In December 2021 we formally offered our clients a new service specifically aimed at improving helping children realise their inate brilliance and enjoy positive interactions with nature and animals.
Our Confidence For Kids sessions were born out of many things:
A desire to be more impactful with our local community
The impact we saw the pandemic have on young people
The positive impact horses had on our childhood
A desire to share our wisdom, knowledge and good fortune with others
Our current herd being suitable for children as well as adults
The sessions are 1:1 (although technically 1:4 if you count the herd!) and are tailored to each child's needs.
In our 1 hour sessions sorts of things we explore are:
- being calm, attentive to ourselves, the environment and the horses (mindfulness)
- stepping into the horse's world
- how to respectfully approach a horse
- reading the horse's body language
- understand no and what it means to give consent (both horse and human)
- owning our emotions and being truthful and authentic
- allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and try something new
- building a relationship with the herd
- being safe around horses, what does it mean to "be safe"?
- building intimate relationships, opening our heart's to trust and be trusted
- inclusion, what does it feel like to be accepted and included?
- asking for help
- providing help and supporting another
- thinking ahead and considering others
- leadership, taking charge and giving clear instructions
- how to deal with difficult behaviour (horse or human)
- recognising success and rewarding effort
- many other things that spontaneously arise in the moment!
We may do this by:
- observing the horses and watching how they behave
- approaching and introducing ourselves to the herd
- standing quietly next to a horse, breathing when they breath
- giving the horse a groom and picking out their feet
- leading the horse for a walk
- leading the horse around an obstacle course
- quiet time spent drawing and reflecting
- collecting herbs and plants and see which ones each horse likes.
What we "do" during the sessions is less important than how we "are" during the sessions, which is geared to being calm, confident, open, curious and compassionate.
Does that sound like something that would be useful to the children in your life?
You can read more and book you first appointment here:
Or trial our services to see if they are for you first with a taster session:
Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.