In the Company of Horses: Using Equine Assisted Learning to Cultivate Noncognitive Competencies and Academic Persistence Among First-Year Students

Traditional predictors of academic success, such as high school GPA and standardized test scores, offer an incomplete picture of student potential. Increasing evidence highlights the importance of noncognitive skills such as self-direction in learning, emotional intelligence, and growth mindset in supporting academic persistence and overall well-being. In this article, we introduce the Students Together Reaching Individual Developmental and Educational Success (STRIDES) program, an innovative equine-assisted learning (EAL) model designed to foreground these abilities in first-year students. Unlike traditional classroom settings, STRIDES engages students in relational, experiential learning with horses, who as nonverbal, prey animals are highly attuned partners responding to authenticity, consistency, and trust. Through guided activities and structured reflectiion, students cultivate self-awareness and noncognitive abilities, translating these relational insights into academic and personal growth. Grounded in adult learning theory and a pedagogy of partnership, the program reframes learning as an inherently relational process that values presence over performance and connection over compliance. Findings and reflections from STRIDES invite educators and policymakers to reimagine student success frameworks—recognizing noncognitive development not as peripheral “soft skills,” but as foundational to learning, belonging, and transformation in higher education.