At Discovery Horse, we see each person as an individual and strive to
create a community of mutual respect, a community that doesn’t see
them for the choices they make but rather for the person they are.
Over the years I (Sara) have been working with more and more youth in our community! I work individually and with multiple youth clients as well as local schools and agencies. I love it. And we get results. By ‘we’ I mean myself, our staff and our horses.
I would like to tell you a bit about our overall philosophy. We don’t teach these skills outright, we don’t lecture and hold ‘class’. Instead we use the outdoors as our classroom. Our teachers come in all shapes, forms and sizes. We have 8 beautiful horses on the property, small animals, wildlife and 15 acres.
Everyone needs these things. To feel Safe. To feel like we belong. To find value in ourselves and in the world around us. It is from this place that healing begins.
We work with kids from all walks of life. We don’t specialize in one thing or another because we believe healing lies outside the labels so many kids carry. We support kids in developing a strong foundation in who they are and what they are worth. From this place the challenges that life throws at them are more manageable because the child is more equipped and comes from a place of strength and confidence.[/dropshadowbox]
We practice experiential learning. We all have different learning styles however learning by doing is one style most of us can relate to. And in truth, the learning we do doesn’t feel like learning at all. It feels like living. Living in a way that FEELS good, that develops those skills I mentioned. . . Naturally. We create an environment in which youth experience natural cause and effect, from each other and from the horses. The youth get immediate feedback on their behaviors, their thoughts and their emotions. Its awesome and very memorable. If you have 10 minutes I invite you to watch my TEDx talk called Horses See Our Armor. In the talk I share my personal journey and the role horses played. I also share several stories about kids I have worked with. It is an excellent way to get a feel for me and the work that I do.
At Discovery Horse we promote and teach social and emotional resilience, regulation and expression. We believe that Love Breeds Love. I work with so many kids on both sides of the ‘bully’ spectrum. A wise young lady shared with me that ‘Hurt People, Hurt People’. I like to say that ‘Loved People, Love People’ Time and time again I watch the horses mend hearts and then I watch that love spread. It might me a gentle scratch on a muzzle, a smile at a sworn enemy or an apology for past wrongs. Love Breeds Love. I believe firmly that if we can develop a strong and healthy sense of self and self respect that everything else will fall into place. Choices become motivated from a healthy place, not one of fear or lack or anger.
Short and simple: we create a safe environment that motivates kids (and adults;) to make healthy choices. We see each person as an individual and strive to create a community of mutual respect, a community that doesn’t see them for the choices they make but rather for the person they are. Authenticity is a word that is commonly heard at the farm. It means being real. Early on we develop ‘armor’ to shield our true selves from judgment, pain, fear and ultimately we lose touch with who we really are and wear our armor as truth. We start living our lives motivated by fear. Sadly we often start this pattern way to young. One of the primary focuses at Discovery Horse is to discover and embrace authenticity. Which of course also requires us to look at our armor. We find that kids are brave and when given a safe environment, free from judgment and full of compassion, they are willing to peel back the armor, just a little bit. This is a connection to self. This is where true strength and wisdom comes from. We don’t recommend that people shed their armor for good. In fact in some situations it keeps us alive. And it often stems from a belief that we have to survive rather than thrive. Armor protects us and it also isolates us. When we work with kids we see them find balance and trust in themselves. Our hope is that they can then take that back into their own worlds.
2016 Youth Camps
Discovery Horse Youth Camp
This camp is for everyone
Teens 13-17: July 12th
Tweens 6-12: July 13th
I Have Special Needs Too
A Sibling Camp ~ For kids who have siblings with special needs
Teens 13-17: Aug 10th
Tweens 6-12: Aug 17th
Parents Have Special Needs Too
A camp for parents of kids with special needs
August 20
Compassion Camp
For girls who could benefit from a more positive sense of self
Teens 8-17: July 26th
Where Do I Belong?
Camp for children of divorce
Tweens 6-12 Aug 16th
Teens 13-17 Aug 9th
Parent Camp
July 9th
[dropshadowbox align=”center” effect=”” width=”auto” height=”” background_color=”#ececea” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” inside_shadow=”false” outside_shadow=”false” ]Life throws us all kinds of curve balls. We need to be flexible and strong. We need tools to help us navigate the world and we need tools to navigate within ourselves. Loving who we are and having compassion and empathy for the world around us is so necessary. [/dropshadowbox]
Horses. This is always the part of our program that is the most confusing and yet, the most important. This is NOT horsemanship. This is NOT about riding, because we don’t ride. This is about relationships.Confidence & trust building, self esteem development, parental divorce, emotional regulation, behavioral issues in school or home, interpersonal relationship development, communication, respect, responsibility, healthy boundary setting, problem solving, conflict resolution, empathy development, self expression and more.[/dropshadowbox]
