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What is the best clothing to wear?
Time
will be spent outdoors doing physical activities with the horses.
Wear comfortable and casual clothing. Participants are
required to wear closed toe shoes with socks to protect their
feet when working with the horses (no exceptions). Long
pants are preferable. Please wear clothing that can get dirty. Dress appropriately for the weather and it is
best to layer clothing during all seasons.
How long is each
Equine Adventure session?
The sessions lengths can vary based on the work that
is being done. Usually each session is about 1.5 to 2 hours. The session
starts with an introduction and information on horse safety that takes
about 15 minutes. This is followed with about 1 hour of horse
activities, with the last 15 minutes spent recapping the experience.
Workshops are organized differently and
run longer, typically for a half or full day.
What is equine experiential programming?
The most well known experiential learning programs are called ropes or
challenge courses. Experiential simply means "learning from doing." Experiential learning is proving to be more
effective than some other traditional educational and behavioral change approaches.
Research has shown that experiential learning provides greater retention.
Equine experiential learning has the added element of horses with
different personalities, attitudes, and moods. Because of this, the
program can not be scripted and each time the experience is different.
The focus is on building a relationship and bond with a horse. The horse is a
powerful, energetic and metaphoric mirror of how each of us uniquely
communicates, problem solves, and approaches situations in our life.
It is a fun and introspective process where participants
learn about themselves and how they interact to
accomplish goals.
To learn more, link to
Winners' Circle and read the section on
"How horses teach us about teams and leadership."
What
should I expect regarding the activities with the horses?
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This is not horseback riding and no horse
experience is not required. The
focus is not riding or horsemanship, in fact
the
experience takes place purely on the ground utilizing structured
activities involving horses. Therefore, no horse experience is
necessary. This is different than therapeutic riding programs. |
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Experiential,
goal-oriented activities are facilitated safely with horses while utilizing
their unique ability to understand and mirror human behavior. The
focus is on examining
sensory, behavioral, and communication skills.
The process puts the participant in new and unknown situations rather than
talking or reading about it. |
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Activities are selected to target different
areas but all focus on improving problems solving, communication, and
teamwork skills. |
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There's no right or wrong - it is just about
the experience and accomplishing goals in each person's own way.
Feedback is provided without judgment. |
Are the horses specially trained
for this program?
The horses are not specially trained for this program. The
only requirement is that the horses are safe and respectful to humans.
Participants learn 'Equus" - the language of horses and how they naturally
communicate within their herd with other horses. This language is the
tools and techniques program participants use to interact with the horses to
achieve goals.
Why are horses used rather than
other animals?
Horses are prey animals that have be hunted by predators for
centuries. Their instinct is uniquely developed to detect and understand
the energy that is projected by other creatures, including humans.
Basically, when we work with a horse it understands exactly what we are thinking
and feeling. When we clearly communicate our intentions, the horse will
respond by doing what we ask. If we are unclear or lack intention, trust, or
integrity, then the horse will not do what we ask. It is very simple -
clear communication with intention.
Why do you use miniature horses?
We owned and bred miniature horses before we began the Equine
Adventure program. We have found that people are much more comfortable
with miniature horses because of their size and clients that have experienced
our Equine Adventure program only want to work with our miniature horses.. As
facilitators that have worked with both miniature and full size horses, we find
that people get past their fear of the horses much quicker with the miniature
horses. As a result, our program is less fear based compared to other
equine experiential programs. Our clients more quickly connect and bond
with the miniature horses and this allows the focus to shift into other non-fear
based areas where our
clients can learn and grow. The use of miniature horses sets our program
apart from other similar programs. The response from our clients is
resounding - they prefer working with miniature horses because of their size and
temperament!
Link to Bella Terra Documents:
For more information and Bella Terra
brochures, registration forms, and other materials, please link to
http://www.esnips.com/web/BellaTerraInc.
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What group sizes can you
accommodate?
In order to provide the best experience and maximize each
individuals one-on-one time with the horses, we typically limit group sizes to
20 participants. Under certain circumstances, smaller groups may be
required. For larger groups, please
Contact Us to learn about possible
options..
