Walking On Volume 2, Issue 6, June 2015 | Page 6

© Roger H. Goun

Got a

BULLY?
Y LUB
L

Get a Horse - At Risk Teens Find Help From Horses

A

young woman learns how to stop
her harasser through one session
with a horse. Sound incredible?
It’s all in a day’s work for one Equine
Guided Educator in northern California.
Since 2000, there has been a 300% increase
in programs that bring humans and horses
together for healing and learning purpos-

6 • Walking On

By Catherine Held, PhD

es. Some of those programs specialize in
working with teens.

Teens and Horses

Adolescent challenges include changing
bodies, peer pressure, and the yearning
for acceptance. The problems of at-risk
teens are magnified. Innovative program-

ing using horses is helping at-risk teens in
new ways. One program in northern California, “Horse Sense for Teens At-Risk,”
helps youth in the Novato Youth Center
teen pregnancy prevention program. The
program uses horses to teach skills such
as boundary setting, clear communication,
and leadership skills. Horse Sense also