North Star EAL, N6120 Sawyer Lake Road, White Lake, WI (2026)

06/02/2026

This week we’re having so much fun kicking off the first week of summer with the SBR family campers! Each equine-assisted learning group has been so unique and has brought fun perspectives into our activities with the horses.

Our summer camp theme explores 1 Timothy 4:8 which says, “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

The speaker this week is teaching on “Following Jesus”, so during our EAL sessions we’ve talked a lot about these topics and the idea of “training”.

Are horses born knowing how to follow the guidance of a human? While the desire to connect with others is in their design, horses require proper training to learn how to follow and be led. They need someone to show them the way they should go, and they must learn to trust that guidance. This requires practice, patience, perseverance, and a relationship with their leader.

Likewise, people are also born with a desire to connect — to connect with animals, with people, and with God. We know there is more to the world than the things we can see (Ecc. 3:11). We know we have a future ahead of us and are designed for a purpose (Ps. 139). So doesn’t it make sense we would follow our leader (Jesus), spend time with Him, learn to be led by Him, and grow more like Him as we step out in faith and follow His example? Some things to think about today.

There’s still time to join our EAL sessions this summer - reach out to [email protected] for more information!

05/30/2026

The face you make when your horse decides to roll mid-EAL session…

Sometimes we ask people to do challenging things with the horses. The goal is to push them enough out of their comfort zone that they can try something new and learn from the experience.

So what do you do when you don’t have all the answers, or your initial approach to a challenge isn’t working? What do you do when you don’t know what questions to ask? Where do you turn for help?

During this session, I took away the halters and lead ropes we usually use to lead the horses, and asked the kids to find other ways to direct them around the arena and through the obstacles.

They found a few new ways to guide the horses — using a hula hoop, using a treat, or inviting the horse to follow them at liberty. To end on a good note, I returned their halters/lead ropes and let the kids walk the horses as they were used to. It took some time and perseverance, but the realization that it’s ok to use your creativity, to try even if you’re not sure, and to be confident and make choices shone through.

Want to join us? Reach out at [email protected].

Also if you’re part of the SBR Family Camp this week, we will have opportunities for you to sign up and spend quality time at the barn!

Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”

05/28/2026

We enjoyed hosting this wonderful group at the barn this morning for some horsey fun!! ❤️

05/27/2026

It is always encouraging to hear stories from parents of the ways their kids are growing through Equine-Assisted Learning.

This wonderful student has been working hard on being comfortable with change and new situations, and we had thunderstorms roll through for a few of her recent sessions including this one last night. When thunderstorms happen during our EAL sessions, we switch to indoor groundwork activities and keep an eye on the horses to make sure everyone remains calm and grounded throughout. For the last few weeks, my lesson plans for this student had to shift last-minute due to weather, which gave us some good practice navigating change and adjusting to new plans.

At the barn, I’ve seen increased comfort, communication, and confidence in this student’s interactions with the horses. After talking to her mom last night, I’m proud to hear that she is stepping way out of her comfort zone and trying new and potentially scary things at home too – and not just trying, but conquering those fears and being successful!

Watching this girl with the horses last night, I could see she was in her happy place. She was calm and enjoying her time with the horses even as the thunder and rain beat down on the roof overhead. What a perfect metaphor for the chaotic situations that can happen in life, and the calm confidence we can have in spite of it. We pray that the patterns she learns at the barn set her up for a bright future as well!

We still have space for summer Equine-Assisted Learning and Riding Lessons - contact us today at [email protected] to set up a visit!

05/22/2026

With gas prices going up, I hear the joke often of “If the prices get too high I’m going to have to switch to a horse!” (Nevermind that horses are probably more expensive in the long run). That begs the question, have you ever wondered what it’s like to drive a horse? It takes a different set of equipment, skills, and communication than riding or even leading a horse.

When you work with horses, you have a few “aids” or tools that are always at your disposal. Your voice, body language, your posture, your hands, your energy levels. Since horses don’t speak human language, they rely on the cues they do understand to communicate with us.

Did you also know that around 55% of our communication with other humans is nonverbal? And within spoken communication, more is communicated through tone of voice and rhythm than the actual words used?

Just like people, who all have different communication styles and what makes sense to them, the horses have different training and things that make sense to them. So learning how to ride, drive, and lead horses can be very beneficial to learning how to adapt and partner with different people as well. Once again, horses create a fantastic metaphor for other areas of life.

Here’s one of our students learning to ground drive a horse for the first time (and giving Judah some stretches afterward). Want to learn? Check out www.northstareal.org.

05/20/2026

As the school year ends, this EAL session on Monday was the culmination of all the life skills the students learned this year. It was a showcase of teamwork, communication, and fun.

After some opening discussion we played a game called, “The Most Important Thing”. The rules are simple:

- There’s an area roped off: this is an island you’re shipwrecked on.
- The “water” around that island is infested with sharks, and you can’t use any part of you that touches the water for the rest of the game.
- The horses are immune to sharks.
- You must gather all the items scattered around onto the island, including the horses.

When I’ve played this game before, everyone tends to get wrapped up in the task: collecting items for the island. What I loved about this group is that they immediately made the horses a huge part of their team. Everyone on this team got so creative that, as the facilitator, I had to shift the rules several times because it was too easy!

Each time a change came, the students (and our lovely volunteer Renae) used creativity and problem-solving skills to think their way through. I saw participation from everyone on the team. Their “we can do it” attitudes, confidence, communication, and energy levels were great, they used their resources well, and they had so much fun in the process!