When are programs held?
Workshops and sessions are by appointment and held weekdays,
weekday evenings, and on weekends. Due to the weather, we primarily work
April through October, although we do hold shorter sessions with individuals and
small groups during the colder months.
Where are programs held?
We hold workshops at any location with any horses (full size,
ponies, or minis) and we can travel to your group -
locally or nationally.
Our miniature horse farm is located in
Texas Township, in Mattawan and Kalamazoo County. For
directions, link to
Contact Us.
What are your qualifications to
provide equine experiential programming?
We
are certified by EAGALA (Equine
Assisted Growth and Learning Association at
www.eagala.org), a
national organization providing ethics, standards, and certification for equine
therapeutic programming. We have attended many of Wyatt Webb's
workshops and consider him a mentor. In 2007, Kim Shook was
certified by Innovative Horizons as an Equine Assisted Training Specialist
to provide equine assisted learning for business organizations. Also, we have been horse owners and
breeders since 2000. Link to About Us to
learn more about our professional experience.
How
can I get more information about equine
experiential programming?
The best way to learn about equine experiential
programming is to visit a program near you. Almost all our
clients tell us that the experience is different than they initially
expected. Please seek out a program in your area to see and
experience this for yourself.
Recommended
Websites:
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Wyatt Webb's website for utilizing horses for personal growth and
business environments -
Miraval Resort Equine Experience
See a video of Wyatt Webb's Equine Experience at Miraval on
Oprah:
http://www2.oprah.com/presents/2007/spa/life/life_adventure_212.jhtml
Click on “Coming to terms with the past” and then click on
“Watch as Amy and Jennifer complete the Equine Experience."
Note: The video will start with a short commercial.
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Paul Hunting's
HorseJoy
and The Centre for Natural Leadership. Paul has two wonderful videos
(short
version and long
version) that
clearly represent how equine experiential programming can be effectively
for professional and personal growth |
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Greg Kersten's Association and Training Programs for
both Equine Assisted Learning and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy -
www.okcorralseries.com |
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EAGALA's Association Training Programs for
equine Assisted Psychotherapy -
www.eagala.org - under resources, they have a list of programs
around the world |
Recommended Books:
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It's
Not about the Horse: It's about Overcoming Fear and Self-doubt by
Wyatt Webb and Cindy Pearlman
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What To Do When You Don't Know What To Do
- Common Horse Sense by Wyatt Webb
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Horse
Sense and the Human Heart: What Horses Can Teach Us About Trust,
Bonding, Creativity and Spirituality by Adele Von Rust
McCormick and Marlena Deborah McCormick. |
Do you provide services
for non-profit organizations?
We partner with many nonprofit organization to provide
the Equine Adventure program for their clients and staff. We offer
discounted rates for all nonprofit organizations. We also
partner to seek grant funding and
program sponsorships to fund programming, however this process requires
lead time and advance planning. Bella Terra was built on a
partnership model and we strongly believe in this approach.
What other things do you do at your
facility?
At our miniature horse farm, we have
bred and train horses, including driving in carts. From time to time we enjoy
participating in horse shows. We have some of the top
bloodlines and many of our horses have won top awards at the
national level.
How are miniature horses different
than larger horse breeds?
Fully matured miniature horses are about waist high for adults
(up to 38" in height at their withers) and weigh between 250 and 450 pounds.
Miniature horses are their own breed and are not ponies, although most miniature
horses have distant lineage to Shetland pony bloodlines. Miniature horses
have been bred for temperament and are great companions for people of all ages.
Miniature horses are horses in every regard, including the same instincts and physical
characteristics of full size horses. There are only a few
differences with miniature horses besides their size:
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they don't wear horse shoes but are trimmed on the same schedule
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they lay down and roll more often
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their teeth are not
proportionately smaller compared to the rest of their body
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they are measured in inches rather than in hands (4
inches = 1 hand)
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they have much thicker winter coats, like ponies.
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Link here to learn more about miniature horses:
http://www.bellaterraacres.com/Documents/MiniHorses.pdf.
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