Building Internal Resilience Through Horses (BIRTH) – a turn-key trauma-informed, evidence-based program – was developed to be shared. We’re pleased to share The Mane Intent is returning to Halifax for a special visit and we’re thrilled to be invited back. Halifax Lancers is hosting Jennifer Garland, RP and Owner/Program Director of The Mane Intent to deliver facilitator certificate training in BIRTH from September 1 – 3, 2023.
Lancer’s Equine-Assisted Wellness Program launched two years ago after several of its community members completed training in BIRTH offered by The Mane Intent in 2021. Halifax Lancers is an inclusive non-profit equestrian school and therapeutic riding centre for children and adults in Halifax established in 1936. In August, 2021, Jennifer Garland travelled to Halifax to meet this special herd of horses and their humans and it’s an honour to continue to support their community engagement work.
After completing the EAL facilitator training, participants will be able to:
- Describe how trauma and stress influences our nervous system, impacting our thoughts, feelings and behaviours
- Explain the benefits of working with horses in a therapeutic way to invite greater self-awareness and overall wellness
- Explain the Multi-factor/Multi-Level Model of Resilience
- Utilize at least 8 equine-assisted strengths-based learning interventions designed to foster a greater sense of mastery, improve a personal sense of relatedness, and enhance emotional regulation
- Utilize at least 5 expressive arts interventions to invite greater self-awareness and creative expression
- Use at least 5 interventions to invite mindfulness and enhanced personal presence, while helping to decrease hypervigilance and anxiety
- Design and delivery a group workshop using a trauma- and violence-informed practice
Developed for young women 13-18 who have experienced trauma, Building Internal Resilience Through Horses is intended to increase participants’ awareness of the personal impact of stress and trauma, while building personal resilience. Between Spring 2017 and Fall 2019, The Mane Intent, in partnership with Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre, delivered this program to 12 groups of 83 young women. Concluding in March, 2021, this research initiative, supported by Trent University, was originally funded by Public Health Agency of Canada.
Outcome measures showed significant improvements in participants’ resiliency indicators, including
- increased emotional awareness and adaptability,
- stronger sense of personal mastery, and
- improved interpersonal and relational skills.
Many of these improvements were sustained over the long term at 1-month, 6-month, and for some core competencies even at 12-month follow-up, suggesting that the skills taught in the program are lasting and transferable.
High level BIRTH program aims include:
- Understanding personal space and asserting healthy boundaries
- Developing emotional self-awareness and self-regulation
- Learning to set goals and make informed decisions and empowered choices
- Developing positive body image, self-confidence, and self-compassion
- Developing listening, communication and leadership skills
- Developing personal grounding and mindfulness skills
- Understanding the power of body language
Adaptable for other delivery formats (e.g. one-on-one sessions and 1 – 2 day workshops) All activities with the horses are ground-based. No riding and no previous horse experience is required. BIRTH informs all programming at The Mane Intent.
If you are interested in completing BIRTH EAL facilitator training, our next offering is Thursday, September 28, 2023 – Sunday, September 31, 2023 (4 days) at The Mane Intent near Peterborough, Ontario – 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. facilitated by Jennifer Garland, RP, Owner/Program Director, The Mane Intent. Contact us for details.