AGAPE YOUTH RANCH ACADEMY
ANIMAL PROGRAM (HORSE AND DOG TRAINING)
AYR believes that horses and dogs are an invaluable aid in the learning process that the teen will begin to experience during the teen’s stay at AYR.
The bond that can be established between a teen and a horse and/or a dog provides a multitude of learning opportunities. Patience, respect, communication, responsibility and problem-solving are just a few of the lessons to be learned.
Your teen will have the opportunity to learn how to become a leader instead of a follower. Horses and dogs are social animals and live within a strict hierarchy. Your teen will acquire invaluable skills that will enable him/her to have a rewarding and successful relationship within the horse and dog world. These skills will help the teen to understand, appreciate, and value personal relationships.
How each teen interacts with the horse and the dog provides us with essential information that we use to form a goal-setting plan, which is tailored to the teen’s individual needs.
The teen at AYR experiences life in all its Levels while working with our horses and dogs. Depending on the time of year, the teen may assist a female dog delivering her litter, work with a new colt or puppy, and help in the training of a young dog in its journey to becoming a usable service dog.
While all the youth at AYR will work with horses and dogs, participation in The Equine and Canine Programs is directly related to the Level system. AYR’s number one priority is the safety of the teen in our care. For this reason, we do not allow a new teen to work directly with the horses or dogs. We take a systematic, incremental approach to the advancement of each teen in our program.
Teens begin by assisting their mentor in the daily care of the horses and dogs, then move to assisting in the ground work, and only those teens meeting their Level goals are assigned to individual horses and dogs in developing their riding and training skills. This incremental approach insures safety and gives each teen a goal to strive for.
The bond that can be established between a teen and a horse and/or a dog provides a multitude of learning opportunities. Patience, respect, communication, responsibility and problem-solving are just a few of the lessons to be learned.
Your teen will have the opportunity to learn how to become a leader instead of a follower. Horses and dogs are social animals and live within a strict hierarchy. Your teen will acquire invaluable skills that will enable him/her to have a rewarding and successful relationship within the horse and dog world. These skills will help the teen to understand, appreciate, and value personal relationships.
How each teen interacts with the horse and the dog provides us with essential information that we use to form a goal-setting plan, which is tailored to the teen’s individual needs.
The teen at AYR experiences life in all its Levels while working with our horses and dogs. Depending on the time of year, the teen may assist a female dog delivering her litter, work with a new colt or puppy, and help in the training of a young dog in its journey to becoming a usable service dog.
While all the youth at AYR will work with horses and dogs, participation in The Equine and Canine Programs is directly related to the Level system. AYR’s number one priority is the safety of the teen in our care. For this reason, we do not allow a new teen to work directly with the horses or dogs. We take a systematic, incremental approach to the advancement of each teen in our program.
Teens begin by assisting their mentor in the daily care of the horses and dogs, then move to assisting in the ground work, and only those teens meeting their Level goals are assigned to individual horses and dogs in developing their riding and training skills. This incremental approach insures safety and gives each teen a goal to strive for.
