On the second day of our Girls and Horses program, When Magic Happens, near the end of the session, one of our girls asked if we could go for walk in the back field. Now to put it into context, it is far more than a back field. If one were to walk directly toward the back of our property it would seem you were walking into an amazing forest with large cedars and old maples. One would have the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere.
I was initially extremely happy that the girls wanted to go for a walk in this amazing area. It was clear they were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Then a fleeting thought in my mind – what are we teaching them? What about our lesson plan? Are they learning anything?
I watched them hanging out, chatting with one another, and using their imaginations. Describing how it would look and what it would feel like pretending that they were really in the middle of the forest and there were no houses or barns behind them.
It was magical.
I spent some time contemplating and looking for the learning in this situation. What I came up with was “brilliant brilliant brilliant!” (the girls that is) They were self regulating. In other words, they had worked hard, participated in our exercises and learned what we set out to learn that day and now it was time for a break. Not only did they actually experience down time and relaxation time, but they will know how to bring this into their lives as they move through adolescence. How many adults do you know who are always active, always ‘doing’ and never take time for themselves to just relax? I know quite a few.