Hanging with Horses: Middle School

Middle school can be… a lot. Friendships changing. Siblings. Academic stress. Anxious moments. Parents. You know.
Horses are amazing friends, guides, listeners, and healers. They really know about relationships. AND they are experts at stress management.
If you join Hanging with Horses, you will have a blast and become a part of a wonderful herd (horses and humans.) You might also...

• Try grounding and relaxation tools that actually help
• Build confidence and leadership—just by being yourself
• Learn to speak horse while caring for the herd.

You don’t have to talk if you’re not ready. You don’t have to be “good with people.” You don’t need any horse experience.

Just come as you are. The horses will meet you there 🐎✨

Through unpressured time “hanging with horses,” guided group conversations, and hands-on experiences, participants will learn to:

• Understand what stress and anxiety feel like in their own bodies
• Build healthier friendships and boundaries
• Develop emotional awareness and leadership skills
• Practice grounding and calming tools they can use anywhere
• Gain confidence by tuning into themselves and their environment

Horses naturally reflect emotions and stress levels, giving kids a powerful (and non-judgmental) way to learn about themselves and others.

🐎NEIGH: Please come and check us out at an Open House for youth and parents: Speaking Horse ~ Year of the Fire Horse. (Free for Hanging with Horses families. Use the coupon code: MIDDLESCHOOL.) Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1981488694024?aff=oddtdtcreator

Scholarships are available. Please reach out or schedule a call to request- [email protected]

Each session blends horse time + group connection, with flexibility to meet the needs of the group. (Purchase once for the 4 week series.)

Participants will:

• Get to know one another and create a safe, respectful group space
• Explore friendship dynamics, social pressure, and anxiety (including social media stress)

Kids are encouraged (but not pressured) to step slightly outside their comfort zones while always honoring their boundaries.

This group is ideal for middle schoolers who:

• Feel stressed, anxious, lonely, or overwhelmed
• Struggle with friendships or social dynamics
• Want to build confidence and leadership skills

Middle school can be a stressful and emotionally intense time. This 4-week equine-assisted services group offers a supportive, screen-free environment where kids can slow down, build confidence, and learn healthy ways to manage stress and anxiety.

Audrey Mazzuca, 8th grader at Lincoln Middle School, Alameda, CA.

Audrey has been a volunteer and youth leader at Heart & Mind Equine Horse Rescue for two years. She is the herd leader for Crispy, our BLM Mustang.

Lola Pritchard, 8th grader at The New Village School, Sausalito, CA.

Lola joined the Heart and Mind Equine Horse Rescue in 2025 as a volunteer and intern. She is conducting a service learning project and completing her 8th grade capstone project on Equine Assisted Therapy.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Alane Freund