Horse coaching for
children/teenager people
Sometimes life turns out differently than expected. You prefer to live with both parents, everything goes well at school (or work) and you feel loved. But sometimes that doesn't work and problems can arise. Children and teenagers therefore often get the feeling that they are not good the way they are. That they have to change to a better version, a better me.
Do you feel like you are not good the way you are?
Do you find it difficult that you have to divide your time between your father and mother?
Do you want to know what you are good at?
Do you find it difficult to work together or make friends?
How does horse coaching for children / teenagers work?
When working with horses, no moment is the same. You encounter challenges that cannot be solved based on a standard thinking pattern. You are invited to think in terms of possibilities and solutions and creativity is called upon. By working solution-oriented and gaining success experiences, self-confidence is strengthened. You also learn to think more in solutions than problems.
By learning to see the world from the horse's perspective (as a prey, flight and herd animal) you will learn to view situations from different angles. Because you have to take the horse's needs into account, you will sometimes have to adjust your own expectations. This way you become more (mentally) flexible and you can empathize better.
Horses have a motivating and stimulating effect. Animals are able to make the environment more accessible both emotionally and physically. You feel at ease more quickly and open up more easily to the care provider. In addition, horses are good listeners and can provide great support in difficult moments.
Contact with horses causes the body to produce oxytocin. This hormone ensures that you experience a feeling of social connection and happiness. Research shows that oxytocin also ensures that you can learn better and easier.
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Experiential learning
Experiential learning with the help of horses is the creation of a methodically designed learning situation in which clients gain concrete and intense experiences. Reflection with the help of the coach leads to changes in cognition and behavior in multiple areas of life. Horses, through their natural mirroring ability, make the experiences you have with the horse very concrete. For example, whether or not the horse accompanies you gives a lot of insight into your self-confidence and leadership qualities.
Experiential learning with horses can also make an important contribution to the development of executive functions: inhibition, taking initiative, mental flexibility, goal setting, planning, self-monitoring and problem-solving. These functions are involved in control over thinking, doing and self-regulation. You will learn that the skills learned with the horses can also be used in other situations. Through reflection with the coach, strategies are employed to generalize to everyday life.
What does a session look like?
With horse coaching for children / teenagers we can provide support for various questions or themes. Even if, as a parent, caregiver or supervisor, you do not know what is going on, you want to try a different approach or want to give your child a positive boost in his or her development.
With individual horse coaching we challenge your child to get moving in a playful way. Your child is given the opportunity to investigate and understand what is going on from his own experience. Under the guidance of the coach, your child can perform various exercises with a horse. This encourages your child to come into more contact with themselves and others.
Working with a horse helps a child to regain balance. This is mainly because horses can show in a positive and direct way what works and what does not work in collaboration. The unconditional bond that a horse forms with the child makes experiencing emotions and communicating safe and effective. In addition, horses do not need words to support children. Horses don't judge or think in right or wrong and by playing and creating together, horse coaching becomes a relaxed and enjoyable way of learning.
With horse coaching for children we mainly use ponies (small horses). For convenience and readability, we always call them all horses. The horse we use depends on the child's request for assistance, height and wishes. Every child and parent is welcome! A parent-child session is also possible and can therefore be used as a valuable conclusion to individual horse coaching for children. As your child grows, growing along with this event as a parent is just as important.
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Would you like to get to know and experience what horses can do for your child?
The session can help your child to:
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to be more confident
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learn to set boundaries better
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to feel how powerful he/she is
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to feel the connection with his/her body (again)
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learn to plan and organize better
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experience where your blockages are
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to feel that they are part of a bigger picture
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gain insights into the family system
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and much more