Changing bodies…Yearning for acceptance and love…Peer pressure…The unknown future AND the deeper questions: Who am I? How do I belong?  Our Youth is under considerable pressure in this modern society.

Horse Spirit Connections offers personal development workshops for Adolescents that promote growth through Equine Facilitated Experiential Learning (EFEL). Horses are valuable teachers as they connect us to the natural world, to compassion, to love, and to honesty.  Because they are prey animals in the wild, their survival depends on being highly attuned to the energy of their surroundings.  This natural instinct makes the horse a powerful, direct, non-verbal and non-judgmental guide.

Our country setting removes urban distractions and simplifies options for Teens to gain new insights and new ways of interacting with themselves and others.

Interacting with a big intimidating animal challenges issues of fear and confidence.  Horses are responsive to human emotions and actions.  They will immediately sense and respond to an individual’s emotions and behaviors.  Horses never lie.  For example, a frustrated Teen can cause their horse to become equally frustrated.  The horse will act out the frustration the Teen is feeling. If the Teen acknowledges the feeling the horse will change its behavior.  Participants learn that emotions are just information – neither good nor bad, as well as the importance of expressing their emotions in order to be authentic.
Interaction with horses removes Teens from their ‘comfort zone’ and requires different communication skills. 

With EFEL Teens will:

Learning to embody horse sense helps Teens face their personal lives with confidence and skillful decision-making abilities. With this knowledge Teens can inspire new possibilities for themselves and others in their lives.