What We Offer
Through group and one-on-one sessions interacting with horses and ponies while completing on-the-ground activities (no riding), we can help develop motivation, confidence, critical thinking, communication and leadership skills, as well as work to overcome depression, anxiety, behavioral problems, educational challenges and much more.
When you are ready: call us to schedule a complimentary 30-minute "Meet the Herd".
Upcoming Events
Enrollment is limited, so register today.
About Us
At LyonHeart Equine Assisted Learning, horses are teachers. We are the only equine-assisted learning nonprofit in Nebraska. The programs used in the corral were created by Nancy Lyon, utilizing her experience in education and are being taught internationally to other organizations wanting to start similar programs.
Biofeedback is a therapeutic tool that is nearly impossible to access, especially in central Nebraska. A horse provides this type of feedback because as prey animals their priority is safety. They can detect heart beats 10 feet away. A youth who has difficulty regulating emotions has an erratic heartbeat and signals danger. The horse walks away, refusing to work with a dysregulated youth. Trained facilitators ask questions and guide the youth to notice the horse's behaviors. The youth begins to understand that the horse is communicating, “When I feel unsafe, I cannot be curious with you.” In order to achieve the desired outcome of connecting & building a relationship with the horse, the youth learns that he needs to be aware of his internal dysregulation and adjust with new tools like relaxation and breath work. When bodies soften and smiles erupt, the youth sees their horse responding to their changes in real time. The curiosity switch has been flipped on in both the horse & the youth. Learning can now begin.
Our team works with children, youth, families and various groups (sports teams to businesses) to be transformed through the power of horses. We work to create a program tailored to maximize personal growth.
If you are uncertain if equine-assisted learning is you, your child or group, consider booking a complimentary 30-minute “Meet the Herd."
Meet the Crew
01.Misty
Equine Teacher
02.Star
Equine Teacher
04.Mango
Equine Teacher
05.Heart of Bleau
Equine Teacher
06.JB
The Official Greeter
Thank you to our supporters!
Before David participated in the HorsePowered Life Skills program, if he was told “no”, he would turn on tears. Now, when he starts to cry (after being told “no”) I ask him what the horses would say. He is able to calm himself down and says “ok” on a more consistent basis.
The horses taught me that I always have to be ready to go to Plan B. Age 7
Tara (age 12) started the first day speaking in a very soft, mumbling voice. By the end of the program, Tara was using her firm and clear voice with confidence.
It was truly amazing to see how the program helped my son’s confidence grow and how his attitude of being willing to learn improved. The horses know exactly how to respond to each child.
It was interesting to see how my child would take a directive from a horse and not throw a temper-tantrum.
My son, Corey, (age 7) now proudly boasts that he is now the second-best reader in the class.
My son, Bryson, really struggled in Kindergarten and was falling behind in school after my husband deployed. We discovered this unique program and decided to give it a try even though it meant driving over one hour one way. After the first three days of the summer program, we noticed a positive change in his behavior. We chose to continue with the fall programs. As a result Bryson was less stressed and anxious about school. In fact, he was pretty excited to start 1st grade.
My son and I have been given a tool box full of tools through equine-assisted learning programs. We now have vocabulary and references we can use to help remind one another to be focused, check our surroundings, remain calm, use a firm voice…
Ryan struggles with math. He participated in the HorsePowered Reading and Math programs and that helped him relax. He learned responsibility. He enjoyed being in charge and getting the horse to do what he wanted. I have seen a lot of the skills (that Ryan learned from their unique programs) translates into his day to day life. Ryan, now, takes more responsibility by getting himself ready for school. He doesn’t need prompting and takes the initiative to finish his homework.
Sarah
Michael
Julie
Cheryl
Dan
Cindy
April
Brenda
Jason