Energize Your “Family Herd”
A five-week series of non-mounted exercises with horses that uplifts the spirit and invigorates the family unit.
From Survive to Thrive
The Family Herd Series is an experiential learning program specifically designed to develop resiliency and a happy stronger family.
Discover the profound impact that connecting with horses can have on family dynamics and mental wellbeing.
Richmond, BC
Amazing Family Activity
Your family will enjoy learning to connect and communicate with horses, understand their behavior, and navigate them through a series of obstacle courses.
Experiential in nature, the focus is on appreciating the complex communication and social hierarchy of horses and paralleling that experience to the outside world; enhancing life skills, family relationships, and increasing personal wellbeing.
Each session includes a minimum of three and a maximum of six participants.
No Experience Necessary
Families journey together with their horse through a series of non-mounted exercises. There is no riding and no prior horse experience is necessary. We start from the beginning.
The horses are the teachers, but certified facilitators gently guide the process. Sessions begin with a 15-minute briefing to to prepare for the arena time. This is followed by 40-minutes of family exercises with the horse in the arena. Each session concludes with a 20-minute debriefing to discuss the arena experience and parallel the observations to the outside world.
COVID-19 Policy
Held in a 40,000 s.f. wide-open indoor facility with no closed-in areas, this facility is ideal for air dispersion. All participants and employees complete a daily health assessment at entry, and wear masks while inside the facility.
Three individuals per horse with lots of open space. Briefing and de-briefing time is private to the family group with a dedicated facilitator, while the arena may be shared with more than one group. Sanitizer dispensers are installed at key points throughout the facility.
Yes, I’m interested
Five-week program for families
Weekday mornings 9:00am and 11:00am
Each weekly daytime session is approximately 75 minutes
Minimum of 3 and maximum of 6 participants
Minimum age of 6 years old
Space is limited!
Program details
Designed as a building block curriculum, each weekly session is approximately 75 minutes. The learning objective for the week is clearly defined in a family briefing and is followed by hands-on experiential learning exercises with the horses. The session is capped with a family de-briefing where the observations and experiences in the arena are discussed and explored within the context of the learning objective, and paralleled to everyday life.
Understanding your teacher
The horse is the teacher! As the introduction to Equine Assisted Learning and the program, the family receives a full orientation of the process and why we work with horses. Ground rules for the arena are outlined as well as general safety protocols.
Participants will learn how to understand the many ways that their teachers “talk” which is essential for the rest of the program.
Knowledge
Participants learn about herd dynamics and the similarities to human behaviour. Everyone learns safety in regard to horsemanship and the importance of building a strong relationship and developing trust.
Going through a variety of obstacles, the participants learn about leading and stopping their horse. Participants also learn how to groom and interact with their horse, and the similarity to family relationships.
Communication
Participants are challenged to work through a variety of obstacles. In order to find success, the family needs to communicate effectively, discuss different options, and work together.
The goal is to have the family think about what they need to do as a unit, in order to complete each challenge. This helps everyone focus on the objective and encourages family teamwork and communication.
Listening
Families are challenged to work through different challenges to learn the objective of listening and body language.
Participants act out a different word or phrase at each station without speaking, using lip movement, or pointing at objects in the arena.
Choices
Participants choose 12 items that they would take on a four day survival trip that they believe will help them survive.
Choices include food, magazines, flashlights, clothing, etc. How are they going to keep themselves and their family safe and alive? Is it only the parent’s job, or the kids job to make good choices?
Observation
Participants focus on observation and appropriate assertiveness. The family must identify, approach, halter and lead a horse back to the starting point.
The family must make a plan to begin, but be willing to modify the plan as necessary. This exercise is designed to evoke the family emotion of what is happening as they move towards their horse.
Five-week programs
Hosted at one of Metro Vancouver’s premiere equestrian facilities, in Richmond.