Our horses impact our participants on a daily basis in many ways. Picture a 4’9”, 170 lb, 10 year old boy who freely admits he is a bully. While observing some horses turned out in the arena, he mentions he picks on others to get attention and is soon drawn to Woody who is moving around the arena “picking” (biting and chasing) on the other horses. The boy is able to recognize that Woody is mirroring his own actions. Simply recognizing that he is a bully does not have an impact on this boys behavior. In a later exercise the boy chooses Woody as the horse he is going to lead through an obstacle course. As he leads Woody, he is pulling, tossing and flailing the lead rope in the horses face and generally invading Woody’s boundaries. As the boy attempts to force Woody to walk over a blue tarp, Woody clearly says he has had enough and uses his shoulder to push the boy to the ground and then calmly walk away. The therapeutic team did not have to say a word – the boy just experienced what it was like to be the victim of a bully!!

What did the horses teach you about life?

• “treat other people how you want to be treated” (Alejandra, age 10)
• “they taught me how to motivate myself and to make decisions” (Arturo, age 12)
• “life’s not easy, keep trying” (Jose, age 12)

When asked whether or not parents/caregives had seen changes in their child’s behavior/attitude during their involvement with Desert Dove Farm, parents have responded with:

• “Yes, he seems to have a little more patience and wants to talk out more about what bothers him.” (Julie, mother of Ben age 10)
• “Yes, he is more positive and less impulsive. Does not argue when he makes mistakes, he has learned how to deal with the consequences.” (Debbie, mother of Andres age 10)

The following is an excerpt from a letter written to Desert Dove Farm by a mother participant:

“I was continually amazed at how the horse picked up my emotions and stress almost immediately. I have worked on a number of issues with this therapy – how I manifest stress, setting boundaries, being assertive, speaking up for myself, learning to trust and learning to parent my son and myself. What is phenomenal to me is how quickly we got to the heart of the issue. What might have taken me hours or several sessions in a traditional therapy environment seemed to happen within minutes of working with Woody (the horse I’ve been blessed to have as a teacher). I’m not saying that this has all been a walk in the park, believe me at times it was downright aggravating. It has been frustrating, it has been hard work and it has been worth every second. What has also been great is the change in Michael! It was subtle at first, but there is a definite shift. He is talking more when things upset him. He has been more assertive in situations at school or with friends where before he would have been angry and just clammed up or reacted with aggression. Michael is a little more aware of his behavior and the consequences that occur because of it. We talk about his behavior now and sometimes he even asks for help. Michael didn’t do that before. He hasn’t been as aggressive or angry with me. When we talk, he seems to be a little more compassionate, more understanding. It feels like we are rebuilding trust.” (Mimi, mother)

“It is a wonderful program. It is so free form in many ways that it leads you places you would not have seen on your own” (Michelle, mother).

When asked what the horses taught them:

• “Respect someones boundaries” (Antonio, son)
• “Not to be aggressive” (Matt, son)
• “That I can succeed with the unknown and I don’t have to be so aggressive to get my way” (Stefanie, mother)
• “How to be calm and relaxed and how that can help me with problems” (Michael, son)