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4worldlovers:
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.


We are pleased to announce we have a Platinum Seal of Transparency on GuideStar.org



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.

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.

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.

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.

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.


"Those who teach us the most about humanity aren't always humans."

You Can Donate Directly to the Pony Express Location, just send a check to:

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.