A group of Valdosta State University faculty recently traded lesson plans for lead lines when they participated in an innovative equine-assisted retreat designed to help them reduce stress, strengthen interpersonal awareness, and enhance their ability to engage and empower students.

Hosted by Jacobs’ Ladder Therapeutic Riding Center in Hahira, Georgia, the immersive, day-long Faculty Development Retreat for Leading and Learning with Horses experience brought together faculty from a range of disciplines to interact with horses in a series of guided activities — herd observation, grooming and haltering, groundwork exercises, and more. This required the participating faculty to step outside their comfort zone and lead horses through obstacle courses, practice calm and assertive nonverbal communication, and reflect on how their behaviors influenced their horse’s response.

Because horses provide immediate, honest feedback, the experience helped the participating faculty grow by strengthening their self-awareness, emotional control, and authentic confidence.

“Horses are incredibly perceptive and without guile,” said Dr. Gwen Ruttencutter, VSU faculty member and equine-assisted learning facilitator certified by EAGALA (Equine-Assisted Growth and Learning Association). “As such, horses reflect back to show to humans who we are and how we are ‘showing up’ in that space. They respond to authenticity, presence, and leadership, and that makes them powerful partners in helping our VSU faculty better understand how they are showing up for themselves in everyday life and for their students in the classroom.” 

Working with the horses helped the participating faculty learn to set consistent boundaries, respond in the moment, and adapt to individual needs, shifting their approach from control to connection, from authority to respectful leadership.

This translated into a better understanding of how calmness, patience, and clearer communication impact their everyday lives — and how stronger classroom leadership, better nonverbal communication, and more effective relationship-building can impact students on campus.

“This retreat was impactful for me in a number of different ways,” said Dr. Paige Krispin, instructor and interim head of the School of Nursing. “From my perspective as a faculty member, it was a reminder to me of how every student is different. They all come to the classroom with backgrounds and experiences that impact their lives as students. Just as I had to get to know each horse and how they responded, I was reminded of the importance of getting to know each student. When I know them, I understand them better and can tailor my communication and my teaching to their particular needs.”   

Dr. Ericka Parra, professor of Spanish, described how she was most impacted by the horse grooming activity and how it served as an effective, foundational teaching technique for developing trust, safety, and communication between horse and human, student and professor. She said it was a reminder to step back and listen carefully before stepping “forward to circle together,” which translates into “meeting students where they are.”

The Faculty Development Retreat for Leading and Learning with Horses experience reinforced VSU’s ongoing commitment to student success and faculty development by encouraging innovative, experiential approaches to teaching and learning. By stepping outside the traditional professional development model, the participating faculty gained new tools to create classrooms where students feel seen, valued, guided, and inspired to grow.

The retreat was designed and facilitated by Dr. Kate Warner, associate dean of the James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services; Dr. Gwen Scott Ruttencutter, assistant professor in the Department of Leadership, Technology, and Workforce Development; and Dr. Jamie Landau, director of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. This trio is now exploring other opportunities to expand experiential programs in the future, recognizing the growing importance of holistic approaches to education that support both faculty well-being and student achievement.

In Spring 2024 VSU began offering an equine-assisted experience for students called STRIDES (Students Together Reaching Individual Development and Educational Success). It is designed to help first-year students develop self-awareness, goal-setting strategies, as well as problem-solving, team-building, and communication skills.