Southern Ute tribal member Nevaeh Sandoval, daughter of Skydawn Burch, rides a horse named Bernard. Each horse in the program has its own individual personality and characteristics. Young participants are encouraged to not only bond with their horse, but also strengthen their communication skills as they learn from the Horse Empower program.

Equine Assisted Learning fosters communication on a person to personal level, as well as with the horses. The program also has a strong responsibility piece as well; brushing the horses helps build that connection and respect with the animals, while instilling care and responsibility for the horses in the youth as they experience the Horse Empower program each week.

Eight-year-old Sophia Romero, daughter of Shailyn Olguin, got a chance to work with Horse Empower’s own Lauren Watterud – a certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning (ESMHL). The Southern Ute Behavioral Health Division utilized grant funding earmarked for mental health programming to provide Horse Empower sessions to families and youth during the month of September.

Photo Credit: Jeremy Wade Shockley | SU Drum