During the debrief at the end, I asked the students what “The Most Important Thing” was in the game. Our White Lake student turned to his favorite horse Joppa, and hugged him. We unpacked the relational aspects of the game and how those translated into success for each student. We discussed the life skills that they get to take home and practice this summer. I’m so proud of these kids and their growth since the beginning of the school year.

That being said, I still have openings for summer EAL sessions - reach out today and join the fun! [email protected]

05/19/2026

During this year’s SBR Mother-Daughter Retreat, we had 44 ladies join us for EAL. When we have larger retreats lined up, I usually have EAL lesson plans prepped far ahead of time. For this retreat, I had ideas but nothing concrete as we got closer.

As I headed to chapel on Friday night to announce EAL sign-ups, I still wasn’t totally sure what we were going to do. So when the chapel speakers started talking about “spiritual drifting” and looking at examples of scriptural figures who stuck close and followed the Lord versus those who drifted away, inspiration for the EAL sessions struck. Sometimes it’s really cool to see the Holy Spirit guiding these sessions.

While I initially wanted to partner our participants with my horse Jezebel for this retreat because she’s a mom herself, her name ended up repeatedly being the topic of conversation. If you know the story of the biblical Jezebel like many of the ladies did, you know it’s not a pleasant story. Talk about a person who lived very far from the Lord and His will.

If you know the horse Jezebel, you know she has a long story of her own and no longer lives up to her namesake…which led to some good conversations: what does it take to bring someone close who has drifted away?

We ended up talking a lot about “connection” and doing several challenges where everyone had to remain “connected” in some way: while braiding our horses mane, while brushing the horse, and while leading her around. We talked about a horse’s natural ability to connect with their herd mates and with people. We did some grounding exercises together, and the girls also spent some quality time learning about and connecting with each other.

At the end of one session after hearing our horse’s story, a mom made the comment, “There is redemption for us all, praise the Lord!”

If that’s what each person took away from their EAL session, I’d say this weekend was time well spent. Thank you to all the moms and their daughters who joined us! I recognized some of you from last year and there were many new friends as well. Hope to see you again next year!

05/14/2026

Everyone has a story, including our horses. Part of mine is that outside of Equine-Assisted Learning, I’ve spent years showing horses and really enjoy it. Because of this, I sometimes teach students fun horse show skills. This lends variety to our activities, and gets the horses and the kids thinking in a new way while still advancing their character growth and horsemanship skills.

Most times (unless we’re working with my horse), I don’t expect our trail horses to have buttons and know the cues to correctly perform these show maneuvers. That is okay, because we’re not shooting for perfection, just for fun. Many times I teach the horses how to do things alongside the students, which makes for a stronger learning experience.

Sometimes, however, a horse surprises us! This student expressed an interest in learning showmanship; an in-hand class where the team performs a pattern and are evaluated on their ability to work together and show each movement cleanly. The first week our student practiced with her horse Ghost, we used his regular halter and he tried his best to follow through the patterns.

Next time, we used my showmanship halter, which is set up differently. As soon as this was on, something seemed to click in Ghost’s head and he proceeded to square up his feet (which he wouldn’t do before), and to follow his student beautifully. We’re pretty sure he’s done this before, and just needed the correct tools to bring that training to mind! Practice, patience, and a willingness to learn can go a long way!

Whenever we meet a new student or horse, we don’t always know the twists and turns their story has taken at face value. Who would’ve guessed someone had trained Ghost for showmanship? Not us! That said, we try to meet each person and horse where they are at today, and as we get to know them we’ll introduce just enough challenge to push them toward growth. Sometimes, it takes the smallest adjustment to set them up for success, and we’re here to cheer them on! We never know what tool will stick and help them as their story continues to unfold.

Want to join us? Learn more at www.northstareal.org.

05/11/2026

We love seeing those smiles!

Friday was this student’s first time riding a horse all on her own without being led. We worked on steering and how to gently guide the horse forward, to the right, and to the left. It’s amazing how quickly even the littlest kids pick up on the basics when handed the reins. This was after several lessons working together on horse care, some groundwork, how to saddle, and more. Her siblings like to pitch in and help, which is fun for everyone - kids and adults!

Want to join us? Reach out today!
www.northstareal.org

05/07/2026

I love watching this team – mom, daughter, and horse – work together.

This girl has come so far in the year that she’s been a part of the North Star EAL & riding lesson program, and I’m so very proud of her (her lesson anniversary is tomorrow)!

Those first hesitant steps into the arena and reaching out to touch the horses for the first time have led to so much growth, beauty, and fun. Her first goal was to work up the courage to sit on a horse, which we worked toward slowly, using EAL/experiential learning to encourage partnership on the ground first. One of the more recent goals she successfully achieved was to walk, trot, and canter her favorite horse in English tack, and lately we’re working on strengthening her horsemanship and groundwork abilities. She often tells me she wants to own her own horse someday.

I love seeing her courage and faith shine, and her confidence grow. A few weeks ago she told me, “I prayed that God would help me, and I was able to do it and not be afraid!” Those are the skills and habits that I hope stick with her for the rest of her life.

It’s also a beautiful thing for her mom to be present and offering reassurance and guidance throughout the process. Her mom drives her to the barn each week, offers encouragement, and supports her at every turn. I can offer learning experiences at the barn, but it is in the relationships and conversations at home where a student’s growth has a chance to shine brightest.

That being said, if you are planning to attend the SBR Mother-Daughter Retreat next weekend (May 15th-17th), we will be opening up EAL sessions for you to do together as a team. More details to come – we hope to see you there! Learn more about the retreat at: www.silverbirchranch.org/campretreat/mother-daughter-retreat.

North Star EAL

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