school sessions.
Some funding is currently available for 2026. Contact me for how I can assist you, your teen or child.
Based upon HPR- Horse Powered Reading -produced by Michele Pickel
Horses are intuitive and honest partners who respond to energy and intention, offering powerful, real-time feedback that helps young people discover their inner voice, build emotional resilience, and recognize their unique strengths.
Providing this natural space of experiential learning with open curiosity and reflection, focused on a heart-centered approach empowers youth to grow from the inside out— one step, one breath, one hoofbeat at a time.
Horses offer unique grounded ways of getting out of our heads, coming home to our heart and our five senses, and becoming our true selves.
JOURNAL
FAQs
-
It's completely okay if you have no experience with horses! In fact, many people who join EAL programs have never interacted with horses before. The beauty of the program is that it's not about riding or working with horses in a traditional way, but about building a connection through communication, trust, and observation. You will be guided through everything, at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
-
Your safety is our top priority, and I am committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for everyone involved. While horses are large animals, the activities in EAL are designed to be low-risk and focused on groundwork, so there’s no riding involved. I am trained to guide you in a way that minimises risk, and we’ll make sure you feel comfortable with every step of the process.
-
That’s a great question! Horses are incredibly intuitive animals, and they respond to energy, body language, and emotions. In an EAL program, you’ll have the opportunity to reflect on your own behavior and emotional responses through the horse’s reactions. For example, if you're feeling anxious or tense, a horse may mirror that, giving you a chance to recognize and adjust those feelings in real-time. The activities are designed to help you build skills like leadership, communication, self-awareness, and emotional regulation. It's a truly unique way to explore personal growth in a supportive and non-judgmental space.
-
Great question! Personal growth is a journey, and results vary depending on the individual. The beauty of Equine Assisted Learning is that it provides a space for you to explore, process, and understand yourself, and that takes time. It is about slowing down, being curious, and open to what unfolds which is unique to each individual. The progress you make will be real and meaningful, but it will unfold at a pace that feels right for you.