horses who teach

Cartier Farms in Prince Albert, SK has an incredible equine assisted learning (EAL) program. I spent a few hours photographing 'the instructors' - aka, the horses - with the help of my sister-in-law Gayle and my husband Rob, who played the role of lead horse wrangler.

Photographing horses and trying to get them to pose is a LOT different than photographing my usual dogs. None of the words, noises or squeaky toys from my grab bag could flap these unflappable horses... no jumping up and down, arm waving or tossing a tin can with rocks in the air would get their attention... they were cool as cucumbers.
They have to be.
These gentle giants teach kids with fetal alcohol syndrome, at-risk youth, kids on the autism spectrum and adults with PTSD communicate and trust. They help with team building, workplace communication and assist others in starting their own EAL programs. They trust and are trusted. And when I was standing in the middle of 12 of them and one started to run, not one came close to running into me (although truth be told I put my arms up just in case!).
 
Here's to the instructors:
Charlie
Doc
Dundee
Fast Pine
Frosty
Maverick
Rebel
Slick
Sugar
Thomas

Thank you to Cartier Farms - specifically Gayle Cartier, Daryl Cartier and Janice Boucher for their patience in answering this "city girl's" questions and for their incredible hospitality.
And to Slick... for being my buddy and letting me pretend I knew what I was doing when he let me ride him. He taught me.

I'm excited to share that plans are in the works for a photo workshop and photo sessions for horses and their humans at Cartier Farms in Summer 2018, so follow the Cartier Farms, or wendy nesbitt photographs on facebook for details!

For more photos from the farm and trip from the ocean to the prairies, please visit: Highways and Horses 3

me and slick ~ thanks to my husband rob for the photo!

aftermath of 'the running of the horses'