SPIRIT SONG YOUTH EQUESTRIAN ACADEMY

Description

Spirit Song Youth Equestrian Academy is a Christ-centered, non-profit dedicated to equine-assisted life skills development in youth, adults, and organizations. We focus our efforts on the equipping of youth and adults. The heart of the learning is the horse/human connection. Solutions come from the participants, but our knowledgeable facilitators and horses guide the process. Because horses are prey animals, they are perceptive and acutely aware of their surroundings-exquisitely responsive in the moment. We incorporate equine herd culture and dynamics with the prey/predator paradigm to address participant strengths and challenges as observed by the horse. Inherent in the environment and social interactions, educational experiences with horses promote reflection that maximize engagement, participation, and, ultimately, learning. Spirit Song is Texas State certified to facilitate equine therapy for Youth Empowerment (YES) which forms a "wrap" around youth and their families. We contract with regional mental health organizations and have witnessed ongoing success in shifting student behaviors. Our success has included a family moving from South America to participate in our program. We have implemented our training methods in Singapore and have partnered with a foundation that addresses the redirection and repurposing needs in retiring ministers, military, and company executives assisting their transition to retirement through skills awareness and direction repurposing.