Shoshone
Equestrian
Center
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“Helping Horses
Project”
Create A Community Video
and Brochure
about
Horse Therapy
A WebQuest
for
Montezuma
County
Adult Education and GED Students
Designed
by
Gloria J. Edwards
Contact Me
Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Credits | Teacher
Page
Introduction
Have you ever felt like hanging out
with someone who doesn’t care about how you look or what you wear?
Would you sometimes like to hang out with someone quiet and
supportive? Are there times
when you have been surprised at how understanding an animal can be about
your feelings? This lesson gives you a chance to make some great new
horse friends, and help others, too.
In this lesson, we will learn about
horses and how they can help people grow in many ways.
We will learn about basic horse care, therapy, biology, and
communication while we make a video and brochure for a new horse center
in southwestern
Colorado
.
The
Shoshone
Equestrian
Center
(its temporary name) is a new horse
therapy and education center in
Dove Creek
,
Colorado
.
The center will provide horse therapy and counseling for people
in the
Four Corners
area.
People go to the center to work on better learning skills, and
physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual balance.
They are looking forward to having the Cortez Adult Education
students come and meet their horses and work with them.
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The Task
Usually, people go up to horses,
teach them how to be ridden and behave around people, put all kinds of
equipment on them, and ride/use them for all kinds of reasons.
Here, we will be learning about horses and what they can teach us!
Your task is to:
1)
Learn some basic
information about horses, horse care, and horse therapy;
2)
Experience horse therapy
and communication yourself;
3)
Get the word out about
horse therapy in the community by making a video (with music!), and
brochure for the
Shoshone
Equestrian
Center
4)
Help the
Shoshone
Equestrian
Center
decide on a new name; and
5)
Have
fun learning about this exciting way of being with horses!
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The
Process
About Horses and Horse
Therapy
Background
Reading
and Research:
Start with the
pamphlet “Colorado Horse Care,” written by
Colorado
State
University
.
This is a quick introduction to what horses need, and how to
figure their feed. Also,
read pages 36 – 50 in the 4-H Horse Care Manual.
Let’s
spend some time learning about horses and how they help people work
through feelings and challenges. Horses
do not really separate thought and memory from feeling and sensation.
The four are always connected. A horse’s mind is always
noticing gestures, feelings, and sensations the same way that human
babies experience the world before talking.
Now,
let’s take a look at horse science.
Select the following websites and read the articles.
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www.encarta.msn.com:
basic encyclopedia articles about horses
www.eduscapes.com/42explore/horse.htm:
many cool links to basic horse stuff and wild horse articles
www.mrhorse.com/ciengl/CIAumbr.htm:
interactive horse labeling —label parts of a horse
www.equusite.com:
Read about how an orphaned foal made it through the loss of its
mother.
What’s it Going to Take?
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Now that you have read some
information about horses, write the most basic things a horse needs to
be happy and healthy. (Please
remember, this is a beginning lesson about horse care. Horses can very
widely in their types, sizes, and needs. If you get one of your own,
check with a horse veterinarian about caring for its needs.)
*****************
--->>>GO
TO WRITING PAGE
(USE THE "BACK" BUTTON TO RETURN)
************************
--->>>NOW
GO TO COST ESTIMATES PAGE (USE
THE "BACK" BUTTON TO RETURN)
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*******************************
--->>>NOW
GO TO THE MEASUREMENTS PAGE (USE
THE "BACK" BUTTON TO RETURN)
**************************************
Medicines
You can try this table for extra
credit.
--->>>GO TO THE
MEDICINE PAGE (USE
THE "BACK" BUTTON TO RETURN)
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**************************************
Now, examine the difference in
keeping one horse or many horses. Figure
the total cost for keeping one healthy horse for one year (we are going
to assume that your horse is so healthy, it will not be sick or need
anything extra!).
Draw a chart like the one below, and fill in the cells. When you finish,
place your work in your folder or portfolio.
# of Horses
|
Feed
|
Vaccines
|
Salt Blocks
|
Foot care
|
Dental care
|
Equipment
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
**************************************
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The
Shoshone
Equestrian
Center
has five horses to keep healthy.
This gives you an idea of the cost of keeping a small herd!
Ya gotta love ‘em!
Now you are ready
to visit the
Shoshone
Equestrian
Center
. Get to know your own horse friend,
and make a community video about the
Shoshone
Center
and horse therapy.
Visiting the
Shoshone
Equestrian
Center
:
Creating Horse Friends, Video, and Brochure
What you need to take:
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Notepads/something to write on
Pens/pencils
Video camera
Outdoor clothing
Mud boots or shoes
Jobs for the group (things to
be done to complete your lesson):
(This depends
of the number of students going; students may take turns doing each job)
Video camera person
Note-taker for center brochure
Note-taker for video narrative (two students can take turns video
taping and taking notes)
Here is what we will be doing at the ranch:
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Get together what you need to visit the center.
