The ranch setting removes urban distractions and simplifies options to encourage teens
into new insights and new ways of interacting with themselves and others.

Equine Guided Education is an emerging field founded on the principle that, through working with horses, students can learn life skills that initiate personal growth. Experiential learning and team building activities are integrated with horsemanship skills to create a unique program offering endless possibilities for self-development.

One of the many advantages of working with the horse is that the feedback it gives through its behavior doesn’t come through the filter of language. Part of the healing power of this work is that it is bringing teens out of their heads and into intimate connection with nature to inspire, teach and enlighten them.

In traditional horse riding lessons, the focus is on gaining riding skills and a mastery of horsemanship- our focus at Medicine Horse Ranch is somewhat different. We create equine activities on the ground that help students deal with real life situations by applying skills such as positive communication, understanding the dynamic of choice and consequence, developing congruency between the mind and heart, setting boundaries, problem solving, building trust, anger management and self-care.

Horsemanship skills develop as a natural sub-strait of the student's growth in these other areas. When students encounter a problem with a horse we approach it from the standpoint of a life problem, instead of just a horse problem. Rather than simply gaining horsemanship skills, students gain broader, more concrete life skills, which can be integrated into their lives.

Additionally, we provide a guided 2 1/2 hour horseback ride on the second day of the class, which includes lunch. The trail ride emphasizes partnership with the horse and promotes body awareness and listening skills. Students work in teams to groom and saddle the horses and prepare them for the ride. All participants have the responsibility of wearing proper attire, being on time and cleaning up after themselves and their horses.

Teens who have and will attend Horse Sense workshops are bright, creative adolescents who need to feel more confident in a world that has become increasingly more complicated to navigate. Equine Guided Education provides the opportunity to discover and design new life practices to help them fulfill on their dreams and goals, develop emotional intelligence, intuitive knowledge and self-responsibility.