Reserve Using Horses To Help At-Risk Youth

Reserve Using Horses To Help At-Risk Youth

Thursday, January 05, 2006 at 13:25

A program designed to help troubled kids through the use of horses is planning to slowly spread its wings over reserves across Canada.

The Witchekan Lake First Nation is the first band to take advantage of the Healing Through Horses initiative.

Since last fall, six youth on the reserve have taken turns riding and interacting with horses in an attempt to learn more about themselves and how they interact.

Tamara MacKinnon is one of the program’s instructors. She says kids get the chance to see how horses behave when someone around them is stressed.

MacKinnon says through that knowledge, they can begin to find solutions to the stress that work both for the horse and themselves.

MacKinnon says, ultimately, she would like to see the program offered to reserves around the country.

She says talks have taken place between her horse training centre and the Witchekan Lake First Nation about opening up the measure to other bands.