STRIDES Class

Any and all majors are welcome! 

We’ve had everyone from first-year students to seniors about to graduate; everyone benefits! 

You might be wondering if you need experience with horses. No you don’t. In fact, we think the less you know about horses, the better! We never ride the horses, so horsemanship or athletic skills are not needed. All our work with the horse is groundwork—lots of interaction, but no riding.  

If you want an out-of-the-box learning experience, if you want to grow as a scholar and know more about yourself, where you are going and how you are going to get there, this class is for you.

Every other week throughout the semester, we travel to Jacobs Ladder—an extraordinary place where horses help people overcome a wide range of challenges. All of the time spent with the horse is on the ground; we never ride the horses. The experiences at Jacobs Ladder support students in developing a deeper understanding of themselves as learners, leaders, and a community of scholars.  

During each visit, students work individually and in teams with horses, engaging in a variety of activities and challenges. What challenges? We can't tell you! Part of the process is to show up, learn about that week’s activity, and then get busy making it happen. Throughout the barn day we “circle up” and talk about how the activity is unfolding, what we are experiencing, and what we are learning from some of the best teachers on the planet: horses.  

As we move through the semester we uncover strengths, abilities, and skills students may not have recognized before—resources they carry with them as they move through college and toward their goals. 

Along the way, students come to know the horses, one another, and—perhaps most importantly—themselves in ways they never imagined. 

• Build Noncognitive Competencies
  
  • Self-direction in learning 
  • Grit 
  • Growth Mindset  

• Grow Academic skills 
  • Backward planning 
  • Goal-setting 
  • Understanding the hidden curriculum 

• Build Leadership skills 
  • Team building 
  • Cooperation and Collaboration 

 

In 2025 our students shared their learning and experiences with the campus community at two university-wide events, the Experiential Learning Exposition and the INQR showcase.

2025 INQR Showcase

 

 

2025 Experiential Learning Exposition

 

 

Check out a sample of the STRIDES syllabus here.