PROGRAMS FOR KIDS & TEENS

Horse Powered Programs

Our programs for kids and teens focus on the learning process for the individual and builds upon children’s natural curiosity and determination.

During sessions, students are allowed to make discoveries and experiment with knowledge firsthand.

The interaction between client and horse gives the facilitator insight into what the client is experiencing inside and what patterns are working or not working for them. That interplay allows for profound learning to take place.

Through this process, the horse creates an opportunity for immediate feedback and experiential learning to take place. 

Our Horse Powered programs are inclusive and serve all neurodivergent and neurotypical participants, including those who are autistic, have ADHD, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, anxiety, depression, and more. We can help support IEP and neurodiversity-affirming ABA goals.

Powering through challenges

Horse Powered equine-assisted programs take learning to a new level with a whole-body learning approach which emphasizes individual learning styles and challenges.  Whole body learning engages students in multiple ways; physically, mentally and emotionally.

Your child will have the opportunity to complete all activities on the ground (no riding).  No prior horse experience is expected or required.  Your child will be interacting and learning with horses in a fun and sensory oriented environment.

Private Programs

Private Sessions- Ages 5 and Up

Designed for children ages 5 and up, these private 1:1 programs provide individualized attention, catering to the specific needs and goals of each participant. Sessions are primarily held on the ground, but riding can also be incorporated to deepen the student’s connection to the horse.

$285 for 3 sessions (required minimum)

$95 per additional session

Focused sessions that support social-emotional learning or academics, using a workbook tailored to your child’s needs. Families choose their topic at registration. Topics may include:

  • Managing Emotions

  • Building Confidence

  • Mindfulness & Self-Love

  • Reading & Math Enrichment

  • Boundaries & Consent

  • Healthy Friendships

  • Embracing Sensory Diversity

  • Befriending Fear

Program Activities

Ground-Based Activities:
Participants engage in various ground-based activities, such as leading a horse through an obstacle course, grooming, or observing and reflecting on horse behavior within a herd. These activities help develop trust, communication skills, and an understanding of non-verbal cues.

Mindful Riding:

Mindful riding is a specialized form of equine-assisted activity that helps individuals with physical, emotional, or cognitive challenges improve their well-being through structured horseback riding sessions. This holistic approach enhances balance, coordination, and confidence while fostering a deep connection with horses.

Emotional Regulation and Self-Awareness:
Horses, known for their sensitivity to human emotions, serve as mirrors, reflecting the participant's emotional state. This interaction helps individuals recognize, understand, and manage their emotions, fostering greater emotional regulation and self-awareness.

Problem-Solving Tasks:
Participants are challenged with tasks like guiding a horse through a specific pattern without physical contact, which encourages creative thinking and problem-solving skills. These tasks require participants to strategize and adapt, promoting cognitive flexibility and resilience.

Assertiveness and Boundaries:
Horses respond best to clear, confident communication, making them excellent partners for learning about assertiveness and boundary-setting. Participants practice expressing themselves clearly and setting appropriate boundaries, skills that are crucial for healthy interpersonal relationships.

🐴 1:1 Pony Playtime Sessions

$75 / 50 minutes

Spend personalized time with our horses through brushing, walking, and hands-on connection activities. Perfect for building confidence, calming the nervous system, and enjoying nature.

Add-on: $20 per additional sibling | $10 per additional adult

🐎 Pony Rides

$55 / 30 minutes

$80 / 1 hour- includes learning how to brush & tack up the horse

Enjoy a guided leadline ride for beginners and pony lovers of all ages.

Group Programs

🧠 Specialized Social-Emotional Equimotional Groups

$150/month | 1.5 hours/week for 4 weeks

A small group program combining equine interaction with themed social-emotional learning.

Wednesdays (Teens) | Thursdays (Kids)

4–5:30 PM

Monthly Topics:

  1. Managing Emotions (Sept 3–24)

  2. Building Confidence (Oct 1–22)

  3. Friends & Healthy Relationships (Oct 29–Nov 19)

  4. Boundaries & Consent (Dec 3–17)

  5. Mindfulness (Jan 7–28)

  6. Self Love (Feb 4–25)

  7. Embracing Sensory Diversity (Mar 4–25)

  8. Befriending Fear (Apr 1–29)

  9. Foraging with Friends (May 6–27)

🤝 "Hang with the Herd" Social Events

Every other Sunday | 1–2 PM

Alternating sessions for kids and teens, these fun and relaxed events promote friendship, social skills, and time with our herd.

  • $30 per child + parent

  • $10/additional child | $5/additional adult

🚌 Field Trips

Bring your group, classroom, or club to experience horses and farm life in an interactive way.

  • $25 per child

  • Minimum 4 children

🌿Ranch School

🐓 Barnyard & Beyond Farm School (Grades K–5)

Fridays | 10 AM–1 PM | Drop-off

A nature-based enrichment program focused on social-emotional growth, hands-on learning, and barnyard adventures.

