Eckerd Academy of the Blue Ridge
Suches, GA

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Blue Ridge-Eckerd Horse Program Started

Eckerd Academy of the Blue Ridge has been working for several months to add another valuable program to our families and the students we serve. Working in conjunction with a local Horse Ranch, East West Morgans, EABR is now offering students a full day each weekend of activities working with horses. The ranch owners have kindly extended their ranch to us, and have made everyone feel at home. The students are learning the nuances of horse caretaking and horsemanship such as feeding and grooming the horses and learning how to communicate with each horse. After mastering the caretaking, students receive instruction in how to saddle, mount and ride the horses. The most important aspect of the program is integrating behavioral goal achievement for each student which helps them improve peer interactions and also to listen and follow instructions. The horsemanship program also helps the students increase their levels of empathy for each other and those around them.

The horsemanship program involves establishing a relationship with a horse on the ground and then evolves into the nurturing of that relationship, which will lead to riding in a contained area, or riding on trails. Activities in the process include 'joining up' with the horse, grooming and group experiential exercises. This process creates a relationship between the students and the horses - individually and as a group. The horses are taught to rely on judgment of the students instead of on their instincts. Horses are prey animals; their response to danger is flight. Training a horse is the process of replacing that natural fear with trust. When the skill of moving safely and skillfully around horses is mastered, a specific horse will be assigned to a specific student. Each horse will work through the group until every student has handled every horse. This will help identify how both animals and people have different personalities and learn in different ways. Students who demonstrate respect for the horses and a measurable and safe skill level, could move on the next phase of horsemanship . . . learning to ride.