Hidden Acres Therapeutic Riding Center Horse Journey -‐ Girl’s Empowerment Workshop May 23, 2015, 2 pm -‐ 6 pm (1:45pm arrive for registration) For girls ages 13-‐18 years. All activities are on the ground (no riding.) Previous horse experience not required. Location: Hidden Acres Therapeutic Riding Center, 45 Gabriel Dr, Naugatuck CT Overview: Today’s teen age girls face many challenges and frequently conflicting messages about who and what they should be, which can lead to stress. Finding their voice and self-‐confidence is critical in preparing for their future. This experiential workshop is designed to provide teenage girls with the opportunity to embrace their true spirit in a fun and supportive environment with Hidden Acres therapy horses and staff. The activities are designed to increase self-‐awareness, confidence, empathy, understanding of personal and relational boundaries, and expand their nonverbal communication skills. Workshop Goals Attendees will leave with greater understanding of: • Communication -‐ Understanding how their body language is perceived by others, and how to use this information to develop positive relationships • Awareness -‐ of their environment, and the benefits of narrow vs. broader focus • Confidence – gained in communicating and establishing boundaries with a large animal • Empathy -‐ for the feelings and reactions of other beings • Sense of Empowerment -‐ to live authentically and compassionately • Intention -‐ Conscious use of intention and goals for life success • Voice -‐ Identify own strengths, inner voice and values How it works. Working with horses serves as a motivator for trying new things and new experiences are found to stimulate certain areas of the brain that create new pathways, leading to greater awareness of self and opportunities to shift perspective and behaviors. Why Horses. Horses are highly sensitive and intuitive herd animals whose safety relies on their awareness of the environment and their ability to communicate effectively with each other through body language. As gentle and forgiving creatures who operate in the moment, horses demonstrate authentic feelings and often mirror our own emotions, allowing us to practice skills such as effective communication skills, building trust-‐based relationships and behavior decision making and make mistakes, providing immediate feedback through body language. These experiences allow us to teach life lessons to people as seen through the eyes of the horse. Agenda 1:45-‐2:00pm Welcome Arrival and completion of paperwork. 2:00 -‐ 2:20pm Check-‐in and Brief Introductions Review safety agreement and use of Intention for the workshop and in work with horses. Introduce horse herd communication and herd dynamics, awareness for safety primarily through non-‐verbal body language. 2:20-‐2:35pm Breathing Exercise Experiential exercise using breathing to do a self check-‐in, and center oneself. Intention is to gain greater awareness of where each of us is at the moment, and learn how breath work may be used to calm one self. 2:35-‐2:45pm Awareness Exercise Herd observation. Horses see the whole picture, not just a narrow focus. Attendees will learn the difference between soft eye contact vs. direct eye contact and explore how different focuses may feel to other people and the horses when we greet them. Intention is key. 2:45-‐3:00pm Trail Walk Developing wider awareness while walking the trail to engage peripheral vision and greater awareness. Afterwards, we’ll observe horses in the pasture again with wider awareness of a horse. Do the horses act differently as we pass? 3:00-‐4pm Body Language & Trust -‐Grooming & Round Pen Partnership Practice awareness of own body language through grooming and “partnering” with an equine friend. Attendees will do a quick check-‐in prior to approaching the horses, then use intention and soft eyes to approach horses and begin grooming. They will be instructed to use all their senses to perceive what the horse enjoys and is comfortable receiving. This will be related back to how we approach unknown people and begin friendships. After exercise, attendees will again check-‐in briefly, and note any changes that may have occurred. 4-‐4:30pm Processing & Break for Horses and Humans Discussion on grooming and partnering experiences. Consider what was learned by experience and how it relates to boundaries/personal space with people. 4:30-‐5pm Speaking Your Voice -‐ Talk to the Horse Exercise Share your thoughts and feelings with an equine friend. Fill in the blanks -‐ I feel, I want, I am, I need. 5-‐5:25pm Appreciation of Journey Using art supplies, attendees will illustrate their story of today. 5:25-‐5:50pm Celebrating the Journey Closing Ceremony through shared story, honoring oneself, sharing the gift of who you are. 5:50-‐6:00pm Thanking our Equine Friends & Goodbyes 6:00pm Pick up by Parents/Guardians: Parents sign out their teen. Handouts: Examples of Powerful Women, Horse Communication, agenda Cost: $99 / per person. (Scholarship may be available based on need.) Space is limited. To register, please complete & return bottom portion along with attached release form. -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ Please register me for the Saturday, May 23rd – Horse Journey – Girls Empowerment Workshop Name:_______________________________________________Age______________Grade __________ Address: _______________________________________________________________Zip ____________ Parent/Guardian: _____________________________________Tel _______________________________ (select one) No horse experience____ Some horse experience _____ Significant horse exp._____ Please make check payable & return to: Hidden Acres TRC, PO Box 1879, Naugatuck, CT 06770 www.hiddenacrestrc.org Tel. 203-‐723-‐0633