  • $325/month

  • $926/semester (5% discount)

  • $60 annual registration fee

 

🐴 Pony Preschool

Thursdays | 10–11:30 AM | Drop-off

A gentle introduction to horses and farm life for preschoolers. Children engage in sensory-rich play, animal care, and foundational social skills.

  • $175/month

  • $498/semester (5% discount)

  • $40 annual registration fee

 

🌼 Peaceful Pastures (Sensory-Friendly Group)

Wednesdays | 10–11 AM

A calming, sensory-friendly group designed for neurodivergent children. Caregivers are welcome to stay and support as needed.

  • $150/month

  • $427/semester (5% discount)

  • $40 registration fee

 

📅 Semester Dates

Fall:

  1. Sept 3 – Sept 24

  2. Oct 1 – Oct 22

  3. Oct 29 – Nov 19

Winter:

  1. Dec 3 – Dec 17 (3 classes, optional 4th on 12/16)

  2. Jan 7 – Jan 28

  3. Feb 4 – Feb 25

Spring:

  1. Mar 4 – Mar 25

  2. Apr 1 – Apr 29 (No class week of 4/6)

  3. May 6 – May 27

About Horse Powered Reading®

Horse Powered Reading® is a research-based curriculum developed by Dr. Michele Pickel in 2012. Her one-of-a-kind program combines equine-assisted learning with the best educational practice to engage your child's mind, body and emoting.  Dr. Pickel utilized the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA) model while developing her program.

Students practice reading, comprehension, fluency and vocabulary skills in a corral with various props and toys being used to visualize their individual learning obstacles.  As your child interacts with horses, a certified teacher, and trained volunteers, he or she will discover new ways to break through social and emotional barriers.

This curriculum offers the following benefits:

  • Each lesson is tailored to the individual student in a way which engages the whole body.

  • Research shows whole body learning designed to engage your child's kinesthetic and sensory modes of learning dramatically improves his ability to retain important academic skills. In other words, your child is seeing, touching, and interacting with what he is learning in a way which uses many different areas of his brain. 

  • Your child will improve her motivation, confidence and critical thinking while learning critical academic skills.

Recommended for grades K and up.

Please be assured I will tailor the session to meet your child's individual reading struggles.

If you would like more information on Horse Powered Reading, please visit the following website, www.horsepoweredreading.com.

Why Horses?

Horses can help clients learn to build connections

  • They are honest in the way they react to situations

  • Horses are extremely sensitive to the actions of humans

  • Horses have an incredible ability to pick up on our non-verbal behavior

  • Horses will only bond with someone when they feel the person is being "authentic"

Skills addressed

  • Decoding - building phonics skills and sight word recognition

  • Vocabulary enhancement

  • Fluency development - reading quickly, accurately and with expression

  • Overcome barriers blocking comprehension

  • Practice study skills

  • Comprehend textbooks

  • Learn new, unfamiliar, and multi-syllable words

  • Achieve higher order thinking

  • Use critical and creative thinking

BRIDGE TO READING

PHONEMIC AWARENESS

Ability to hear, break apart, and blend individual sounds that make up words

In effective reading instruction there are 5 key areas that must be taught: Phonemic Awareness; Decoding (phonics & sight word recognition); Vocabulary; Fluency; and Comprehension.

  • PHONEMIC AWARENESS, the most basic and most critical skill for learning to read, is developing

    the ability to hear the individual sounds (phonemes) that make up a word. Children must be able

    to take apart the word sounds and blend them together. This is foundational in any alphabetic

    language.

  • DECODING is learning to match sounds with letters and build them into words. It encompasses

    both phonics (sounding out words) and sight words (learning words that don’t sound like they

    are spelled).

  • VOCABULARY, understanding word meanings, is vital in order to understand what is read. There

    is a very high correlation between vocabulary and comprehension and success in school!

  • FLUENCY, is the ability to read words accurately, quickly, and with expression. It forms the

    “bridge” between squiggly marks on a page (text), and Comprehension. However it is impossible

    for that bridge to work without the pillars of Decoding and Vocabulary build firmly on the

    bedrock of Phonemic Awareness.

  • COMPREHENSION- making meaning from words-is the GOAL OF READING!!!

Horse Powered Math

Horse Powered Math was developed by Nancy Lyon after years of working with youth as an educator at the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center. Her approach builds upon the principles Dr. Michele Pickel used to develop Horse Powered Reading. Your child will work in a corral setting and all the work is done on the ground using various toys/props to visualize individual learning obstacles.

A whole-body learning approach is used in a way which allows your child to break through any social, emotional, or behavioral barriers which may be hindering her learning. You know your child is an awesome learner and we do, too!

Use this program to help your child develop the following math skills:

  • Memorizing facts

  • Creative Problem Solving

  • Discovering Patterns

  • Story Problems

Don't be surprised if your child acquires many more math skills along the way! Also be prepared to see your child grow in her motivation, confidence, and critical thinking.

Recommended for Grades K and up.

Please be assured I will tailor the lesson to your child's individualized needs.

Contact me to book or learn more!