Check out the miniature equine learning center in Cerrillos

Horses are great teachers for children at My Little Horse Listener.

As soon as Mateo recently stepped out of the white Escalade that rolled to a stop at the nonprofit’s ranch deep in the sweeping hills of Cerrillos, the 3-year-old boy unfurled his guiding cane and ran as fast as his little legs could carry him — right toward four miniature equines.

The equines — two miniature horses (Thor, 12 and Hot Dog, 11), one donkey (Serafina, 8) and one mule (Melly, 6) — are accustomed to people of all kinds coming by to pet them or feed them a handful of hay. The animals frequently receive visits and know how to navigate the needs of people with autism, the wheelchair-bound, the neurodivergent and others.

“We use the horses as role models for the children,” said Liz Delfs, founder of My Little Horse Listener. “The program teaches children how to learn from the horses. They teach the kids to understand consent, how to have respect for the horse and gentleness and equality.”

Founded in 2016, the nonprofit focuses on providing children with a safe learning environment where they can interact with small equines. In the beginning, the nonprofit was designed as a reading program. Over time, it has developed various programs to help young people, including domestic violence recovery, equine community intervention support, parental reunification with children and parents experiencing substance abuse. In the nonprofit’s eight years, more than 1,000 people have visited to bond and grow with equines.

Take a look into NMSBVI Sensory Adventure at My Little Horse Listener

“Horses and kids get along because horses don’t look at people with their eyes, they look at people with their hearts, their nervous systems,” Delfs said. “For kids who feel like they’re different and don’t fit in, our horses are different, too, and they won’t judge you for who you are. If you’re different, that’s OK.”

On Tuesday, the equines’ jobs were simple: help the preschoolers from the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NMSBVI) experience ranch animals for the first time as part of the students’ learning segment.

Navi Madrugada, teacher at NMSBVI, said once she learned about the ranch, she knew it would be a perfect place for the class’ next field trip.

“I thought this would be a great hands-on experience since the children are learning about farms and farm animals right now,” she said. “We do a lot of play-based sensory learning, and this gives them real life experience in a quiet and personal way — and allows them to learn about the environment and feel different textures.”

Students were able to spend time with the small equines, learning how to brush them and properly pet them. The animals, though patient, were able to establish boundaries with the children when they were not pleased with handling. The children were amused with gently stroking the tops of each animal’s head and squealed with delight when an equine would sneeze, causing a flurry of hay to fly into the air.

“I had fun,” said 4-year-old Iyo. “The horses were really soft, and I liked petting them.”

When the children weren’t busy giving love to the equines, they were exploring the 40-acre ranch. The space offered a sensory garden for children to play and feel a variety of textures, a book nook where they could rest and read, and a picnic area to rest and enjoy lunch, complete with a braille sign to help guide the children. At the end of the day, the horses and children were equally tired, and the children were buzzing with excitement about the experience.

Delfs hopes to continue providing children with the opportunity to experience equines for the first time.

“There are wonderful things like in the world and if we reach out, our lives will be that much richer,” Delfs said. “The experience of bonding with a horse is something you remember for the rest of your life. You’ll never forget the connection you made with a horse.”