Not surprisingly, I could give you a long list of the things people can learn through work with horses, but today I want to share with you some thoughts on ‘resiliency’.
In this article by Understood for learning & attention issues, they talk about what resiliency means, why it is important and how we can help kids and teens learn to be resilient.
They talk about exposing kids to challenges. From day one at N.E.A.T. 
our clients are dealing with challenges! The learn how to halter and lead a horse. The horse may be tall. The horse may be busy eating when a client goes to halter them. We do encourage our clients to try, at times offering advice, but we don’t just do it for them. We love it when they ask for help, but may also push them to keep trying ‘I know know you can do this’.
Whether working on the ground or riding, there will be consequences for the choice that clients make. A client may be distracted and looking somewhere else as they try to circle a barrel and all of sudden they find themselves ‘off track’ on an obstacle course. We remind them that if they stay focused and look where they want their horse to go they will have better results and encourage them to try again. 
Or perhaps they are working on trotting, but every time they get going they pull back on the reins and their horse stops. We talk about how the horse is getting mixed messages ‘your legs are telling them to go but your hands are telling them to stop. Your horse is not being ‘bad’. They are just confused about what you want’. (This is a perfect opportunity to talk about how we communicate our needs/wants appropriately!)
By offering opportunities to try, to succeed or have challenges, to ask for/receive and accept guidance and by reviewing the things that have not worked well and those that have, through work with horses, our clients build their resiliency.
So, if you or someone you know are struggling with the complexities of daily life, we are here to help! Call or email us and we will schedule a time for you to visit the ranch. We will show you around, introduce our wonderful herd, learn more about what you are dealing with and share how we may be able to help.