Activities to Skills

Tools to help throughout life

Our mentors use the horses and the farm to provide participants with a variety of experiences so they can learn new skills, many activities can achieve more than one skill, below is only an example of what some activities might look like. Each person is different and therefore each of our programmes vary and students progress through in different ways and times.

Self Esteem

Horses are excellent at building emotional safe connections. They are non-judgemental. They are accepting, and give trust based on 'present' positive interactions.

General interactions with the horse, doing simple grooming tasks and receiving positive feedback from the horse and mentor.

Communication

Horses are the masters of non- verbal communication. Students learn this language when interacting with the horse, receiving immediate feedback from the horse.

Asking the horse to move in a certain direction or leading over an obstacle course. Body language from you is key for the horse to willing oblige. Giving clear directions.

Team Work

Horses interpersonal dynamics are very similar to ours, so they facilitate social skills and teamwork, whilst working with them.

Students see they can become the leader with the horse, and the horse listens. This confidence is transferred into working with others on practical tasks.

Manage Emotions

Horses and the farm environment are very sensory experiences so ideal for students who are highly emotional or withdrawn.

Students benefits from the calming heart rate of the horse (Co- Regulation) through touching the horses. Practicing calm decisive movements with the horse will also aid these skills.

Problem Solving

Horses are curious and playful and help students learn boundaries, problem solving, perseverance and resilience.

Horses are gentle and don't take offence, creating a 'safe' environment to practice and keep trying different methods, having the confidence to try again until they get the result they needed. Unconditional support from mentor.

Leadership

Horses want you to be their leader, so are ideal to demonstrate to students what good leadership behaviour looks like.

Students learn and see how to engage and be seen as the leader by the horse. This responsiveness, decision making and planning can then be applied to other social situations.

Resilence

The horse's interactions totally encourage resilience, they don't get upset, or judge, but patiently wait for you.

The overall learning from the programme supports positive learning, and this naturally grows resilience to any problem or situation.

Practical Skills

A variety of practical skills are used and taught to allow students to experience the social and emotional behaviours.

All the skills being observed will assist the participants in their daily lives.

Why we use horses

Activities - Horse:

Catching and haltering horses
Tying up horses
Grooming horses
Weighing and preparing feeds
Leading and handling skills
Maneuvering over obstacles
Learning horse behavior
Picking up horses feet
Painting and dressing up horses
Animal hang out time
Relays and horse games

Our Programmes

Activities - Farm:

Bush walks
Adventures into the hills
Non horse-games
Planting natives, vegetables, soil types, weeds
Working with dogs
Fencing and paddock jobs
Use of tools
General farm maintenance
Drawing and painting
Craft

Programme Objectives

Hope Rising Farm Charitable Trust

07 242 0782

admin@hoperisingfarm.org.nz

Activities to Skills

Activities - Horse:

Activities - Farm:

We are so grateful to all our supporters who helped us in bringing our arena vision to life.

We LOVE our Arena

Our arena will make a huge difference to how we run our programmes!