“There’s something about the outside of a horse that’s good for the inside of a man” was one of the quotes opening the Six and Twenty meeting hosted by Mrs. Pat King at Stillwater Stables.
Mrs. King circulated the book “Summer Guests” by Mary Alice Monroe, an award-winning, bestselling southern author. The book, set in the equestrian world, was the inspiration for the program given by Connie Patrick who along with husband, Mike, operates a non-profit Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) program.
Stillwater Stables serves children ages 6-18 using equine therapy to give children and teens the opportunity to build relationships, develop leadership skills and help them discover their purpose in life.
Equine Assisted Learning provides hands on experience in a style facilitated by working with a horse.
Sessions are individualized for each participant with life skills (trust building; developing respect for self, authority, horses; honesty and integrity; relationship development) developmental assets ( riding skills and horsemanship; confidence/self esteem; problem solving; teamwork) and academics (communication skills; vocabulary development; literary analysis) included in each lesson plan.
Connie, and her staff, Emma Bryant, Morgan Feeding, and Kairi Hutchinson, shared the activities and curricula used in working with their participants. Equine members of the staff Miss Jay, Hope and Romeo also attended the meeting.
Stillwater Stables does have a tuition fee but scholarships/sliding fees are available. For more information about the program or if you would like to make donations, contact Stillwater Stables at 937-383-7793 or go to their website at www.stillwater-stables.org .
