Hanging with Horses: Middle School - Novato

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.
Hanging with Horses: Middle School is a 3-week group meeting consecutively on Sundays, March 15-29, 10:30 AM, on a beautiful old cattle ranch between Novato and Petaluma.
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: You can schedule a call to speak with the director of Heart & Mind Equine to learn more and see if this group is a good option for your family. Schedule here.

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 3 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
• Would like better friendships, sibling relationships, or social dynamics
• Want to build confidence and leadership skills

Middle school can be a stressful and emotionally intense time. This 3-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.
HERE is what a parent had to say:
My daughter has worked with Alane and Heart and Mind Equine for two years now. She has grown tremendously in her confidence and strength as she's learned to care for the horses. With training she now knows how to feed them, groom them, and generally work with them, which isn't easy to do with huge animals. She was skittish and shy when she arrived and now she coaches me in what to do! She's also fallen in love with one horse, Crispy, which has brought her much joy. I very much enjoy being in nature and working with these beautiful creatures myself. I believe this is a special opportunity for any person, especially a young person, who is figuring out who they are and setting a course for their life!
(SB in Alameda, CA)

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.

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Host or Publisher Alane Freund