3/17/2025

On March 1st, the Kathwari Honors Program partnered with Pegasus Therapeutic Riding to create the Leadership through Horsemanship Program. Enrolled students travelled to Brewster, NY to learn what exactly horses can teach people about one another and ourselves, further cultivating our Honors Students’ leadership skills.

Students started their day by learning how to safely interact with the horses by understanding their body language. As the program progressed, students learned how to brush the horses, give them heart hugs, and eventually, lead them in movements (walks, walk-halts, halt-walks, and trots). Each task required effective communication and trust between the horse and student.

Across the board, students’ favorite part of the Leadership through Horsemanship Program was receiving the opportunity to be present and mindful, which is often a challenge when taking part in a rigorous Honors Program. Sarah Fayad, a senior English major, shared that one of her favorite parts about Leadership through Horsemanship was how well it met her expectations: “I expected the program to be very mindfulness-based with an emphasis on body language and education on how horses can teach us that. We did this in ways that were interactive and meaningful. I also learned from the horses that I never would have expected: to consistently set boundaries.”

Many students expressed how memorable the program was, not just in its unique nature, but also how uncomfortable it was to be vulnerable in this way. Standing in silence, brushing a large and majestic animal, alone with one’s own thoughts, feelings, and actions, left to consider how we impact animals and humans alike. “It was the right kind of challenging,” one student said. “Our instructors were kind and encouraging; it was nice to feel like I wasn’t failing just because I didn’t immediately succeed.”

When asked about his most surprising moment during the program, first-year Management Information Systems (MIS) student Nick Young said, “Doing the ‘heart hug’ with a very large, initially intimidating, horse was so cool. I never got the chance before to pet a horse, and it surprised me how soft their coats are. Hugging the and feeling the warmth and the strength of him was an incredible experience that allowed me to trust a creature that could crush me in a second and have him also trust me back enough during our hug.”

In relation to how Leadership through Horsemanship will contribute to students’ academic, personal, and professional lives, junior Business Management student Malcolm McKenzie couldn’t have said it more succinctly: “Leadership comes from calm and connectivity. A leader needs to show direction and stamina directly proportionate to the mission and vision. Horsemanship prepares the undergraduate for just that and more. If one can master how to communicate effectively with a horse, one can master being in front of an audience presenting information effectively.”

Nick spoke more to how the program will benefit his MIS studies: “It gives me motivation to aim as high as possible. I’m going to keep my GPA up because WCSU is working just as hard to help students like me succeed through their Honors Program. In terms of my major, I think it’s vital to have the nonverbal communication skills and mindfulness attitude that being around horses requires while being a leader of people. Part of the business mindset is to learn people skills and to keep an engaged, interested, and calm attitude. A horse can sense if your heart rate is high and your blood pressure is up, and if you try to hide it, they will think you’re a predator. Humans also pick up on nonverbal communication, and knowing how to adapt to that energy is really important in the business, tech, and finance worlds.”

Sarah appreciated the opportunity to wholistically re-evaluate her understanding of communication and leadership. “A huge part of the experience was navigating this difficult new task and allowing yourself to be vulnerable,” she explained, “especially when I didn’t understand something. I was very grateful for the advice from Sophia and Liz (the instructors) because I knew they would help me understand the horses better. From the horses, I learned to accept my feelings as they are! Also, horses live moment to moment. I hope to apply this lesson to my life and help myself stop dwelling on things that have happened in the past. That is absolutely the biggest takeaway for me, as these negative thought cycles are detrimental to my well-being and mood!”

Thank you to the generosity of Pegasus for spending a day with our Kathwari Honors Students to help them utilize the tools they already have within themselves to facilitate a sense of well-being, to be present, and authentically connect with themselves and the world around them. Thank you also to the generosity of Mr. Kathwari and the Kathwari Honors Program for financially supporting these leaders-in-the-making so they could enjoy this life-changing experience!