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The Equestrian Track

A Vanguard Gap Year Story

By HoneyRock Center for Leadership Development

December 7^th, 2022

Part II

This story is part two of a four-part series. This four-part story series focuses on Vanguard Gap Year and the three Tracks (Equestrian, Journeys, and Adventure Programming) that Vanguard students participate in during their year at HoneyRock. Follow along as we continue to release the remaining two parts, each focusing on one of the three Vanguard Tracks.

Did you miss Part I: Why We Work? you can read it right here!

What is the Equestrian Track?

During their gap year, Vanguards have the opportunity to spend their workdays (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) in the Barn. This option, better known as the Equestrian Track, is a unique chance to learn and develop riding skills, take care of HoneyRock’s herd, and discover God through horses. This is largely possible because of HoneyRock’s unique approach to horsemanship. HoneyRock's Equestrian Center ("the Barn") is home to the herd and the many students, campers, and guests who get to work with horses throughout our year-round programming.

HoneyRock’s approach to horsemanship is different than a lot of camps, and the secular industry at large...

Four members of the HoneyRock herd behind the barn.

Jocelyn Erbele (Vanguard '23) brushes Express.

Becca Gamlin (Vanguard '23) leads a trail ride with Burrito (a member of HoneyRock's herd)

Horse Power

Before becoming HoneyRock's Equestrian Program Manager, Melissa Hougas worked as a horsemanship instructor at Culver Academy, a military academy in Indiana. Melissa points out that “I really like HoneyRock’s view on horses and how they fit horses into leadership training, and then into spiritual growth: the mission of the HoneyRock Barn is to share God through horses.”

Melissa Hougas (Equestrian Program Manager) and Macy (a member of HoneyRock's herd)

A Distinct Difference

With similar sentiments, the Vanguard Program Coordinator who works with the Equestrian Track, Kenyan Gustafson, remarked, “HoneyRock’s approach to horsemanship is different than a lot of camps, and the secular industry at large, because it’s not a business on creating the next best competitor or horse, nor is it about making money. It’s about asking, “How can we teach people to be healthier people?” and “How can we work with horses as tools to help those people?” It’s not just a fun activity or a cool way to experience nature—both of those are true here, we just go a little further.”

Kenyan Gustafson (OAL '23) instructing during the horsemanship intensive.

Share God through horses.

It's All About Relationship

Kenyan described horsemanship at HoneyRock like a diamond, with God on the top, “informing everything going on in the barn.” The bottom is the horse, because you’re riding on it, and the two remaining corners are self and others. Kenyan explained her example further, sharing “God can be part of the conversation in a sports team, but the barn is unique because it has this fourth dimension... You can’t really have a relationship with a basketball, but you can certainly have a relationship with a horse.” This diamond approach is thoroughly conducive to growth—not only during the school year, but during the summer as well.

Becca Gamlin (Vanguard '23), Katie Rieger (Fellow '23), Jocelyn Erbele (Vanguard '23), and Megan Merimonti (Vanguard '23) cleaning out a horse trailer.

Change of Perspective

“How can we teach people to be healthier people? How can we work with horses as tools to help those people?” -Kenyan Gustafson (OAL '23)

Specifically, Kenyan noticed how working with horses helped summer campers develop their confidence and self-esteem. “We are often giving small people a thousand-pound animal and saying, “work with this horse”, and even if they’re not scared of horses, there is something very empowering about giving them such a responsibility and opportunity to form that relationship with the horse. It’s crazy how it can change their view of their identity and their understanding of themselves in positive and powerful ways.”

Development through Horsemanship

During the school year (September through April), the Equestrian Track is designed to provide a deeper and broader experience for the Vanguards participating in it. “We get a lot of people that ask about how they will grow as a rider during their time in this Track,” Melissa explained, “and they will grow - but advancing a student’s riding is not the primary goal of the track. Yes, they will ride the different horses throughout their time here, and yes, learning to ride and developing a rider’s skill is part of that. In addition to riding, there is a core component of service involved at the barn, there’s a central focus on personal growth, and a big focus on learning about barn management and day-to-day responsibilities. We aim to provide a well-rounded equine education while also serving guests and the HoneyRock community.”

"We aim to provide a well-rounded equine education while also serving guests and the HoneyRock community." -Melissa Hougas (Equestrian Program Manager)

Kenyan noted that having previous equestrian experience is handy, but it is by no means necessary. “I never think that having previous horse experience is a prerequisite to engaging in the barn at HoneyRock. We’re set up to teach people who know little to nothing about horses; it’s more about the posture people bring into their experience.”

Reflecting on what it’s like to bring students into the barn, Melissa adds that “students commit to this program, then we meet them where they are, and we’re going to help develop them from that point: I feel like we could really take almost anybody!”

Jocelyn Erbele (Vanguard'23) grooms a member of HoneyRock's herd.

A HoneyRock horse enjoying the afternoon.

Becca Gamlin (Vanguard '23) demonstrating how to guide a horse.

