At Prime Equine, our mission is to provide a platform of experiential learning to teams, organizations, and our youth; creating space for personal growth, self discovery, and connectivity- through the wisdom gained from horses.
Our courses are currently offered a la carte - please contact us for booking.
Background on Equine Assisted Learning:
Prime Equine Operates the Cartier Equine Assisted Learning Program. This program consists of a curriculum that drives objectives to outcomes. Each exercise is designed in a BUILDING BLOCK™ style. The curriculum is client centered, using horses as barometers and facilitators as guides to encourage self examination. The individual evaluation revolves around:

- The holistic nature of the horse
- Objectively driven curriculum combined with facilitation
- Experiential learning
- Partnering with community, social, and educational resources
Equine Assisted Learning is a learner based educational experience with horses. There is no riding, and all lesson horses are provided by Prime Equine. More specifically, Equine Assisted Learning is an effective approach to human development that encourages individual and team growth.
Participants engage in objectively driven exercises and find themselves learning valuable life skills in a fun and exciting atmosphere while working with horses. Equine Assisted Learning has proven to be effective, powerful, positive, educational, and creative.
Why Horses?
​
Horses are prey animals, so to understand why they are effective teachers compared to a predator such as a dog, we must look at the attributes of an equine. Horses are known as "truth-tellers" and desire to do the right thing. It is believed that a horse's spirit will lead individuals in the "right direction" and will assist them in understanding their place in the circle of life.
-
They don’t judge or assume, but they constantly assess and react to stimulus.
-
Their feedback is honest and instant.
-
Learning to listen to what horses have to say is powerful and can help spur individual change.
-
By including horses in specially designed educational exercises, equine-assisted facilitators have greatly multiplied the participant’s rate of success to self discovery
How?
Horses can identify and bring forward an individual’s struggle or barrier immediately and provide a skilled facilitator with an opportunity to identify an individual’s character, of which facilitators utilize as “teachable moments”. Horses don’t overthink a participant’s motive but horses do challenge their behaviour and leadership.
Equine-Assisted Learning programs are a powerful journey of learning and understanding for those who participate. Horses in this program are effective teaching tools; immediately responding to what participants do, trained facilitators look for teachable moments that horses identify. Quite simply, the horse does the teaching; facilitators are there to offer explanation and provide guidance as they work through the solution.
What can a horse teach that a human can't?
-
Horses consistently model assertiveness and teach us how to effectively do so as well.
-
Horses can't lie, over think, or assume a participants motive.
-
Horses can’t manipulate behaviour.
-
Horses feedback is honest and instant
-
Horses have natural "herd behaviours" that require trust, respect and teamwork from all members of the team.
-
Horses automatically respond to confusion and frustration as these feelings can put the herd at risk.
-
They lead through assuredness - not force.
-
Horses have distinct personalities and through this, they all have a different methods of teaching.
​