This webinar is being held in conjunction with Responsible Horse Ownership Week, May 14-20, 2012. During Responsible Horse Ownership Week, the University of Maryland Extension is proud to present a full week of FREE webinars for those who already own horses and those who are interested in becoming horse owners! All webinars will be recorded and available online at http://www.ansc.umd.edu/equinestudies for you to view at your convenience!
This webinar is being held in conjunction with Responsible Horse Ownership Week, May 14-20, 2012. During Responsible Horse Ownership Week, the University of Maryland Extension is proud to present a full week of FREE webinars for those who already own horses and those who are interested in becoming horse owners! All webinars will be recorded and available online at http://www.ansc.umd.edu/equinestudies for you to view at your convenience!
Released April 26, 2012
LEXINGTON, Ky. – In May, the University of Kentucky Center for Leadership Development will be launching a six-month pilot study to provide preliminary data on the effectiveness of collaborating with horses to teach emotional intelligence and leadership competencies, a process known as Equine Guided Leadership Education.
The study is a collaborative endeavor between nursing researchers from UK HealthCare and social science researchers from the Center for Leadership Development, which is part of the UK College of Agriculture and under the leadership of Director Patricia Dyk. The long-range goal will be to secure future funding for larger research projects.
There is an abundance of anecdotal evidence that suggests experiential learning with horses is effective at building competencies, said Lissa Pohl, the center’s co-investigator and project lead. “However, for this promising field to become even more credible in the eyes of those who want to utilize this powerful learning method, there needs to be academic research conducted and published in peer-reviewed journals showing this to be the case.”
The study will compare the before and after emotional intelligence (EQ) assessments of both a control group and an experimental group of up to 15 nurses each. Researchers will also examine qualitative surveys of those in the experimental group who will experience a one-day equine-guided learning workshop designed to increase their EQ skills at work. The basic premise of equine-guided education is that horses are natural coaches, with an innate ability to interpret and mirror human behavior. Equine-assisted learning experiences are professionally facilitated horse-human interactions and exercises geared to helping people develop insights that can be applied in the workplace and in their personal lives.
Winning With Horse Power, a Florida-based global umbrella organization of equine experiential providers, is partnering with the center to assist in publicizing the research and raising funds for the study.
“Supporting this pilot study is a perfect fit for us,” says Eileen Tighe, president and CEO of Winning With Horse Power. “Our members around the world are in many different specializations, but using equine-guided experiences to develop emotional intelligence is integral to all of them.”
Instructions on how to contribute can be found online at http://www2.ca.uky.edu/CFLD/research.php. All contributions are tax deductible and will be used solely for the purpose of research in Equine Guided Leadership Education.
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University of Kentucky, http://news.ca.uky.edu/article/pilot-study-examines-effectiveness-horse-...
Released April 23, 2012
Last summer my daughter was riding her horse in the south pasture when a rattlesnake struck without warning from its grassy hiding place. Carolina still talks indignantly of seeing the snake’s fangs miss Rebel’s leg by mere inches. That rattler didn’t know how lucky it was that handling the startled gelding required all of Carolina’s attention, giving her no chance to find a big rock with which to crush its presumptuous, reptilian head.
“Just as well,” she conceded later. “Any rock I laid hands on would probably have had another snake under it.”
Starting sometime between mid-April and early June, depending on the weather, Wyoming’s thriving population of rattlesnakes will slither out of dens all over the state to enjoy warmth, fresh prairie dogs and the pursuit of snaky happiness. Despite Hollywood fantasies of reptilian vendettas, snakes typically keep a low profile, reacting only to the provocation of a careless step or a curious muzzle.
--continued on the Casper Journal, http://www.casperjournal.com/news/article_ddec493a-3d8f-5b21-b11e-55ab65...