Decide who will have which job for video recording, notes
for the video narrative, notes for the brochure.
First visit to the Center: get to know the staff, the
ranch, and the horses. Shoot
video and take notes. Meet at campfire to share observations.
Rewrite your notes and read to the group.
Second visit: Do
horse therapy, continue with video, notes, meet at campfire.
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Edit video, add narrative and music.
Create brochure and business cards using MS Publisher.
When you arrive
at the
Shoshone
Equestrian
Center
, Robyn and Charlotte will give you an
introduction and show the group around the ranch.
They will explain their work and the purpose of the ranch. They
will also talk about safety at the ranch and with the horses.
First
Visit Activities
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Begin filming as you arrive
Video tape the center’s people and activities.
Meet horses and make friends over the fence
Share notes at the fire circle
Charlie tells the story of Shoshone
Picnic
Home
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TO TOP ^
When you go
the
Shoshone
Center
for your first visit, take time to “hang out” with each of the
horses (outside the fence only). You will learn the “horse stance,”
a position which allows a person to open communication with the horses.
Each student will write notes about their experiences from being
with each horse, and share those experiences later at the fire circle.
When
you return to school, re-write your notes using a word processing
program on your computer and read them to the group.
Using your notes and video footage, begin work on the brochure
using MS Publisher.
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Second Visit Activities:
Choose your horse partner
Work with horse therapy
Continue videotaping the events
Continue taking notes for the
narrative and brochure
On the
second visit, decide which horse you relate to the most, and
would like to work with. This time you can go into the round pen
with that horse with an
Equestrian
Center
facilitator. You can
start connecting with your horse by grooming or asking the horse
to “do” a typical round pen activity without props.
For example, ask the horse to “move” around the round
pen without the use of a lariat or other tools. Both involve
connecting with the horse. Remember
to have all your attention on your horse while you are doing
this with him.
These
horse experiences seem to be quite simple; but horses can sense
so much about a person’s thoughts, feelings, and attitude that
a lot can happen between the horse and yourself during these
moments. There will
be time afterward to talk about what you experienced that day.
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While
each person is in the round pen, the others are asked to focus
on that person and their experience.
If you need help during any of these activities, meet
with either Charlie or Robbie (another assistant will also be
present as additional support for the equine experiential
exercises) for some one-on-one time.
After
the round pen activities, students will meet at the fire ring to
review notes and finish up.
Video and
Brochure
Now
you have your video shots, notes, and your experience at the
ranch. It’s time
to edit the video into a short movie with words and music that
will show the community what the
Shohsone
Center
is all about.
What
kinds of ideas do you want the video to show:
How the facilitators handle the horses?
How they are cared for?
What the
Shoshone
Center
looks like? What is
horse therapy and how does it work?
Decide
who the video is for. Will it be shown in schools, community
centers, or at the theater?
How long do you think the video should be?
Now,
go over your notes as a group and write a “narrative” for
your video. A
narrative is a telling or explaining of an event or story.
One of the students can record a narrative that explains
what is happening while the video is playing.
Video
program: Download
your video to the computer. As you look through the shots and
listen to the words, choose the parts that show the ideas that
you have listed.
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Music
program: Start your music program and import the video.
While the video is playing, explore different kinds of
music that fits the events showing in the video.
Remember that you are making a video to show certain
ideas and meanings about the
Shohsone
Equestrian
Center
Brochure:
Design the brochure using MS publisher.
Go through your notes and use them to write short
sentences about the center. Decide what the brochure needs to
say (what they do, who is there, how many horses, how to get in
touch with them, etc.). Work together, then turn in ideas to
your instructor for review.
Send the finished project to the
Shoshone
Equestrian
Center
for their comments.
Use their comments to make a final copy.
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|
--->>> GO TO THE Evaluation Rubric
and
measure how much you've learned!
Conclusion
You have experienced being with
another animal in a way that many people haven’t, and have had a very
special chance to understand animals on a whole new level.
Do you see horses differently than you did before? How?
Do you see yourself a little differently?
What did you learn about yourself?
Would you tell a friend or someone else to try horse therapy?
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Credits & References
Nelson Robyn, and
Charlotte McGuire.
Buffalo
Woman Ranch,
Dove Creek
,
CO
The
Epona
Center
,
Tucson
,
Arizona
(www.taoofequus.com
)
Kohanov, Linda.
The Tao of Equus.
New World
Library,
Novato
,
CA
Rashid, Mark.
Horses Never Lie. Johnson
Books, Boulder, CO.
Rashid, Mark. Considering
the Horse. Tales of Problems
Solved and Lessons Learned. Johnson
Books, Boulder, CO.
“Colorado Horse
Care” Pamphlet sponsored by” Colorado State University Cooperative
Extension Service
“4-H Horse
Project” MA 1500C Member’s Manual
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