"The horse is a great equalizer.... he takes you for how you make him feel."
- Buck Brannaman
Our Mission
HORSES CHANGE KIDS. KIDS CHANGE THE WORLD.
The Pony Express is a community-based equine rescue organization dedicated to mentoring kids and committed to creating life skill and leadership learning opportunities utilizing horses as teachers, healers and agents of change.
Saddle Up for The Pony Express
Summer Camp
Spending Time in Horse Time is an Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) program designed to get kids outside in nature and in hand with horses that nurture our soul. Camp participants with learn the language of the horse that includes understanding and applying horse relational behaviors. Learning how to read, honor, and respond to our horses provides us with an awareness and understanding of how interconnected we all are. Our program is focused on skill building and will include life skills that apply to everyday life and help participants learn how to self -regulate.
We are pleased to announce we have a Platinum Seal of Transparency on GuideStar.org
About Us
The Pony Express is an equine rescue that partners horses with humans in nature to provide a safe place and space in which to experience the healing power of our horsepower.
The collective wisdom of horses provides humans with an interactive canvas designed to promote self-awareness, insight, and leadership skills. In the horse’s relational behaviors, we see what is commonly referred to as “mirroring.” Mirroring behavior is a clear demonstration of the horse’s ability to read and respond “in kind” to the energetic field they are perceiving.
Our Founder
Linda Aldrich founded The Pony Express Equine Assisted Skills in 1982. As Executive Director of her non-profit organization, Linda has provided a life skill/leadership program for youth ages 12- 18 years of age utilizing their rescued horses as teachers, healers, and agents of change. Linda has her MA in Education, is finishing her MA in Counseling and has several degrees in Equine Facilitated Learning, Leadership, Wellness, and Coaching. Linda is currently working towards her certificate in Equine Assisted Connection TM.
Why Horses?
Honest
Horses are large, powerful nonpredatory animals possessing incredible strength and beauty. Working through fear and building confidence arise naturally when engaging with these animals. Horses are particularly good at helping humans because of their honesty and the way that they are designed biologically. As prey animals, horses read the energetic field and us when we are in their field. They respond honestly to whatever stimulates them. Horses show up as mirrors for us to see things about ourselves that sometimes we like, and sometimes we do not. Their honest feedback can help us grow in self-awareness and encourage transformational change to occur.
Authentic
Our desire to relate and connect with a horse requires that we be present, focused, and engaged. In return, horses give us instant and authentic feedback without judgement. Working with horses provides endless opportunities for real life metaphors. As we work through specific exercises in the horse arena, our thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, and patterns emerge, reflecting real life experiences that are often occurring in our daily lives. Horses help us to become more mindful as we navigate the process of making progress towards becoming the best version of ourselves possible. Incorporating the unique engagement of horses and the specialized skill sets of a human team interacting with the innate potential of our clients to find solutions is the real power behind our horsepower.
Connection
Horses create opportunity for relationships, but a relationship with a prey animal can be challenging. The horse’s agenda first includes finding safety, food, and comfort in its environment. When these needs are met, horses become responsive to other dynamics. They become curious. They experiment with boundaries. They negotiate hierarchy and respond to leadership. The human must explore ways to create that connection and align him or herself to the horse’s particular psychology and language. If the human client is successful setting up an interaction to achieve response and connection without producing threat, fear, or discomfort for the horse, those skills can transfer to creating improved connections in the human world.
A Message From Our Herd
The Science Behind the Work We Do
The Healing Powers of Equine Rescue
"Those who teach us the most about humanity aren't always humans."
Donald L. Hicks
How You Can Help
You Can Donate Directly to the Pony Express Location, just send a check to:
The Pony Express
6413 Sonoma Hwy.
Santa Rosa, CA
95409
The Pony Express Channel
Featured Blogs
It Takes a Village
I met “Jessie” when he was 12. He was introduced to me by his grandma. She was at her wit’s end. Jessie’s dad was in prison, his mom addicted to drugs, leaving Jessie in the care of his caring, but clearly overwhelmed grandmother. “Can he please join your program?” she asked.
Meet Linda Aldrich
From CanvasRebel's recent interview with The Pony Express' founder, Linda Aldrich
“I took my passion for horses, combined it with my purpose to make a difference in the lives of others who like me were falling between the cracks, and that became my profession and my life’s work. As it turned out, there were a lot of kids who needed a second chance, a leg up in life.“
Horses change kids. Kids change the world.
Horses change kids. Kids change the world. And right now, our kids are struggling, and their struggle is real. Blame it on the pandemic, peer pressures, parents, teachers, tensions in school, technology, or a sign of the times from the steady stream of anti-social media. The list is never ending.
Where are the ponies?
As the two-year Anniversary of the Glass Fire approaches, it’s time for yet another update on The Pony Express. The not so good news is that we remain locked in a lawsuit with our insurance company that failed to follow through with their promise to protect.
