“The horse is a great equalizer…. he takes you for how you make him feel.” – Buck Brannaman
THE PONY EXPRESS EQUINE ASSISTED SKILLS FOR YOUTH
About us
Horses change kids. Kids change the world.
This program is designed to give kids ages 12-18 years of age the opportunity to spend time in nature and nurture a connection with horses. Through this connection, kids build healthy relationships with horses based on trust, respect, communication, and teamwork. In the process of participating in specific exercises with horses outside, kids learn more about what they are experiencing inside. Horses mirror our energy and emotion bringing awareness to what we are feeling; what we might be suppressing, versus what we express. In doing so, horses oft times ask us to do something different, which may be just to breathe and believe that our horsepower has the power to encourage us to step outside of our comfort zone to where the real-life lesson and learning take place. In return, horses provide us with a safe place and space to grow into the best version of ourselves. As thousand-pound prey animals with a strong flight instinct; horses help us to better understand the need to define boundaries, regulate our emotions, and become grounded in safety and connection to our intention to move forward in life. Our program creates opportunities for kids to develop valuable life and leadership skills while engaging with horses as teachers, healers, and partners for change.
How You Can Help
Authentic
Our desire to relate and connect with a horse requires that we be present, focused, and engaged. In return, horses give us instant and authentic feedback without judgement. Working with horses provides endless opportunities for real life metaphors. As we work through specific exercises in the horse arena, our thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, and patterns emerge, reflecting real life experiences that are often occurring in our daily lives. Horses help us to become more mindful as we navigate the process of making progress towards becoming the best version of ourselves possible. Incorporating the unique engagement of horses and the specialized skill sets of a human team interacting with the innate potential of our clients to find solutions is the real power behind our horsepower.
Why Horses?
Honest
Horses are large, powerful nonpredatory animals possessing incredible strength and beauty. Working through fear and building confidence arise naturally when engaging with these animals. Horses are particularly good at helping humans because of their honesty and the way that they are designed biologically. As prey animals, horses read the energetic field and us when we are in their field. They respond honestly to whatever stimulates them. Horses show up as mirrors for us to see things about ourselves that sometimes we like, and sometimes we do not. Their honest feedback can help us grow in self-awareness and encourage transformational change to occur.
Connection
Horses create opportunity for relationships, but a relationship with a prey animal can be challenging. The horse’s agenda first includes finding safety, food, and comfort in its environment. When these needs are met, horses become responsive to other dynamics. They become curious. They experiment with boundaries. They negotiate hierarchy and respond to leadership. The human must explore ways to create that connection and align him or herself to the horse’s particular psychology and language. If the human client is successful setting up an interaction to achieve response and connection without producing threat, fear, or discomfort for the horse, those skills can transfer to creating improved connections in the human world.
COME JOIN THE PONY EXPRESS TEAM
We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves.
Equine Assisted Skills for Youth
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Horses for Healing
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Adventures with Equines
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OUR MISSION
The Pony Express is a community-based organization dedicated to mentoring kids and committed to creating life skill and leadership learning opportunities utilizing horses as teachers, healers and agents of change.
Hi, I'm Linda Aldrich
Linda Aldrich founded The Pony Express Equine Assisted Skills in 1982. As Executive Director of her non-profit organization, Linda has provided a life skill/leadership program for youth ages 12- 18 years of age utilizing their rescued horses as teachers, healers, and agents of change. Linda has her MA in Education, is finishing her MA in Counseling and has several degrees in Equine Facilitated Learning, Leadership, Wellness, and Coaching. Linda is currently working towards her certificate in Equine Assisted Connection TM.
Linda has over three decades of teaching and training horses and riders and taught the Equine Program at Santa Rosa Junior College for ten years. She has competed in several equine disciplines including three-day eventing, dressage, and show jumping and worked in the film industry for many years as a stunt rider and coordinator for All Star Animals. Linda recently lost The Pony Express Ranch to The Glass Fire in September of 2020 and is in the process of rebuilding the ranch and the many programs that called her ranch home.
Our partners
Science Behind The Work We Do
Studies show that working with horses reduces anxiety and depression through physiological changes that reduce cortisol, the stress hormone. In addition, spending time with horses lowers blood pressure and increases the release of oxytocin, a natural chemical that promotes feelings of positivity and connection. Horses are gifted in the science of neuroception and are biologically designed to detect the attitudes, emotions, physiological states and behaviors of people they interact with. They have the ability to exhibit alertness and discernment without judgement.
MESSAGE FROM OUR HERD
