Hold Your Horses

Discover the power of experiential learning with horses.

Our unmounted activities are perfect for individuals looking to acquire the skills to regulate their nervous systems, manage their behaviors, and fulfill psychosocial needs in constructive ways. 

This carefully designed program uses a unique approach to learning, where
participants complete ground-based activities alongside equine partners. With multiple hands-on opportunities available, participants will practice new ways of thinking and behaving in a safe and supportive environment. 

Under the guidance of a specially trained mental health professional,
participants will accelerate learning, increase information retention, support
collaboration and personal responsibility for outcomes, and practice new skills in real time without fear of negative consequences to human relationships. 

Hold Your Horses was developed in collaboration with highly qualified professionals with expertise in trauma-informed mental health treatment and equine-assisted learning. 

Program Goals

• Self-Regulation
• Empowerment
• Connection

Working with horses is often described as a magical experience, but it can be explained by the evolutionary adaptations horses display. Hold Your Horses uses three: 

1. Survival Perspective 

2. Nonverbal Communication

3. Emotional Contagion

Hearts' participants learn about these adaptations and practice applying them to working with their horses, as well as transferring the skills to their role in their family, among friends, and with themselves

For information about group session availability, contact 
Morgan Kastenek at [email protected].

Location
4420 Calle Real
Santa Barbara, CA
Facilitators
Lauren Hayes, MA, Registered Associate, MFT: 127843
Supervised By: Anne Parkford, PsyD, LMFT: 3490