ZEELAND, Mich. -- At-risk students in the West Ottawa Public Schools' "Hooves and Paws" program travel to TopCrest Stables in Zeeland each month to interact with some horses.
The next visit to the stables, 9300 Polk St, will be Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
The program is a therapeutic experience for at-risk students. It is led by Macatawa Bay Middle School science teacher Allison Engeseth, who also is one of the adult horseback riders at TopCrest. She told WOOD Radio News in a phone interview that the program helps students build confidence, strengthen social skills, improve emotional regulation, and develop positive relationships with both peers and adults.
"Other teachers in the building will come up to me and say, 'So-and-so just seems so much more confident now'," Engeseth said. "Or they were talking about it in the hallways - that they're so excited for the next trip. And that they're using this program as motivation to come to school, to have better attendance."
She said the program came about a few years ago. She thought, "This would be so great if I could get my students out there, too, to have these experience."
After the idea was mentioned, the owner of the stables barn and the school principal were amenable to connecting the two organizations.
"And allowing me to bring a couple students out to the barn once a month for the possibility of interacting with these horses, to brush them, to even ride them," Engeseth said.
She added that the program can help motivate students to complete assignments, while providing emotional and impulse regulation, reducing anxiety and building their confidence in interpersonal relationships to develop trust and problem-solving skills.
The program is accepting donations. They can be monetary, but personal protective gear such as riding gloves and boots.
Donations can be sent by contacting school principal Jake Manning: manningj@westottawa.net