The LEAD with Horses mission: To improve the social, emotional and behavioral development of children of Western Nevada through quality therapeutic and educational equine programs
Philosophy
LEAD promotes Leadership, Education, & Active Development through hands-on activities with horses. Horses provide the catalyst for positive change and personal growth. Every child deserves a chance to thrive. Children need opportunities to explore, attain, and reach beyond their potential.
LEAD nurtures and cultivates the strengths and abilities of our children and youth – to realize the promise of individuals and the collective community. The capacity for positive growth and development is tremendous during childhood and adolescence. Unfortunately, many youth do not thrive in traditional educational and therapeutic settings, and their development is inhibited.
LEAD combines proven educational and therapeutic approaches with the power of horses to support, encourage, and empower young people in Washoe County and surrounding communities. Using a strength-based, experiential approach, LEAD provides structure and guidance to assist young people in finding their own solutions and inspiration.
We bring children, youth and families out of the classroom or the office and into a new environment with limitless opportunities for learning and development. LEAD offers opportunities to develop wide-ranging skills that can be carried over to other contexts through equine-assisted activities.
LEAD programs provide an emotional, physical, and intellectual experience. Horses build a stronger sense of self. Equine assisted activities are experiential and project-based. Put simply, clients learn by doing!
A Brief History of LEAD with Horses
Since its inception, LEAD has offered quality educational programming to children and adolescents, provided supplemental therapeutic activities for clients of mental health professionals, and forged new community partnerships. In fall 2015, LEAD transitioned to non-profit status to better serve the community.
LEAD with Horses realizes a dream to bring horses and children together for positive growth and development. LEAD was founded in 2013 by Casey Wold and Jeane Spada-Allgood. Casey and Jeane met as therapeutic equine instructors with a mental health agency. They created LEAD after the agency ended the horse program, but the inspiration to create LEAD came long before then.
Casey and Jeane worked in traditional education and mental health settings. While recognizing the importance of this work, they could see that not all children thrive in these environments. Their experiences with horses and humans demonstrated that equine assisted activities are a powerful and effective means to reach those who may be struggling in traditional settings. As horse owners and enthusiasts, Casey and Jeane understood firsthand the power of horses as teachers, companions, and guides.
LEAD with Horses continues to grow. Additional team members, volunteers and donors help us to serve more families in our community each year. Private counseling services and therapeutic group programs have both been expanded. Our flexible and responsive trauma-informed model allows us to meet the changing needs of those we serve. We will continue to work with our community to deliver quality programs for years to come.
Who can benefit from equine assisted activities?
Anyone can benefit from educational and therapeutic equine programs! Families, couples, adolescents, and children can all benefit from a quality “horse therapy.” NO previous horse experience is required. LEAD programs are ideal for building leadership and social skills and for children and adolescents with a variety of emotional and behavioral challenges.
Equine assisted activities can address a wide range of mental health and human development challenges, including:
Attention Deficit Disorder Anxiety Eating Disorders
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Grief
Autism Spectrum Disorder Depression
Relationship Problems & Communication Needs
Anger Management Behavioral Problems
Attention Deficit Disorder Anxiety
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Eating Disorders Grief
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Depression
Relationship Problems & Communication Needs
Anger Management
Behavioral Problems
The experiential approach to skill development is excellent for:
Communication Social Skills Leadership
Resilience Planning & Problem-Solving
Sensory Integration
Emotional and Behavioral Regulation
Cooperation Decision Making Coping Skills
Communication Social Skills
Leadership Resilience
Planning & Problem-Solving
Sensory Integration
Coping Skills
Emotional and Behavioral Regulation
Cooperation
Decision Making