How to help foster kids? Equine Assisted Learning.

Here are ten ways Equine Assisted Learning can help children who have experienced complex trauma:

1. Promotes emotional regulation: Horses are naturally sensitive and responsive to human emotions, providing immediate and honest feedback to the child's emotional state.

2. Increases empathy and compassion: Equine Assisted Learning helps children with complex trauma issues increase empathy and compassion by teaching them to recognize and respond to the emotions and needs of horses, which can translate to understanding and empathizing with other people.

3. Enhances social skills: Working with horses will provide children with opportunities to practice communication, collaboration, and teamwork skills, enhancing their social skills and improving their ability to form positive relationships with others.

4. Builds trust: Equine Assisted Learning can help build trust in children who have experienced complex trauma by providing them with an opportunity to develop a relationship with a non-judgmental and authentic animal, the horse. Horses have a natural ability to sense emotions and respond in a way that can help children feel safe and secure. As children develop trust with the horse, they also begin to develop trust in themselves and in others, which can be an important step towards healing from complex trauma.

5. Improves self-esteem: Learning to handle horses can help build confidence and self-worth in foster children who have experienced trauma by providing them with a sense of accomplishment and mastery over a new skill. The process of developing a trusting relationship with a horse also helps to develop self-awareness and emotional regulation, which in turn promotes positive self-esteem and self-worth. Through Equine Assisted Learning, foster children can discover new strengths and abilities, which can be transferred to other areas of their lives, helping them to navigate their trauma and thrive in spite of it.

6. Reduces anxiety and stress: Horses can reduce anxiety and stress in foster children by providing a calming and soothing presence. Additionally, the accepting nature of horses can create a sense of safety and security for foster children who may have experienced trauma. Equine Assisted Learning provides a unique opportunity for foster children to learn coping strategies in a supportive environment, which can be applied to other areas of their lives, helping them to manage their anxiety and stress more effectively.

7. Increases emotional awareness: Working with horses can increase emotional awareness in foster children by providing them with opportunities to observe and identify the horse's non-verbal cues and respond accordingly. Through this process, children develop an understanding of how their own non-verbal communication impacts others and how to regulate their emotions in order to effectively communicate with the horse. By practicing emotional awareness in a safe and supportive environment, foster children can increase their emotional intelligence and apply these skills to their relationships with others.

8. Promotes problem-solving skills: Working with horses can build problem-solving skills in foster children by presenting them with unique and often unpredictable situations that require quick thinking and adaptability. Horses are sensitive creatures that respond to subtle cues from their handlers, which requires+1 children to learn how to communicate effectively and think critically in order to successfully guide the horse. Through Equine Assisted Learning, foster children learn to assess situations, make decisions, and adjust their approach in real-time, which can translate to improved problem-solving skills in other areas of their lives. The process of working with horses also encourages creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, which can further enhance a foster child's problem-solving abilities.

9. Enhances resilience: Working with horses can enhance resilience in foster children by teaching them how to overcome challenges and develop coping skills. Horses are powerful and sensitive animals that require patience, determination, and persistence to work with. The process of building a relationship with a horse helps foster children to develop resiliency factors such as problem-solving and flexibility. Through Equine Assisted Learning, foster children can gain a sense of control and mastery over their lives, which can lead to greater confidence and the ability to handle adversity in a positive way.

10. Provides a sense of purpose: Working with horses can give foster children a sense of purpose by providing them with a meaningful task to focus on and a sense of responsibility. The care and well-being of the horses can become a source of pride and accomplishment for the children, and the experience of nurturing and caring for another living being can help to develop a sense of empathy and compassion. Additionally, the opportunity to work with horses can offer a new and exciting experience for children who may have faced significant challenges in their lives, giving them a sense of purpose and something to look forward to each week. By participating in Equine Assisted Learning, foster children can discover their own sense of purpose and develop a greater sense of self-worth and belonging.