Donkey Assisted Learning
Fun. Hands‑on. Eye‑opening.
A self‑development experience where donkeys become your teachers. Our Donkey‑Assisted Learning programs are playful, confidence‑building sessions that blend personal growth with the joy of working directly with donkeys. You’ll groom them, lead them through obstacle challenges, and learn how to communicate clearly, all without needing any prior horse or donkeyexperience. (And no riding. Ever.) These sessions are designed to help you slow down, tune in, and discover what donkeys naturally teach us: clear communication, self- awareness, presence, emotional regulation, thoughtful decision‑making and more. And here’s what makes this learning so powerful. A donkey responds uniquely to you, thereby offering insights tailored specifically to you. It’s like a custom‑made class designed around your communication style, your energy, and your personal growth needs.
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What Is Donkey‑Assisted Experiential Learning (DAEL)? DAEL is a structured, learner‑centered program where donkeys actively participate in your learning process. It’s not therapy and not riding lessons, it’s a powerful, hands‑on approach to personal development. A certified facilitator guides you through each activity, helping you interpret the donkeys’ responses and apply those lessons to everyday life.
Why Donkeys? Research shows that donkeys are exceptional partners for experiential learning because they are: • Curious, social, and genuinely interested in connecting with us. • Highly attuned to human emotions. • Less reactive and excellent models of thoughtful decision‑making. • Perceived as less intimidating than horses. • Naturally calm, steady, observant, and relational. • Quick to reset, making them ideal for teaching emotional regulation. • Outstanding partners for trauma‑informed learning.
What You’ll Experience Learn how donkeys communicate and how to work safely and respectfully with them. • Practice grooming, a calming, grounding ritual that builds trust. • Lead donkeys through obstacle courses. • Receive real‑time, non‑judgmental feedback from the donkeys themselves. • Discover insights about your communication style, emotional patterns, and mindset. • Practice making changes and experiencing the impact in real-time. • Reflect on how these insights can be applied in your daily life. • Gain useful tools to carry into everyday interactions long after leaving the paddock. • Enjoy a positive, supportive environment designed for growth and meeting like-minded people.
Participants often find themselves: •Letting go. Relaxing into the moment, releasing stress, and experiencing a sense of calm that’s hard to find in daily life. •Becoming self-aware. Noticing subtle communication habits and emotional patterns that shape relationships at home, at work, and everywhere in between. •Finding insight. Uncovering personal “aha moments” that spark meaningful shifts and inspire real‑world change. •Feeling uplifted. Connecting with donkeys in a way that’s playful, heartwarming, and genuinely fun.
A donkey’s gentle presence and honest feedback make every session meaningful, memorable, and surprisingly fun.
Our Donkey-assisted Experiential Learning Programs include the Self Full Journey and Grounded Response Resilience Learning.
About the Program Director
Laurie Lowe
Laurie Lowe, PharmD, RPh has more than 15 years of experience in corporate learning and development, facilitation, leader coaching, and Medical Affairs Field Excellence. Laurie has led capabilities development workshops globally. She combines her professional expertise with her connection to equine which deepened when she adopted a miniature donkey that wandered into her yard. Two years after his adoption, she co-founded Minis With A Mission, an all-volunteer 501C3, currently serving the Boston North Shore, and soon earned certification as a facilitator in Equine Assisted Learning through The Equine Connection. She now partners with four donkey teachers. Together they create powerful experiences inspired by solution-focused thinking, outcomes-based curricula, and the gentle wisdom of donkeys.
