The rolling landscape near Fennville is dotted with fields, orchards, and vineyards. Just outside this small town, nestled among rows of grape vines, you’ll find the Red Horse Center for Collaborative Learning. On this small and unassuming farm, wonders are worked through a partnership with horses.
The team at Red Horse is focusing on providing mental health services, community support, as well as personal and professional development. The herd is a term you’ll hear often at Red Horse. It reflects not just the horses on the farm (Juniper, Prince, Sydney, Maya, Freya, Gus, and Clara) but the dedicated staff, which includes Fred Bueltmann (executive director / group facilitator), Ulla Fredriksen (psychologist, group facilitator), Jenny Atlee (horse professional, group facilitator), Tom Loudon (board member), Abena O. Apea (board member, giving team), Ruth (Teji) Dilley (social worker, yoga / massage therapist) and many other volunteers.
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Chuck Marshall The arena is used for gatherings and meetings.During our visit to Red Horse, we talked with Fred, Ulla, and Jenny about their work with Fennville schools. They established a suite of youth-based programs, which they called “Horses Empowering Youth.” One of these programs is called “Herd Leadership.” The idea is to develop leadership skills where the horses and “the herd” become a model for collaborative, kind, consent driven communications.
These programs are school-connected activities coordinated with Allison Cox (mental health professional) of the Fennville Public Schools. The students engaging in this work include middle school and high school students who come to the farm either after school or as part of their school day.
This partnership between Red Horse and Fennville Schools was put to the test in January 2023 after a murder-suicide claimed the lives of two Fennville students.
"They (students) were just coming back to classes after the winter break (when the tragedy occurred). Long story short is, we were really grateful that the relationship with the school had started. It felt like it made the difficult call a little bit easier. They picked up the phone and said, "We could use your help, and we showed up.” Fred Bueltmann, the executive director, recalled.
Ulla Frederickson, the psychologist and group facilitator, explained that the school district had a critical incident debriefing team, but their involvement only lasted for a couple of days. Fredrickson noted “it was very clear that there was a lot more (needed).”
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Chuck MarshallIn response, the Red Horse team, working with Fennville Public Schools, created bi-weekly support groups for staff and students. This support group was open to everyone, not just the immediate circle of friends who knew the victims. The Red Horse team found that the need for support was pervasive.
“There was circle after circle of kids who wanted to talk because this touched something in their lives that was similar that they had not been able to talk about,” Ulla Frederiksen said.
The collaboration between Red Horse and Fennville Public Schools has impacted many students and given them the opportunity to process grief, explore leadership, and share their stories; all while engaging in art activities and interactions with horses. About 40 students about 25 faculty members were able to attend this academic year.
“Our partnership with Red Horse has impacted not only students but staff as well,” Allison Cox said. “Our visits to Red Horse provide individuals with a safe, therapeutic experience centered around healing and self-development.”
Trust and empathy are keys to fostering psychological safety. Cultivating a culture of trust requires an ability to recognize and relate to the emotional states of those around you. Empathetic leadership is particularly acute when organizations are facing crises and uncertainty. This is where the horses come into play.
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Chuck MarshallThe herd includes Freya and Maya.
Horses are extremely empathic and sensitive due to being a prey species. This sensitivity allows the horse to be a role model in terms of developing emotional awareness and a deeper understanding of non-verbal communication. Being with horses allows people to become part of a truly attuned relationship while building their communication and coping skills.
At Red Horse Center, the horses are true partners with their human counterparts, which is somewhat unique in the equine-therapy realm. Typically, horses “work” with humans in a subservient role, either being ridden or otherwise harnessed and led by their caretakers. At Red Horse, the horses live as a herd and are accustomed to grazing, communicating, and making decisions for themselves or working “at liberty” in a highly collaborative way.
While they communicate and respond to queues and requests from their human partners, the horses are free to be, for lack of a better term, horses. Their client-based work is non-riding, and the horses and humans have an abundance of choice in terms of how they interact. Using their highly tuned natures, horses act as guides to facilitate a greater depth of verbal and non-verbal communication.
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Chuck MarshallWhen comparing traditional therapies and development courses with equine therapy, "having an interaction with another living being (a horse) who is nonjudgmental and finely tuned in terms of social connection and herd dynamics, relational dynamics, and nonverbal communication can be a huge contrast to talk therapy or coaching. In many traditional settings, clients may be directed towards what they 'should be' doing, Fred Bueltmann said.
"Working with horses is a completely different experience and mindset," he added. "It is a process that encourages new ways of looking at things, and space to self-reflect on what to do with those new perspectives. Despite being around a long time, and a proven approach, it feels remarkably innovative, perhaps because for the person receiving the services, it can be a ray of sunshine compared to other services that aren't working for them.”
In addition to therapy and development services, Red Horse Center provides a monthly herd meditation that is open (and free) to the community. On the first Friday of each month, people can gather for a short introduction followed by a brief meditative exercise and then some time with the horses.
“People come, and we gather up here in the arena (at Red Horse Center),” Jenny Atlee, a horse professional, group facilitator, said. “The horses are up in this space (the arena). There are panels in between us (people and the horses) when we start out, and we make a circle; we do introductions. A lot of times the first question in the introduction is a question to facilitate connectivity. And what we have found is if we ask people to just share their name and maybe a memory, an experience of spring, for example.
"That’s their quick introduction. But immediately, they're connecting into their sensory memory. Oh, I remember the smell and this and that. So, it's very mindful in the way that we do that, even that first introduction, to foster connectivity to both to self and to others in the circle. And then we have a guided meditation that's seated in the chairs (motioning to the chairs in the arena) just to let everything settle, get still, and connect to our body and what's here and now in this moment."
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Chuck Marshall The herd also includes Prince.And the participants go into the space with the horses in a walking meditation out in their space. Without any words. When they get back into the circle, about an hour into a process with no words at all, "there are these big and amazing stories of what people have experienced," she said.
A few moments in the presence of the peaceful and majestic horses at Red Center can make all the difference in the world. It’s clear that this unique partnership between humans and horses is more than a therapeutic approach—it’s a transformative journey. Through the empathic and intuitive nature of the horses, individuals find a safe space to heal, grow, and connect on a deeper level.
The Red Horse Center in Fennville is a testament to the power of collaboration, compassion, and community, offering a beacon of hope and healing for those in need. Whether it’s through the support programs for Fennville schools, the therapeutic interactions, the meditative experiences, or helping develop collaborative workplace culture, Red Horse is redefining the boundaries of mental health care, personal wellness and professional development.
To use their words, it truly is
Peaceful Space for Powerful Work.
Brenda and Chuck Marshall have been chronicling the beauty and culture of Michigan for over ten years. Their stories, filled with local insights and experiences, are published on LifeInMichigan.com. In addition to his writing, Chuck is passionate about photography and has become a prominent documenter of Michigan's vibrant music and craft beer scenes. Together, they promote Michigan one story at a time.