Share

Horse Sense For Teens-at-Risk

Equine Guided Education integrates equine activities, kinesthetic learning, natured-based wisdom and human coaching to accelerate human growth and learning.

Description:
Our youth programs focus on helping young men and women discover their natural gifts and talents, explore their possibilities and expand their creativity. Horse Sense for Teens At-Risk teaches self-esteem, self-management, and communications skills collaborating with horses as teachers. Participants come from low-income families with multiple stresses such as family violence, homelessness, and lack of English language skills.

Program Goals: Developmentally, adolescents must take risks and challenge authority as part of their psychological adult identity formation. Horse Sense incorporates horses and observation of horse culture to help youth examine issues such as personal integrity and authority, the impact of their actions on the “herd,” and how to stand up to bullies. Adult mentors, and the horses themselves, model appropriate behavior. When placed in this unique environment, teen participants experience enhanced self-esteem through the learning of new skills as well as an expansion of future opportunities for themselves. Teens learn powerful and lasting life lessons from the horses that cannot be learned at school or at home which strengthen families and build healthy community.

Current program goals include:
• Creating a strong financial foundation for future program growth including a major donor program, grant writing and a membership program.
• Increasing media visibility of program and results
• In the 2009-2010 program year, a backpacking/camping component may be added to the existing programs.

Best Practices: Equine Guided Education is a “best practice” used throughout the U.S. and internationally for teens. Programs meet standards established by the field. Youth participants have guardian consent, and receive safety training. Horse Sense uses a licensed therapist to assist in program design and implementation and to assure the well being of youth participants.

History:
Since 2003, Horse Sense for Teens At-Risk has been providing expert equine-guided education to at-risk teens in the San Francisco Bay Area. The program was initiated through a partnership with the Novato Youth Center (NYC) teen pregnancy prevention staff who were searching for exceptional experiential educational opportunities for Latino youth. From the initial pilot of just 6 young women, Horse Sense anticipates serving 90 young women and men from NYC in the 2008-2009 school year, as well as additional at-risk youth from homeless, gang prevention, and eating disorder programs. Horse Sense programs are particularly effective with at-risk youth because they tap into the adolescent developmental needs to belong, test boundaries, and learn personal integrity. Activities are innovative, engaging the youth in a dynamic learning environment that encourages personal growth and reflection.

Contact person: Alyssa Aubrey, Executive Director, (phone), (email)

Main office number: (707) 878-2440
Office fax number: (707) 878-2441

Address:

PO BOX 224 Tomales, CA 94971

Web Site: http://www.horsesenseforteens-at-risk.org

Directions:

DIRECTIONS traveling 101 North from San Francisco Address: Medicine Horse Ranch 1589-1599 Cerini Rd. Tomales, Ca 94971 707-878-2440-ranch ph 707-878-2441-fax FROM 101 North- (you’ll be exiting one of the four exits towards Petaluma) Take 101 North to: Exit Washington St. and turn left off exit (back. . . (more)   Nearest Bus Stop: 33 miles, 2 + hrs minute walk

Last updated on July 5, 2010