Breaking Barriers: How Horses Helped Sudanese-Australian Youth Reconnect with Confidence and Purpose

Sudanese youth with lived experience in the justice system, engaged in learning during an equine-facilitated skills development program in Little River, Victoria.

---

When we talk about employability, we often think of résumés, interviews and training courses. But for young people who’ve faced real barriers to opportunity, the first step is belief.

Belief that they belong.

Belief that they can lead themselves forward.

EQ Leaders recently partnered with Australia’s National Tutoring Services (ANTS) to deliver a Self-Leadership Intensive for Sudanese-Australian youth aged 16 to 25. Every participant had lived experience with the justice system.

Learning through experience

The program took place in nature at our stunning Little River location just outside of Melbourne, Victoria, where horses became the teachers. Each simulation with the horses reflected real-life scenarios: allowing participants to practice in real-time building trust, communicating clearly and persevering when things didn’t go to plan.

Through guided reflection and group discussions, participants explored how their reactions, emotions and choices influenced their outcomes.

“The way I kept trying with the horse and not giving up made me proud of myself.”

Youth participants engage in both 1-on-1 and group activities with the horses, developing deep personal insights into their personal beliefs, assumptions, values and behaviours in working with others.

The results

The shifts were powerful and measurable.

• 100% of participants reported stronger self-awareness and confidence.

• 83% showed improvement in decision-making and resilience.

• 50% demonstrated measurable growth across five or more key employability behaviours such as emotional regulation, problem solving and teamwork.

• Two participants improved across all eight areas measured.

• Two participants have sustained long-term employment since program completion.

  
  

These changes weren’t the result of theory or lectures. They came from real experiences that required presence, patience and self-leadership.

“When I’m at a crossroads or dead end, I need to take my time and not get frustrated.”

Why it matters

Each of these young people left the program with a renewed sense of purpose and belief in what’s possible. For many, it was the first time they had been recognised for their potential rather than their past.

Many had spent years being defined by systems of judgement, whether through the justice system, school, or cultural misunderstanding. In those environments, every misstep is noticed, labelled or punished. It can make change feel risky.

The horses provided something entirely different: psychological and social safety. In their presence, there is no judgement and no hierarchy. Horses respond only to what is real in the moment — intention, energy and consistency. When a young person changes their approach, the horse’s feedback changes instantly.

That feedback loop allows participants to safely experiment with new behaviours such as patience, calmness and communication without fear of failure or rejection. In doing so, they begin to reprogram deeply learned patterns of defensiveness, withdrawal or frustration, replacing them with confidence, awareness and self-control.

This program shows what is possible when social enterprises and community organisations work together to create safe learning environments where people can reconnect with their strengths and rebuild their futures.

We believe leadership development is not about titles. It is about creating space for every person to discover who they are, practise new ways of being and believe in what they can become.

If you work with a group facing real barriers to employment, we’d love to explore how we can support your community through this kind of transformational learning experience.