Voice for the Voiceless ~ Amy Herbst

“I am the voice of the voiceless Through me the dumb shall speak The deaf world’s ear be made to hear The wrongs of the wordless weak From street, from cage, from kennel From stable and zoo the wail Of my tortured kin proclaims the sin Of the mighty against the frail Oh shame on [...]

Howard Sloane A Basic Science Behavior analysis is a science concerned with the behavior of people, what people do and say, and the behavior of animals. It attempts to understand, explain, describe and predict behavior. Behavior analysis differs from most psychological attempts to understand behavior. Psychological theories study entities such as “the mind” or “the [...]

Experiential Therapy is Better for Kids~

Current trends in the therapeutic treatment of adolescents Adults benefit from their ability to “talk though” their issues and feelings. They have learned through time to verbalize complex and contradictory feelings and reactions. However, adolescents generally find it more difficult to eloquently verbalize such feelings: they are often overwhelmed and even confused by the seeming [...]

Needs List

Zuma’s can ALWAYS use your tax-deductible cash donations. But if you can’t donate cash, have you considered all the non-cash things you could offer to help the rescued horses? Here is a list of some things the Ranch needs NOW: Volunteer labor Grass Hay 12 tons per month Round bale attachment for New Holland Skid Steer Grain: Nutrena [...]

A Letter To Our Mentors~Without Them There Would Be No ELP

Hello everyone, I hope you are all enjoying the March session of ELP! I think we have seen great progress with many of our kiddos. I see our little ones starting to push some boundaries and test a bit. Our teen group challenged us for the first few weeks, but I think things fell into [...]

Zuma’s Experiential Learning Program

Michael Hogland of Littleton Colorado first appeared at Zuma’s as a volunteer November 1st, 2009. The weather that day was snowy and freezing cold, but that did not keep Mike and his friends from attending Zuma’s volunteer training. That is true dedication! As a new member of the Zuma’s family, Mike jumped in head first [...]

ELP~ Words about the Horse from a Kid

Zuma’s Experiential Learning Kids ~ Straight from the mouth of a child. Why I like horses: “They are really big animals.  They are amazing.  In my heart they are sacred.  Like the sacred dog.”  (reference to the book, “The Gift of the Sacred Dog” that we both love) What I do at Zuma’s: “I’m learning [...]

Success ~ Words from a Parent

How our son, age 8, experiences life: Every day,filled with numerous happenings that he is not expecting. Not knowing what is going to happen next puts him in a hypervigilant state. Things that trigger him are : someone coming to the door, a loud noise (truck driving by, lawnmower, fire-truck).  When he gets scared he [...]

What is the difference between EAL and EAP?

EAL (equine-assisted learning) is an educational approach that includes equine-facilitated activities incorporating the experience of horse/human interaction in an environment of learning or self discovery. EAL encourages personal explorations of feelings and behaviors to help promote human growth and development. EAP (equine-assisted psychotherapy) is experiential psychotherapy that involves horses. It may include, but is not [...]

Beacon Center for Family and Children

Fix the broke therapy system for at risk youth