Steady Strides
Healing with Horses
Steady Strides
Healing with Horses
A DBT-informed equine therapy program for teens ages 13–18 that blends evidence-informed mental health treatment with the powerful connection of horses. Through guided, ground-based experiences, participants build confidence, emotional regulation, coping skills, and healthier relationships in a safe, supportive setting.
About Steady Strides
Steady Strides was created for youth and adolescents who may benefit from a different path to growth and healing. Some teens struggle to connect in traditional office settings or need a more experiential way to learn emotional skills. Horses offer immediate, honest feedback and create opportunities for self-awareness, trust, boundaries, communication, and calm.
This 16-week program integrates Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills with structured equine-assisted experiences to help teens practice real-life coping tools in a meaningful environment. Sessions are ground-based only, no riding is required.
What Makes Steady Strides Unique
DBT-Informed Support
Participants learn practical skills in:
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Mindfulness
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Distress Tolerance
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Emotion Regulation
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Interpersonal Effectiveness
Healing Through Horses
Horses naturally respond to energy, body language, and presence. This helps teens build awareness, confidence, patience, communication, and trust.
Real-World Growth
Skills practiced at the ranch are designed to transfer into home life, school, friendships, and everyday stressors.
Bully Proofing Skills Can Be Taught.
Program Overview
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Ages: 13–18
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Length: 16 Weeks
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Sessions: 2 Hours Weekly
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Group Size: Maximum 6 Participants
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Format: Ground-Based Only
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Horse Ratio: 3 Participants to 1 Horse
Who May Benefit
Steady Strides may be a strong fit for teens experiencing:
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Anxiety
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Emotional overwhelm
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Difficulty with peer relationships
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Low confidence
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Stress management struggles
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School or life transitions
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Need for healthy coping skills
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Preference for experiential learning
How Services Work
Clinical mental health services are provided by licensed clinicians and may be billed through insurance when eligible. Equine-assisted program services are provided separately through the ranch environment. Scholarship support for non-clinical program costs may be available through Horses Healing Hearts, Inc. based on funding availability.
Our Setting
Steady Strides takes place at Lazy J Ranch in a peaceful, welcoming environment where teens can step away from everyday pressures and engage in meaningful growth surrounded by horses and nature.
Call to Action
Ready to Learn More?
Whether you are a parent, guardian, clinician, or referral source, we welcome your questions.
Bullying Is a Skill Gap.
Horses respond honestly to behavior. They don’t judge, label, or lecture. They simply react, and the feedback is immediate and undeniable.
This natural cause-and-effect dynamic empowers Youth to quickly understand that how they show up matters. They see the impact of their actions in real time, without shame, embarrassment, or guilt. They must regulate themselves, adjust their approach, and communicate clearly in order to succeed. These lessons are not explained to them; they are experienced, practiced, and reinforced through every interaction.
Skills Change Behaviour.
Behavior changes when we understand ourselves and learn new ways to respond. Each interaction with our horses reinforces the connection between internal state & external outcome.
Instead of managing behavior after harm has occurred, youth practice the social and emotional skills that prevent bullying in the first place. They learn how to lead without aggression, communicate without shutting down, and set and respect boundaries. They develop the confidence to stand strong without overpowering others and the awareness to recognize how their actions impact the people around them.
Experience Makes It Stick.
Youth do not just hear these lessons; they live them. When a young person successfully earns a horse’s trust, that moment is powerful. It is felt in their body. It builds confidence.
Because the learning is experiential, it is stored differently. Youth remember what worked. They remember how it felt to lead calmly instead of react. They remember that respect created connection. That lived experience becomes something they can draw from later in classrooms, on playgrounds, and in moments of conflict. This is why the change lasts. It is not theory. It is experience.
A Program for Kids Who Need Better Tools.
The best way to help children not become victims of bullies is by teaching them bully-proofing skills. Victims of bullies usually exhibit poor communication skills and tend to be left out of activities, leaving them isolated. Our equine assisted learning programs have proven to be ideal for any child who exhibits anti-social communication skills as they are provided with training in socialization skills which improves not only communication skills but also, emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual wellness, self- esteem, encourages sensory stimulation, and ultimately, integration.
Have Questions?
Learn more about how our programs work and how we can support your youth's goals.
Connect With Us to See If This Is the Right Fit for Your Youth
Through these programs, youth gain practical life skills they can use immediately. They leave with stronger communication, clearer boundaries, and greater self-awareness.
The lessons learned in the arena become tools they carry into school, friendships, and everyday life.