Today’s youth face increasing pressures in their day-to-day lives. They are challenged by everything from physical growth and complex schedules to social media pressure, bullying, and body image issues. It is the goal of caring parents and adults to support them as they navigate these challenges. But how do people do this? At Salisbury Farms, we have developed a support program which provides ‘positive opportunities’ for young people while teaching them to work with big, exciting and responsive animals—HORSES. Our program is designed to provide opportunities to increase self-esteem, self-awareness, and to participate in positive experiences in the community.
How can horses influence a child’s self-esteem? Working with horses gives the young rider opportunities to learn new skills and the sense of ‘mastery’ as their skills improve. The program also opens a door to positive relationships —with Dr. Oleson, the horses, and other riders and animals at the facility. Learning new skills and having positive relationships can create a stronger foundation for the development of self-esteem.
How can horses increase self-awareness? Horses are prey animals and survive in the wild due to a fine tuned ability to notice and respond to things in their environment. When people work with horses, the horses can help people learn about themselves, because horses feel and respond to the rider. Horses are great teachers of self-awareness because they have no agenda or angle. They simply respond to the rider and then offer valuable feedback which is natural, unbiased, and irrefutable. Our program helps youth understand themselves as they learn to understand horses.
How are ‘positive experiences in the community’ important for youth? ‘Positive opportunities’ in the lives of youth has been documented as a protective process that fosters childhood resilience. The ‘positive opportunities’ at Salisbury Farms help youth develop new perspectives on their every day stressors, and define themselves with something fun and adventuresome. Stepping into the world of horses, allows youth to step away from negative or risky behaviors. At Salisbury Farms, we recognize that a solid sense of self can act as a buffer for the stresses many youth experience in their everyday lives. Our programs are designed to support each rider with ‘positive opportunities’.
Please feel free to contact us for further information or to schedule an introductory session at (619) 723-6202.