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The ASU-Hunkapi Horse Program provides equine experiences to youth and adolescents, with and without special needs. Programs are offered year round and include: weekly private and group sessions, weekly � day summer and holiday camps, 4 day overnight camps, and after school programs. Its mission is to provide equine experiences that allow bonds to form between horses and humans, which in turn serve as a catalyst for life changes and personal growth.
The program, funded primarily through grants and private donations, is part of ASU's Alternative Intervention Research Clinic (AIRC) in the Exercise Science Department on Main Campus. Physically, it is based out of Roper's Arena in Tempe, with four horses taken daily to area schools as part of an outreach program.
Hunkapi programs focus on life skills, personal development and riding skills. Our programs encourage responsibility, trust and positive relational skills. We accomplish this by removing children from their asphalt and concrete boundaries, and placing them in the natural, safe environment that our horse facility provides. The stable provides an environment that encourages individuals to be creative as well as discover the importance of respect, boundaries and resulting freedom.
Life skills, personal development and riding skills are improved through specific interactions with the horses. Horses have the ability to relax peoples' walls and defenses. Opening the relationship between oneself and others. Horses are a bridge to self-esteem and emotional strength, establishing trust and bonds that overcome fear and aggression. This bond inspires productive behavior, caring attitudes and a philosophical orientation to life. Regardless of the needs of the individual; full functioning or physically or emotionally challenged, each program strives to incorporate these core philosophies into each session. In addition, we are able to tailor each session to fit the specific needs of each participant.
Our program's highly interactive approach encourages a working alliance between the child's guardians, teachers and counselors in order to provide a comprehensive support structure, thus ensuring success in life.
Among the benefits of our lessons lies an opportunity to be selected for the Hunkapi Show Team! Members are chosen based on riding and personal skills to represent our program at local events. New candidates are nominated bi-annually.
Our passion for children takes us everywhere! Let Hunkapi Horse Programs come to you. We will tailor a program specifically for your site. Whether your interest is in horse riding technique classes, non-riding teambuilding sessions or family therapy workshops, we can design an event to actively engage and empower parents, youth, teachers and care providers. Hunkapi strives to improve the quality of life for people in all communities.
Continue your child's growth and development through Hunkapi after school programs. From 3:30-6:30pm, Monday through Thursday our caring and professional instructors assist adolescents and young adults in acquiring an array of life skills. Coping mechanisms, decision making, peer pressure and social etiquette are some of the issues addressed while the students interact with the horses. The atmosphere provided by the barn and horses is well received by all. It is a safe environment which instills traits and characteristics much needed in our youth today. Our goal is not only to encourage the bond between horse and human, but to strengthen the bond between the child and his/her own identity.
Enrich your child's summer with Hunkapi Half Day Summer Camps. We help you foster your child's intrinsic attraction to nature and animals' let them experience it first hand. Hunkapi camps focus on complete horse care including barn maintenance, horse grooming, and riding skill development They won't miss a television! Creative activities designed in a fun, safe, nurturing environment will give your child many smiles and stories to share.
Time to get the kids out of the city and have adventures they will always remember! Exposure to nature and the outdoors encourages children to engage in creative play, discover their independence and spawn individual thinking. This welcoming environment, where children's strengths naturally present themselves, offers a safe haven for kids to learn about themselves and others. Horseback rides on the open range, camping under star-lit skies, bon fires, s'mores, fishing and hiking are just the beginning. Hunkapi camp teaches kids a great deal about nature, life and their place in it. Our camp facilitators specifically take the time to reflect on the childs' experiences. These moments are used to assist the children in understanding their new found wonders of camp and their subsequent personal growth. Camping is magical.
Riding on the open range is what the kids are trained and waiting for! After an early morning breakfast, we will circle up, grab a halter and go catch our horses. Once the horses are saddled and bags are packed, we head off onto the southwest expanse for a half-day ride. Amidst our geographical wonder, the kids will eat their lunches and soak in the view. In amazement, they will note how different the world is outside of the city; differences not only in the sounds and sights, but the behavior of people and demeanor of the horses.
