Youth at Holston Home spend time building relationships with our horses. Whether mucking out stalls, giving a horse a bath, or hitting the trails around campus, youth will tell you they enjoy the horse program. Youth learn hard work, horsemanship, and through professional facilitation of equine-assisted therapeutic activities, they grow in the following areas:
- Self-confidence
- Interpersonal skills
- Trauma recovery
- Empathy
- Teamwork
- Problem-solving skills
- Assertiveness
- Overcoming fears
- Working through grief
- Anger Management
- Improved Focus and Dedication
What happens during an Equestrian Program?
Because of our ideal setting in the mountains of East Tennessee, equine adventures can be experienced every month of the year, whether riding or two-legging it beside our four-legged equine friends. Any given day might include learning to catch, halter, groom, saddle, and ride the wonderful herd. You can also catch the youth giving the horses spa days, bathing, braiding manes and tails, hand-grazing the horses, cleaning the barn, or working on their horsemanship skills from the ground. We love to have fun at the barn!
Who Lives at the Barn?
Horses, sheep, dogs, and cats live at the barn, each with their own unique personality. Youth often regain their ability to trust humans in their lives by first creating relationships with the animals at the barn. The barn is a calm area that is maintained by our youth as well as community volunteers through every season.
How Often Does the Equestrian Program Happen?
The program is built into our kids’ school schedule. They also participate in private Eagala sessions during after-school hours. Eagala (Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association) uses a team of three to provide solution-focused, private or group therapy to the youth and their families. The team consists of a mental health professional, an equine specialist, and at least one horse. Youth have learning and healing experiences as the horses provide feedback to verbal and non-verbal cues from the participant. During an Eagala session, the horse is free to respond naturally to the environment, and in doing this, the horse often mirrors what is happening in the life of a participant. Interacting with the horses in this way provides a metaphor-based opportunity for the participants to create significant connections between the session and their personal lives.
For more information call (423) 638-4171 or send us an email.
