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Horsing Around Makes for a Great Learning Experience

by Linda Satchwell

Plumas Charter School, in concert with Greenhorn Creek Guest Ranch, is participating in a pilot course in “Equine Guided Leadership.” The course is directed at students in sixth through 10th grades, “an age of enormous transition,” said program developer Dr. Lisa Kaufman Kelly of Greenhorn Ranch.

Laura Beaton, teacher and facilitator from PCS, and Greenhorn Ranch staff members Marty Orenstein and Drew Carrigan are working with Kelly on the course, which runs Sept. 9–30 at Greenhorn.

The premise behind Equine Guided Learning dovetails well with the learning style at PCS. The students’ education is individualized, acknowledging their “academic strengths and weaknesses, learning styles, interests, experience and ambitions,” explained Kelly.

Equine Guided Learning sees horses as “partners in the learning process, offering objective, instant and honest feedback.” Kelly helps students observe and interact with the horses in a variety of guided activities.

Further, she observes the students’ observations. One student might pay attention to how a horse looks to decide why it’s acting a certain way. Another might read an emotional response into a horse’s reaction to a situation. Kelly pointed out to students that has more to do with their own perspective than with the horse’s motivation.

If students look at their own responses, they’ll find they fit with their experience and their own way of making sense of the world. If they assess their own observations, then they can learn something about themselves.

In addition, “the way people interact with horses is reflective of their relationships with family, classmates and peers,” Kelly said. “Horses, being herd animals, consider us part of their herd. They mirror the emotions and energy of the people around them. And, if we’re paying attention, we can gain valuable information with which to improve personal relationships.”  Through the information they gain in observing both the horses and themselves, students can learn to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, and they can hone their leadership skills. Program

participants are encouraged to “apply critical thinking, communication skills and decision making strategies.” An added benefit is that because most students respond so positively to the horses, they are more open to the learning experience, which leads to feelings of success.  So while they build skills, they also gain self-esteem. “Students have responded very positively to the class,” said Taletha Washburn,

educational coordinator at PCS. Clearly, bringing the classroom into the corral is an inspired idea. Students paid close attention during discussion, readily answered questions and couldn’t wait to get into the corral to interact with the horses.

The Equine Guided Leadership program doesn’t require any previous experience with horses and can be used in a variety of group settings. Previous participants include Chico State University’s International Student Leadership Organization, Elderhostel and Aflac Management Teams.

(Elderhostel Inter-Generational Session July 2009)