About Wild Daisy Equine Journey
At Wild Daisy Equine Journey, we believe meaningful connection, personal growth, and emotional support can begin in the presence of horses. Our sessions are designed to provide a calm, welcoming, and supportive environment where individuals, couples, families, and groups can slow down, reconnect, build confidence, and experience personal growth through equine-assisted learning.
Whether someone is navigating stress, life changes, relationship challenges, personal development, or simply looking for a unique and meaningful experience, horses offer opportunities for connection, reflection, communication, and growth in ways that are often deeply impactful and memorable.
What is Equine-Assisted Learning?
Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL) is an interactive, ground-based experience that incorporates horses into activities focused on communication, emotional awareness, confidence-building, teamwork, leadership, mindfulness, and personal growth. No horseback riding experience is required.
Horses are naturally intuitive animals that respond honestly and authentically to human behavior and emotion. Through guided interactions and activities with horses, participants may gain greater self-awareness, develop coping and communication skills, strengthen relationships, and build confidence in a supportive environment.
Sessions at Wild Daisy Equine Journey are designed to be welcoming, beginner-friendly, and accessible for participants of many ages, backgrounds, and life experiences.
Is this for me?
Equine-assisted learning offers opportunities for connection, personal growth, confidence-building, and emotional support in a calm and welcoming environment. Sessions may benefit individuals, families, and groups from many different backgrounds and life experiences. While every participant's journey is unique, the following are some of the areas where equine-assisted learning experiences may provide support and encouragement.
Why Horses?
Horses are highly intuitive animals that naturally respond to human behavior, body language, energy, and emotion. Because of this, interactions with horses can encourage mindfulness, self-awareness, communication, patience, trust, and emotional connection in ways that feel genuine and immediate.
Many participants find that being around horses creates a calming environment that encourages presence, reflection, confidence-building, and authentic connection. The horse-human relationship often provides unique opportunities for learning, emotional growth, and meaningful experiences that can extend beyond the session itself.
Research & Evidence
Research on equine-assisted services has shown promising outcomes related to emotional regulation, communication skills, trauma support, and personal growth in a variety of populations, including youth, veterans, and individuals experiencing stress-related challenges. While every participant's experience is unique, ongoing research continues to explore the meaningful connection between humans and horses in supportive learning environments.
Examples of published research include:
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Earles, J. L., Vernon, L. L., & Yetz, J. P. (2015). Equine-assisted therapy for anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Journal of Traumatic Stress Disorders & Treatment.
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Johnson, R. A., Albright, D. L., Marzolf, J. R., et al. (2018). Effects of therapeutic horseback riding on post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans. Military Medical Research.
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Pendry, P., Carr, A. M., Smith, A. N., & Roeter, S. M. (2020). Improving adolescent social competence and behavior through equine-assisted learning. Frontiers in Public Health.
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Tan, V. X., Simmonds, J. G., & Dyer, A. (2018). Equine-assisted interventions for youth with mental health and behavioral challenges: A systematic review.
Wild Daisy Equine Journey provides equine-assisted learning experiences and is not a substitute for medical, psychological, or mental health treatment.
About the Founder
Known for her warm and compassionate nature, Kristen is someone people naturally feel comfortable with. She has a gift for making connections, offering support, and creating a safe space where others feel seen and heard. Her children are her world, and her servant-hearted approach to both family and work reflects her deep commitment to helping others with empathy, understanding, and genuine care.
More than 22 years ago, Kristen founded and facilitated an equine-assisted psycho-therapy program at Boys & Girls Homes of North Carolina in Lake Waccamaw, where she worked closely with disadvantaged youth and staff members to support emotional growth, trust-building, confidence, teamwork, and personal development. This experience deepened her belief in the powerful impact horses can have in helping individuals heal, grow, and connect.
After a long and successful nursing career, Kristen has decided to follow her lifelong passion and combine her healthcare background with her love of horses. Through Wild Daisy Equine Journey, she is proud to bring Wilmington and surrounding communities a program designed to support personal growth, healing, and meaningful connection for individuals, families, and the community.
An article written about Kristen Smith, RN's equine-assisted psycho-therapy program in Lake Waccamaw, NC.
Kristen Smith, RN
The founder and lead facilitator of Wild Daisy Equine Journey, is a mother of five, a Registered Nurse with over 28 years of experience, and a Certified Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator with a lifelong love for horses. Having been around horses since childhood, she has always been drawn to the connection, trust, and healing they can provide. Her passion for helping others has guided both her nursing career and her work with horses, allowing her to build meaningful relationships with people from all walks of life.
Kristen Smith, RN re-certified in 2024 as an Equine Assisted Learning Facilitator.
Connect With Us
We are proud to serve Wilmington and surrounding communities through meaningful equine-assisted learning experiences designed to encourage connection, confidence, growth, and support.
If you would like to learn more about sessions, ask questions, or explore whether Wild Daisy Equine Journey may be a good fit for you, your family, or your group, we would love to hear from you.