Experience Inside-Out Learning with Horses
What is Inside/Out Learning?
When we are challenged to move outside of our usual comfort zone, we experience feelings and beliefs that may have been locked inside us. Working with the horses pushes most people outside of their comfort zone. Our professional staff has years of experience bringing individuals through challenge to successful outcomes in the pasture. When we bring what is inside us out into the light of day, we learn and grow.
What do the horses do?
Bright Horses provide a direct mirror for every personality type—people learn something about their own strengths and weaknesses, finding new ways to cope with challenges on the farm that translate directly into everyday life and relationships. "Interactive Horse Skills" at Bright Horse brings individuals to horses from a fresh perspective without riding. Or, you can learn about Really Riding in our private or semi-private lessons. For those interested in learning how the horses are trained, we developed seminars for Junior Trainers. Either way, the horses will impact your life, bringing out the best in students who apply themselves to learning.
Interactive Horse Skills in Summer and Specialty Camps
"Interactive Horse Skills" is experiential learning. The concept is sometimes more easily understood in the context of ropes courses, climbing walls and other challenging and fun outdoor activities, such as rafting and caving. At Bright Horse, our horse activities are primarily un-mounted—in other words, we don’t put on a saddle and practice riding. The games and challenges bring horses into play using themes that everyone knows—treasure hunts, relay races, “Simon Says," checkers, billiards, pinball and charades to name a few. Teamwork, self-awareness and communication are the primary values learned. Interactive Horse Skills is the core of our summer and specialty camp experience with horses. Part of our program does include sitting on the horses bareback with someone leading and/or spotting the rider, but riding is not the main emphasis.
How do you teach Interactive Horse Skills?
These activities take traditional horsemanship
one-step further! We begin by getting to know the
animals through observation and grooming, then
progress to leading the horses in the pasture or
arena. We make this really fun by adding special
patterns and obstacles to help the children quickly
develop skills in moving the animals. Then we move on
to our equine assisted interpretation of traditional
camp activities like treasure hunts and water play.
At mid-week our campers get a chance to find their
balance on horseback. We always lead and spot our
first time riders to help them learn how to sit on a
horse. Advanced games and our Dream Horse day, when
we decorate and parade the horses, conclude the week.
Summer fun with horses has never been so grand!