This is a shout out to Lynda J. Watson of @EquineLeadership for hosting the Humanity Needs Horses virtual conference earlier this summer.
We were one of 10 enlightening, inspiring and educational presentation’s for Equine Leadership’s inaugural Humans Connecting with Horses Virtual Conference. I was invited to participate and share the Building Internal Resilience Through Horses story with an audience that included people from around the world, including Israel, Europe, USA and Canada. You can view our YouTube presentation here.
Building Internal Resilience Through Horses is an innovative community program that addresses the physical and mental health needs of young women who have been victims of witnessing domestic violence (may be experiencing dating violence) and have or are at risk of child abuse.
The project, a partnership between Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, Trent University and The Mane Intent Inc. funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, furthers existing research on the benefits of equine-assisted learning for survivors of child maltreatment and for young women exposed to intimate partner violence.
The initiative is founded on the premise that, through the hands on experience of equine-assisted learning combined with expressive and psychoeducational workshops, young women will reduce post-traumatic symptoms, improve mental health, enhance personal coping skills and resilience, while reducing post-traumatic symptoms and their risk of harm in the future. The presentation included an overview of the project and its research outcomes to date and an opportunity to experience grounding activities used as part of the program.
Building Internal Resilience Through Horses wraps up in 2020 and I am incredibly grateful for this experience and for the opportunity to support a group of courageous young women who participated in the project. You can learn more here.
Lynda’s publication – Equine Leadership – has also featured a story on our project – check it out here.
About the Author
Jennifer Garland is the founder of The Mane Intent Inc. offering equine-assisted learning programs including Health and Wellness Workshops, Individual and Team Effectiveness Coaching and Leadership Development. Jennifer provides coaching, counsel and support to individuals and groups from all walks of life to create opportunities to build productive relationships, facilitate learning and to embrace change. Learn more about Jennifer’s professional experience, lectures, awards and publications here.
For more information or to book a private virtual session with Jennifer, please call 705-295-6618 or email jgarland@themaneintent.ca
