Bella Terra’s Equine Adventure
program provides experiential programming with miniature
horses for individuals of all ages and abilities.
Bella Terra is a
nonprofit organization with the mission to empower
individuals facing life challenges by providing quality
therapeutic, personal growth, and educational opportunities
utilizing experiential programming with horses. Over the
past three years, Bella Terra
have served over 650 clients, most have been individuals
facing significant life challenges with a learning process
that provides new perspectives and tools to address
individual challenges. The focus of the experience with
horses is to examine personal strengths and build
confidence. This enables individuals to chart a new course
to fulfilling their potential.
Bella Terra offers both group workshops and individual
sessions in southwest Michigan as well as across the
country. Their clients have an enjoyable experience while
developing communication, problem solving, and leadership
skills. The experience targets each person’s unique
communication and behavioral style while building confidence
and self-esteem. The result is a clearer understanding of
one’s personal effectiveness and approach to achieving
goals.
The cofounders, Todd and Kim Shook, utilize their
professional career experience and horse knowledge to
facilitate inspirational programming. Kim Shook brings her
executive management experience to their team building and
leadership development program. Todd Shook’s career in
human services as a Registered/Psychiatric Nurse and a
Wellness Specialist at Bronson Hospital is an integral part
of facilitating powerful personal growth. Both Todd and Kim
Shook are certified by EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth and
Learning Association –
www.eagala.org) to facilitate personal and
professional development through the use of equine. The
Bella Terra miniature horses are gifted teachers that aid
people in better understanding themselves and how they
approach challenges.
For businesses, Bella Terra provides team building and
leadership development workshops on a fee-for-service basis
to fund their mission. They have worked with CEO’s,
business teams, local governments, and nonprofit
organizations. Interacting with horses illuminates what is
happening everyday in the work environment, specifically how
the team relates to achieve goals. The workshops provide an
opportunity to develop new approaches that increase team
effectiveness, leading to improved success, productivity,
and personal job satisfaction.
In pursuit of their mission, Bella Terra applies this
approach to assist individuals facing difficult life
challenges in making personal changes that lead to greater
happiness and life joy. They raise funds to provide this
programming to those in need. They work with at-risk youth
to facilitate life skills and leadership development. They
provide an action-based approach for individuals to develop
tools to sustain sobriety; better manage ADD/ADHD, emotional
disorders, developmental challenges, illness and disease;
and heal grief and trauma. They have worked extensively
with local youth organizations as well as homeless, domestic
violence and sexual abuse shelters.
Because this program
uses horses, many quickly link it to therapeutic horseback
riding. Although similar in results, it differs in that it
is not riding and not focused on horsemanship
skills. The experience takes place on the ground doing goal
oriented activities with horses. Activities such as
grooming, obstacle courses, lunging, and many group
activities make up the Equine Adventure experience.
Participants learn about horse safety and natural horse
communication as tools to use during the activities. The
focus is not on the right or wrong way of doing things with
the horses but rather the effectiveness of their approach.
The pillar of the Bella Terra program is an experience of
non-judgment and acceptance. 
This coupled with the interaction and bonding with horses
sets this program apart from other methods of personal and
professional development. This connection with horses
empowers change and heals the human spirit.
For more information or to support this organization, please
contact Bella Terra (www.bellaterrainc.org).
