equine experience program

Tierra Madre's equine experience sessions benefit children, teens, and adults of all ages and abilities. We primarily target individuals with autism and developmental disabilities, but we offer programming designed to benefit at-risk youth, individuals in recovery, or people who are recovering from trauma.

We work closely with administrators, educators & caretakers to develop customized programs for their respective groups & individuals. Typically, our sessions are two hours long and consist of at least two different activities that can range from:

• an introductory horsemanship class in which individuals and groups learn herd mentality, horse phycology, and the differences between prey vs. predators
• the most basic individual or group interaction with horses including approaching, haltering, and walking
• individual one-on-one sessions with a client, a staff member and a horse in which the client is given the opportunity to organically interact with a horse on the ground
• classes on feed, supplements, hoof care & grounds & facility maintenance
• horse ‘shows’, where a routine is created in our arena & groups of our clients lead horses in a choreographed exercise
• customized projects that enable our clients to undertake & complete specific group or individual tasks, such as renovating stalls, rearranging tool, tack & feed sheds, landscape & facility maintenance, etc.

Typically, we develop multi-visit, multi-function programs that give our clients a wide range of exercises & learning experiences, the scheduling of which is mutually agreed-upon in advance.

Our commitment is to create & execute meaningful programming that delivers measurable results.

TEAM BUILDING

Tierra Madre’s team building program gives groups of employees the unique opportunity to grow as a team and build lasting relationships that enable them to accomplish their goals. Groups as small as 3 and as large as 25 come together to get to know each other, build confidence, and appreciate each individual member’s unique qualities that add value to the team.

Tierra Madre uses the power of horses as herd animals to teach the art of being both a leader and a follower. Because horses are herd animals and extremely sensitive to their surroundings, each session is an opportunity for individuals to practice listening to their intuition, noticing the details around them, acknowledging their thoughts and feelings for what they are, and simply being in the moment. As the horses demonstrate, honesty, confidence, and trust are just some of the elements that add to the strength of a team.

Each two-hour session involves

- an introductory session that allows the team to get to know each other and which also serves as a safety 101 course
- a work activity around the ranch that requires a great deal of collaboration and coordination.
- a horsemanship objective: building an obstacle course in our arena and driving two loose horses through it as a team
- two separate debriefs for reflection

The investment is $150 per person and sessions are currently scheduled from 9am-11am. A 10% discount is applied for all groups over 20.