Jocelyn Erbele (Vanguard '23) loads hay nets.

Jocelyn Erbele (Vanguard '23) and Katie Rieger (Fellow '23) digging holes for a fence.

Caleb Ledbetter (Vanguard '23) learning to ride on Pepper, a member of HoneyRock's herd.

A Brand New Experience

Jocelyn, a Vanguard in the Equestrian Track, agreed with this sentiment. She grew up overseas and didn’t enter Vanguard with any previous equestrian experience.

“It’s been really interesting … I didn’t know what I was doing at first, which was kind of weird, but also really cool. The biggest reason I chose the Equestrian Track was because I wanted to do something that seemed obscure and new to me.”

Jocelyn also echoed the importance of being teachable in the barn, noting, “You have to be open to learning new things, and you have to be willing to do hard work ... It’s very physically demanding work but it needs to be done, and it’s satisfying in the end.”

Jocelyn Erbele (Vanguard '23) with four members of the HoneyRock herd.

HoneyRock's miniature horses, Early and Charming, going for a walk.

Megan Merimonti (Vanguard '23) grooming a HoneyRock horse.

Vanguards in the Equestrian track working on a fencing project.

Becca Gamlin (Vanguard '23) leads a HoneyRock horse.

A Unique Opportunity

Even though Jocelyn doesn’t plan to pursue an equestrian-related career, she still finds value in working with horses during Vanguard: “This was an opportunity I didn’t think would be available to me in the future”.

Kenyan supports this thinking and explains that, “People who don’t ever intend on working in agriculture or with horses ask, “Why should I bother stepping into this?” If you are an emerging adult who doesn’t really know what you like, what you want to do, who you are, why you’re here, what’s going on—the more questions you have, the more I think the barn is a fit! We’re not expecting you to go work with horses the rest of your life. Some Vanguards do, but generally speaking, rather than finding what you love forever, you’re better able to clarify your strengths and weaknesses, because you get to practice such a wide variety of skills in the barn. People underestimate how much they can grow, just by stepping into a new experience that they’ll probably never have the opportunity to engage again.”

Students commit to this program, then we meet them where they are, and we’re going to help develop them from that point... -Melissa Hougas (Equestrian Program Manager)

Megan Merimonti (Vanguard '23) poses with a HoneyRock horse.

Three HoneyRock Horses enjoying a sunny afternoon.

Jocelyn Erbele (Vanguard '23) building a fence.

Melissa Hougas and Vanguards in the Equestrian Track repair the hay feeder.

Katie Rieger (Fellows '23) and Pepper (a member of the HoneyRock herd)

Learning from Horses

Students can start telling and understanding their own stories using the horses.

And the reward for engaging with this challenge—the lessons learned and experiences to be gained—is tremendous. “Horses teach you so much about leadership”, Melissa commented. “Just in something as simple as walking up to a horse, putting a halter on, attaching a lead rope and walking them somewhere, there are tons of leadership principles that you need to have. It [working with horses] is building confidence in knowing where you’re going and having a plan of how you want the horse to get there.”

These principles are applicable both to guiding horses and to leading others. Working with horses is tangible, direct practice in leading well, much of which is relational. Melissa elaborates on this idea, “Are you being a good leader, a kind leader, and opening that door in the direction you want to go so that the horse can willingly follow you? Or are you being more authoritative and the horse is a little more resistant to follow you, because you're being very harsh in your body language and in your motions and reactions to what the horse is doing?” These principles are related, if not identical, to those found in the effective leadership of people.

Are you being a good leader, a kind leader, and opening that door in the direction you want to go so that the horse can willingly follow you? -Melissa Hougas (Equestrian Program Manager)

In addition to leadership, horses also help people understand their relationship with God and others. “People often see themselves as the horse and God as the human or vice-versa,” Kenyan described, “and they’ll look at that relationship in a new way. That deepens their faith.” Furthermore, “people will often see themselves in the horse, and so they’ll see their actions in a new light, because they’ll find a horse that acts like them (or so they project).” Kenyan continued, explaining how she loves watching people learn by watching their horses, the students “learn about community and their relationships—they can kind of start telling their own story by using the horses.”

Challenge & Insight

The mission of the HoneyRock Equestrian Center is to share God through horses, and this is particularly clear in the Equestrian Track: Vanguards in the Barn are able to experience God through horses as they develop their riding, and share God’s story through horses as they teach others. Vanguards in the Equestrian Track learn to steward creation as they take care of horses, participating in the remarkable insight which horsemanship affords in our relationship with God and others. It is a rich and worthwhile experience; like many aspects of HoneyRock it is laden with purposeful challenge, and undoubtedly valuable.

“I hope more students will be brave”, Kenyan reflected, “and let themselves be challenged by it.”

Jocelyn Erbele (Vanguard '23) carrying a saddle and saddle blanket.

Up Next: Part III The Journeys Track

Keep an eye out for part three of our four-part story series on the Vanguard Tracks and how HoneyRock facilitates vocational discernment through work and community.