Horses Helping Humans Taranaki, Hōiho Hāpai Hapori is a licensee of the award winning equine assisted life skills program developed by Sue Spence 18 years ago. The programme incorporates Te Ao Māori and teaches body awareness by pairing a young person with a facilitator and a horse. By interacting with the horse, young people learn how to adjust their body language and breathing to regulate their emotions, improving their assertive communication skills and confidence.
Horses Helping Humans works with Taranaki youth agencies such as Big Brother, Big Sister, Stratford Teen Parent, Tui Ora and the YMCA. Toi Foundation provided a grant of $15k to enable twenty clients to go through the programme free of charge. “We approached Toi because they are focused on the young people of Taranaki,” Laura Menzies, Lead Facilitator, said. Laura said the programme will not just help the young people, but their friends and whānau too. “The young people will take what they have learnt back home. It will have a much wider impact.”
