Frequently Asked Questions

HERE with avigail, is a program that offers Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL) sessions. EFL helps individuals learn better life skills through connecting with horses. We start with building the relationship literally from the ground up. This means that every session starts with groundwork- grooming, leading, haltering, or tacking and then progresses into a horseback riding lesson. Through building relationships, in an EFL session, we can really get a sense of how we interact with everything around us and the effect we have on our world. All this is done while interacting with the horses, creating a wonderful human – equine adventure!

HERE is an acronym for Human Equine Relational Experience. And that is exactly what it is! 

HERE also represents the way in which we work – in the present moment. So often we might be physically present, yet our thoughts are not. Being HERE, means becoming present with all of ourself and our surroundings. As prey animals, this is how horses live and in order to meet them in that space, we want to be present too.
As far as ‘ with avigail, ‘ this means with support and with connection. In order for learning to happen the participant must feel seen and understood. It is up to the facilitator to create a brave environment where participants can step in fully and have a meaningful learning experience.

Our streamlined process ensures a seamless experience. Upon reaching out, we schedule an intake phone call to gather information about the participant – you or your child. This helps us to gain insight into the area of struggle and establish goals. Subsequently, we coordinate a mutually convenient day and time for a weekly EFL session. Every four sessions, we conduct a follow-up phone meeting to provide ongoing support and collaborate for optimal success.

Each session is unique as it depends on the participant. Many participants choose to divide the hour between groundwork and mounted activities. Transformation takes place within the relationship building that comes from any work we do with horses.

While our primary focus is working with children and adolescents, individuals of all ages are invited on this transformative journey. Whether one is seeking help in overcoming challenges like anxiety, or simply looking for a positive outlet to unleash their potential; Our program offers a nurturing space for you to become the best version of yourself.

It turns out that the qualities that we need to work with horses are essential to connect with humans, too! We get to practice with our equine partners, in a safe and supportive environment, so we can then learn to apply what we learned to our lives.
We learn to be more present with ourselves and in our relationships, we learn how to be more aware of our feelings, needs, and wants, and we realize that we can ask, respond, regulate, and trust ourselves and others again, which can bring joy and healing to our daily lives!

We use our body language, our breath, our words and our eyes to communicate our intentions and our requests. As we become more confident with what we want, the horses learn to follow us. They look to us to be leaders and to make decisions to keep them safe and happy, and as we find out how to do that, we learn that we are able to earn their trust on an even deeper level.