Windhorse Equine Learning

Windhorse Equine Learning provides equine-assisted Learning programs to youth ingrades 3-12. Our mission is to provide kids and teens with experiential and reflective Learning opportunities with horses, empowering them to discover and realize their full potential through their partnership with a horse. Our programs facilitate personal growth, help youth build confidence and self-esteem, enhance focus, reduce stress and anxiety, and foster self-development and awareness through the equine/human bond. By building life skills, competencies and confidence, we create resilient youth who can successfully navigate their teenage years and become leaders among their peers and productive and contributing members of our community. Our year-round programming, including school-year programs, summer camps and school field trips, gives youth opportunities throughout the year to develop physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. Our eight levels of curriculum teach leadership, relationship/partnership, responsibility, trust, empathy, resilience, awareness and connection by considering the horse's perspective and needs, and then relating it to humans. Program participants practice these learned assets with their horses as well as with their program partners, volunteers and instructors.windhorse also offers a class for teens suffering from anxiety that incorporatesmindfulness and yoga with horsemanship. Eighty-six percent of teens in the programshowed significant decreases in anxiety throughout the course. Windhorse programs are especially beneficial for youth who have experienced or are experiencing trauma.interventions like equine-assisted Learning can provide young people who haveexperienced trauma with the support they need to help them recover from the effectsof their experiences while providing a safe, stable and positive environment amongsupportive adults. The Windhorse volunteer team and staff instructors are trained intrauma-informed practices in order to better identify and support the needs of youthwho have experienced trauma.since 2013, Windhorse has served 573 youth. Every year, Windhorse continues to expand the number of youth we serve, and to reach out to diverse populations of youth who will benefit from our programs. Many of these youth come from economicallydisadvantaged families. Since 2013, Windhorse has provided 273 scholarships totalingmore than $42,000.