- Horse Powered Reading uses horses to improve children's literacy and confidence.
- The program, led by Allie Garlick in Kaysville, involves reading activities.
- Children aged 5-10 interact with horses, reducing reading anxiety and boosting confidence.
KAYSVILLE — Since December, Allie Garlick has become accustomed to elementary school teachers listening to her with a bit of doubt.
She understands it. After all, she is approaching them to talk about a literacy program for students who need an extra push learning and enjoying reading.
With the help of a horse.
"They'll look at me and say, 'How does a horse help someone learn how to read?'" Garlick said. "I get it. So I explain it's a way to get comfortable with reading and at the same time improve a student's confidence."
Garlick is the organizer for the Davis County branch of Horse Powered Reading, an international program that uses horses as a way to break down any blocks students have with reading. The program is in each of the 50 states and 23 countries.
In 2012, Michele Pickel, a college professor with a doctorate in literacy education, found that children who had a hard time reading in class — either due to a difficulty sitting still in class or a fear of being laughed at if they made a mistake when reading aloud — improved their literacy by being able to pet a horse.
It's more than petting a horse for Pickel, of course. As an owner of a ranch, she says she could see that the tactile practice of touching a horse built a child's trust with that animal. Dogs will leave to play with someone else and cats may not want to even look at you. But a horse will stay with you, she said.
Children between the ages of 5 and 10 — prime early reading years, Pickel said — can participate in Garlick's branch of the program.
Each session students are paired with a horse and they walk with them, with the help of a rein, as they approach various reading prompts around the Davis Agricultural Heritage Center. There are times they read aloud to the horse — who is not going to judge them for their effort — and there are areas where they can sit and touch the horse while they read.
At no point are children on the horse in Garlick's leg of the program, so experience with horseback riding is not essential.
There are vocabulary-building activities and others where pronunciation is the focus. Getting everything correct is not the purpose of anything, Garlick said, but having students attempt to read without fear or anxiety is a celebration point.
There are also checking to ensure that the children are, in fact, improving their reading.
"Really, it's amazing to see what the kids come up with when they do activities," she said. "It's all so fun."
Horse Powered Reading in Davis County
Who: Children between 5 and 10 years old who are struggling with reading
Where: Davis Agricultural Heritage Center, 788 S. 50 West, Kaysville
Phone: 435-919-1338
Cost: $25 per child
When: The next session is July 30. 10 a.m. to noon for ages 8-10; 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. for agest 5-7.
More info: Children will not be on the horse. They will be walking them from activity to activity, following the reading prompts with them.
Seeing children who arrive to a session shy or anxious to speak, who then leave with smiles, with new friends and an interest in reading is what Garlick's program is all about. While it currently takes place in Davis County, she and others who are equine experts hope to expand into Salt Lake County so other children gain improve their reading, gain confidence in themselves and meet other kids like them.
From Southern California to Buenas Aires, Argentina, children — and their teachers — have found exactly what Garlick finds exciting: There's something about a horse that allows children to calm down, center on reading and believe in themselves.
"Horse Powered Reading has been a blast," Garlick said. "To see the kids come together and work in a partnership with their horse has really been great to see. We're excited to try and expand this program so more children can get involved."
