On the wings of horses: how horses support youth in becoming brave and independent adults

'On the wings of horses: how horses support youth in becoming brave and independent adults' is an Erasmus+ Youth project dream that aims to explore the therapeutic and developmental benefits of equine interaction with young people. Hosted at the Equestrian and Youth Center Škatlica in Slovenia (and possible partner organisations), this project aims to provide a nurturing environment where young individuals can grow personally and socially, and where youth workers are equipped with tools to support young people on that path.

The project aims to equip participants with the skills to become courageous, independent adults by offering them opportunities to challenge themselves, manage boundaries, and develop leadership skills, all with the help of horses and exploring sustainable living practices (natural building, etc).

With that vision in mind, we would like to apply for an Erasmus+ Youth Exchange in the October 2024 deadline (possibly combined with a Mobility of Youth Workers). However, we don’t want this project to be Škatlica’s idea. We would like it to truly embody the Erasmus+ core values of partnership, cooperation, knowledge exchange and youth-led approaches.

We’ve set the baseline: a project bringing together young people & the local community here on our farm. We’ve identified local resources (local farming traditions, video production, astronomy, natural building, a local theater space) as well as what we can offer to young people (adventure, saying yes - courage & bravery, saying no - setting boundaries, nature, creating, being with horses, exploring our own identities with the support of horses).

Now, we’d like to hear from you - what does your organisation do, what are its needs and the needs of the young people it works with, as well as the resources of both, and in what capability would you be interested in participating in the project.

If your time is limited and you’d just love to send a group of your young people abroad to play with horses for a week - that’s alright, we’ve got you. If you’ve got ideas of your own and would love to co-design the project - brilliant! If your young people would be interested in co-designing or co-implementing the project - even better.

If you’ve come this far, chances are you’re still interested in participating. In that case we would be happy to hear from you!

(p.s. - we encourage green travel in our projects and all our activities are free for our participants; no participation fee must be asked from the partner organisation. However, partner organisations will receive appropriate compensation for their contributions to the project.)