The affective pedagogies of horse-human interventions: a more-than-human perspective on equine assisted learning with marginalised young people
Published 3rd June 2024
Abstract
This article offers a more-than-human perspective on an equine assisted learning programme undertaken by marginalised young people attending a flexi-school in Australia.
In contrast with therapist led equine programmes, our research examined horse assisted activities as a site of embodied learning. Paying attention to the affective dimension of horse-human relationality we explored how student and teacher narratives articulated learning in terms of affective pedagogies (being moved to learn differently). We discuss the theory-method tensions that arose through our shift from a mixed methods humanist design to a more-than-human analysis. Questioning the limitations of traditional humanist theories of attachment and individualised agency, we trace the agentic capacities afforded by the horse-human learning assemblage involving horses, volunteer coaches, young people, teachers, yards, grooming tools, etc.
This article contributes to explorations of more-than-human learning at the intersection of embodied movement, therapeutic interventions and informal education.
Citation
Fullagar, S., Norwood, M., Lakhani, A., Annick Maujean, Downes, M., Byrne, J., & Kendall, E. (2024). The affective pedagogies of horse-human interventions: a more-than-human perspective on equine assisted learning with marginalised young people. Sport Education and Society, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2024.2358173
Authors
Professor and Director
Research Fellow
