Celebrate Your Inner Cowboy/Cowgirl Through Experiential Programs Rooted in Life Skills Development.
Berkshire HorseWorks, Inc., a 501C3 mission-driven nonprofit, is back for the spring with its reputable equine-assisted activities and life skills programming for the whole family.
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Ranch Life 101 will be offered this Spring and available as a year-round program. Structured for all ages and abilities, Ranch Life 101 is a unique opportunity to learn and play side by side with the beautiful therapy herd of horses and donkeys. Lifeskill development and socio-emotional learning is woven throughout all activities, such as how to read nonverbal cues, cultivate empathy, or build healthy relationships all in the calming presence of horses while clearing trails, doing arts and crafts, and cleaning the paddocks, or working in the organic garden. The authentic ranch experience will be offered both as two-hour sessions for $225/person or Half-Day morning or afternoon sessions ( 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.) for $395/person. All sessions are by appointment only. Snacks will be included during Half-Day bookings. All proceeds from this programming go directly towards the purchase of hay and medicine for the horses, as well as community programs for those at risk.
Ranch Life 101, where each day presents a variety of ranch experiences in which to participate, is also now available for families. Ranch Life for Families (RLF) is specifically designed as a fun, outdoor way to reconnect families in nature, all in the presence of horses. Patterned after family volunteering vacations where parents, siblings, and other members can give back as they learn, work, and play side by side for a common cause, Ranch Life for Families welcomes visitors who may be considering their own hobby farm but would like to gain hands-on experience before hopping in! Ranch Life for Families is offered in two-hour sessions for $475 and in Half-Day programs for $695 for up to eight people.
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Through these family programs, Berkshire HorseWorks gains a hands-on workforce which allows the nonprofit to continue providing equine-assisted psychotherapy and therapeutic programs for those at risk in the community.
Founder Hayley Sumner:
“We piloted Ranch Life 101 last summer and witnessed organic connections being made where older children mentored the others during the day. Participants as young as four felt valued and empowered as they worked and played with older children. Relationships and skills that were cultivated all through the interaction with horses were just beautiful and life-changing. We knew we had to try to expand. Family volunteering is what really kept us afloat throughout the winter months and families were able to come together and stay active during these isolating times.”
Berkshire HorseWorks is a safe and positive environment, where kids can still be kids, but have the opportunities to learn exciting new skills that will contribute to making them more confident, self-sufficient, and better able to cope with new situations. Ranch Life 101 at Berkshire HorseWorks will lay down roots of resiliency in a fun-filled, activity-packed day at the ranch.
Both programs will be held on a seven-acre ranch with hiking trails, multiple outdoor paddocks, a vernal spring and sun patio, an organic garden, walking meditation trails, and quiet reading hamlets. Individual, multi-child, and family experiences are available! Scholarships and sliding scales are available.
Call (413) 698-3700 or email info@berkshirehorseworks.com for more information or to book your #RanchLife101 experience!
Berkshire HorseWorks is able to provide therapeutic opportunities to the community because of the generosity of donors. After a hard winter of downed trees, hay shortages, and equine illness, Berkshire HorseWorks kickstarted a fundraiser to continue to provide for the ranch and give back to the community and those in need through scholarship. If you'd like to donate to this fundraiser, click here.
