SUBMITTED PHOTO Junior high students at Irvine School have had the opportunity to learn with the assistance of horses since December. The inaugural Equine Learning Program wraps up Jan. 21.
Irvine School’s inaugural horse-assisted learning program is wrapping up for the year on Jan. 21.
As opposed to its regular Equine Program, the Equine Learning Program doesn’t involve horseback riding.
Linda Kraft, the school’s athletic director, says the program is part of the junior high career and technology foundations optional classes, which run on six-week rotations.
“It’s the first time it’s ever been done within our school system,” says Kraft. “It’s a program where kids who’ve never had, or have had limited, exposure to horses get the opportunity to interact with them.
“There’s just something about horses that makes you calm and happy. There’s tons of studies that have been done in regards to how horses help to regulate kids with behaviour problems, even dementia patients.”
In fact, there even exists an international Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, which promotes equine-assisted activities for people with special needs.
Kraft says she’s witnessed the “leaps and bounds some of the kids have made,” from the beginning of the program on Dec. 3 to now.
Working with horses increases the students’ empathy and self-awareness, she said.
One activity they do involves letting the horses run loose in the arena, while the students observe them and answer questions, such as, ‘Which horse are you most drawn to and why,” and ‘Do any of these horses remind you of people that you know in your life?’
Kraft says it’s “interesting” to hear the kids’ responses.
“There’s something pretty humbling about a 1,200-pound animal and having to put a halter on it for the first time when you’re not quite sure how to even approach them,” said Kraft.
