Chief Tanya Aguilar-Antiman with some of the equine assisted learning program miniature horses on Mosquito, Grizzly Bear Head, Lean Man First Nation. (Facebook/Tanya Aguilar-Antiman)

By Angela Brown

Land-based learning

Equine Assisted Learning program offered to Mosquito School youth

Mar 26, 2021 | 6:48 PM

Mosquito School youth had an opportunity to learn more about caring for animals and themselves at the same time through an Equine Assisted Learning program offered this week.

The event was part of Cultural Week activities that promote land-based learning on Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man First Nation (MGBHLM). COVID-19 restrictions were in place during the event.

Nikki Ouellette and her partner Tyson Carriere of Spiritstone Healing, based on Red Pheasant First Nation, are the facilitators for the Equine Assisted Learning program, which offers life skills training for participants. Nikki’s father, Elder Louis Ouellette, also took part to help provide the program and ensure everyone’s safety.

“Equine assisted learning is a way of working with children using horses. You can also have the program for adults as well. Basically, it’s life skills training,” Nikki told battlefordsNOW.

To complete the entire program, participants would take part in 12 sessions, each an hour long, accompanied by one of the miniature or standard-sized horses provided.

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“We team them up with a horse or pony and they navigate through different obstacles with their horse or their team,” Ouellette said.

The program for Mosquito School was offered just for the children, with four miniature horses.

The sessions focus on helping participants develop their trust, communication, teamwork, and problem solving skills. They also learn about the value of empathy.

There is no riding involved. Instead participants learn to lead their horse safely around various obstacles in the course.

“Sometimes we will give them very little direction,” Ouellette said. “We’ll say: ‘You and your team need to get from this point to that point.’ And, they have to problem solve how they will get their horse over, through or around [the obstacles].”

Ouellette said the program works well with all children including those who may be experiencing developmental delays or behavioral issues. Kids build their self esteem, confidence, as well as learn some social skills too. They also learn to be respectful of the animals.

“We teach a lot about integrity, working with the horses,” she said. “We have an introduction, then we go over safety as they handle their horse. We also talk about how the horses feel, and that they are individuals, just like the kids are, just like we are, how we have to respect them and treat them well as we would other people.”

All the children enjoyed the program. It didn’t matter whether or not they had any prior experience around horses to take part.

“From the beginning of the session to the end of the session, you see such a growth of confidence,” Nikki said. “This was our first time to take our therapy horses out [to a location]. And it worked really well. That’s why we thought we would do a trial run with the ponies.”

The school’s principal Audrey Night was thrilled to have the program offered for the students, and said it was a good learning opportunity, and a fun experience for the kids as well.

“That was a favourite; it went really well,” Night told battlefordsNOW. “It’s good therapy. The horses’ calmness also transfers to you.”

Cultural Week included a variety of activities, including ribbon skirt making and crafts projects.

MGBHLM Chief Tanya Aguilar-Antiman was pleased to see the event wrapped up to a great success.

“It was absolutely priceless to see little girls sewing their own ribbon skirts, children watching how to snare rabbits, and building relationships with the horses,” she said in an email. “The leadership and community applaud our MGBHLM Education, and Knowledge Keeper Max Moosomin who continue to inspire, encourage and support our little ones to learn the fundamental teachings from the land. Sharing teachings and knowledge only preserves who we are as a people of Mosquito, Grizzly Bear’s Head, Lean Man people.”

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW