Horse Encounters® for special needs

Equine-assisted activities and learning for individuals with disabilities is a new approach to learning life skills where participants and certified Equine Specialists team up with a horse to reach their goals.  Presence, trust, respect, appreciation, affection, honesty, and communication are invaluable skills for daily life. They’re also critical skills when working with horses. When some people struggle to learn these, equine-assisted learning can help them.  

Self-awareness is not only an invaluable trait for your own well-being and mental health but also when around such large animals. By working around such large, strong animals, participants will learn how to be aware of everything that’s going on around them and in their own selves. Also because of how large horses are, it instills a sense of self-confidence and self-discovery because you’re able to control something so much larger than you. 

Horse Encounters:  7 days a week, group or one-on-one

If you are a Far Northern Regional Center client on the Self Determination Program you've come to the right place. We offer one-on-one 7 days a week or social integration and peer-to-peer support on Tuesday's from 9am to 1pm.

We create authentic safety by setting and holding boundaries and using conscious predictions of what we think will happen. Experiential learning is unlike learning by reading or videos, as it happens only with presence. Being present, and focused on the moment, brings clarity and confidence. 

These workshops create an experiential, supportive learning environment for participants to learn about themselves, heal what has been broken, and reconnect with their own hearts. We allow the horse to ‘guide’ the process of learning as we reflect and explore our emotions. This leads us to integrate those wounded and subconscious beliefs and apply our insights to find our own authentic balance.

Therapeutic horsemanship is an equine-assisted activity for the purpose of contributing positively to the cognitive, physical, emotional, and social well-being of individuals no matter what your need is.  

 The practice of therapeutic horsemanship uses the horse as a motivational tool to help all populations improve listening skills, focus, sequencing, and coordination, and to develop greater self-confidence, patience, and control. 

Equine-assisted therapy has been known to help senior adults with a number of physical and psychological benefits. Studies have proven that being in the presence of horses has many therapeutic advantages for seniors struggling with anxiety, depression, loneliness, and even cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Interaction with horses can provide numerous benefits for seniors. 

• Physical Exercise
• Emotional Well-being
• Social Interaction
• Cognitive Stimulation
• Sensory Stimulation
• Motivation and Confidence
• Mood Enhancement
• Mindfulness and Relaxation 
• Motivation for Physical Activity