BOZEMAN — A Bozeman equine learning center is helping children build confidence and develop essential life skills through horsemanship, teaching young people leadership qualities that they can carry into their daily lives.
Windhorse Equine Learning offers a unique approach to youth development, using horses as teachers for social and emotional skills that are not always covered in traditional classroom settings.
Esha Walia reports - watch the video here:
"Social emotional skills are so important and they are not always taught in school," said Darcy Minter, founder of Windhorse Equine Learning. "We find that the horses are particularly good at teaching that kind of thing because they're role models, and the kids are highly motivated to be working with horses."
The program has served more than 850 children, guiding them through eight levels of learning that begin with leadership and partnership, ultimately leading to connection with the animals.
Penny, a student who started taking lessons last summer, has discovered the calming effect of working with horses and how her own emotions can influence the animals.
"One of the fun facts I've learned is that horses can hear your heartbeat," Penny said. "When he's scared, he moves around but I know I can take deep breaths, and he'll be really calm too."
The young student has learned valuable lessons about leadership through her interactions with the horses.
"Sometimes the horses will misbehave, but you have to show them that you're the boss, but not meanly," Penny said.
Students develop these skills through various activities including obstacle courses, grooming and, eventually, riding. The hands-on approach helps children gain confidence by working with animals that can weigh around 1,000 pounds.
"Just being able to understand a horse, to work with a horse, to lead a horse and then to eventually ride a horse… all of that is so empowering for kids," Minter said.
Parents have noticed significant changes in their children's confidence levels. Kim Trouten, Penny's mother, has witnessed the transformation firsthand.
"Penny has been so happy when she's doing this and the most confident we've ever seen her," Trouten said.
The program emphasizes that horses help children step outside their comfort zones and express themselves authentically.
"The horses really have a way of getting kids out of their heads… you can be yourself, you can express yourself," Minter said.
Windhorse Equine Learning welcomes children ages eight and older and offers scholarships to ensure accessibility for all families.
"One of our goals is to make sure that no child gets left out," Minter said.
The program's ultimate objective extends beyond horsemanship skills, focusing on developing qualities that children can apply throughout their lives.
"Our goal is to make sure that they learn what good leadership is so that they can take that out into the world," Minter said.
This article has been lightly edited with the assistance of AI for clarity, syntax, and grammar.
