For teens living with mental illness, their world can feel out of control at times. At other times it can be frustrating and isolating.

But a new program that brings teens together with rescue horses gives youth with mental health issues a new sense of empowerment and a bond with some special 鈥済entle giants.鈥�

On Monday, Rachelle Sall, 15, and Jonathan Pichette, 17, graduated from a six-week program at 91原创鈥檚 Healing Heart Sanctuary where the two teens, who have mental health issues, learned to lead horses.

鈥淚鈥檝e learned a lot about myself.

鈥淚 really learned how to control my emotions,鈥� said Pichette.

鈥淲hen I had to pick up a horse鈥檚 hoof I was really anxious about it, but I had to control my fear. I told the horse that I was anxious but I will do this.鈥�

He explained that the 鈥渕ore you accept your emotions, the more willing the horse is to work with you.鈥�

Later, he showed how he calmed Rio, by putting his hand where the horse鈥檚 heart is and putting a hand on his own heart at the same time.

Breathing deep breaths through the belly, a horse will synch up his breathing with the human and soon Rio鈥檚 head lowered, his eyelids drooped and his ears came forward. Pichette had relaxed the horse.

The Surrey teen has found the program so rewarding that he has began volunteering at the Aldergrove horse ranch.

Linda-Ann Bowling, Healing Heart Sanctuary owner and facilitator of the therapeutic horse program she calls 鈥榊outh with a Purpose 鈥� a New Kind of Horsepower,鈥� said horses are highly intuitive and react to the energy people give off.

鈥淗orses are sensitive animals and respond to people鈥檚 emotions, moods, and non-verbal language,鈥� said Bowling.  鈥淭hrough their work with the horses, youth learn healthy boundaries, responsibility, assertiveness and a variety of ways of interacting more positively with others.鈥�

The youth don鈥檛 actually ride the rescue horses, but form a leadership role with the large animals, bonding with them by grooming and taking them through obstacle courses.

The youth participating in the horse power program come from the Adolescent Day Treatment Centre in Surrey, which supports teens, aged 13 to 18, who are experiencing severe psychiatric difficulties such as psychotic, mood and anxiety disorders. They are also struggling with their academic, family, and social functioning.

Teens taking part come from 91原创, Delta, Surrey and White Rock and attend the program four days a week for six months.

As the expression goes, 鈥測ou can lead a horse to water but you can鈥檛 make him drink.鈥�

The teens may have been led to this program but they are lapping up the time with the 鈥済entle giants,鈥� said Sall.

Out of the six horses she worked with in the program, she bonded with the only female horse, Genevieve.

Sall, who is shy herself, bonded with the most confident and difficult horse in the group.

鈥淚f you aren鈥檛 the clear leader, she won鈥檛 go with you,鈥� said Bowling. 鈥淪he is more than happy to give you horse hugs, but won鈥檛 move an inch if she sense any skepticism.鈥�

Sall said Genevieve has given her a confidence she didn鈥檛 have before. The huge, beautiful mare has forced her to be a leader and the reward is the trust the animal has placed in the Surrey teen. Sall has been able to walk Genevieve through an obstacle course and over a bridge, something many horses are reluctant to do.

The centre鈥檚 youth care worker Kristine Bateman has already seen the benefits of the program.

鈥淚t鈥檚 nice for them to step outside of themselves for a while. The skills they are learning here are in the moment decision making. They are problem solving on the spot and learning that it鈥檚 OK to ask for help,鈥� said Bateman. 鈥淏y the time these teens get to us (at the centre), they have been struggling for a while.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e spent a lot of time avoiding things like school. This is giving them life lessons about perseverance.鈥�

Leading a horse is no easy task. As Bowling explained, horses are constantly testing your leadership.

Giving up would be an easy out for anyone and a defense mechanism for these kids, said Bateman. But she鈥檚 heard the kids say: 鈥溾�業f I can get a horse to move and walk over a bridge, then I can finish this math question,鈥� or whatever task they found difficult before.鈥�

Bowling has been inspired by the teens鈥� willingness to learn.

鈥淲e think it has gone amazing,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat we saw was kids problem solving in the moment.鈥�

When the teens join the program, the horses don鈥檛 see them as youth, she explains.

鈥淲e form a collective herd. We aren鈥檛 kids, staff and horses. And if you don鈥檛 lead a horse, they will pull you along.鈥�

The program is work for the horses, too.

Just like humans, they have off days and they are 鈥渃hallenged by choice鈥� not by force, just like the youth in this program. If they aren鈥檛 feeling up to it that day, they don鈥檛 have to participate.

This is the first time time Fraser Health has partnered with Healing Heart Sanctuary.

A total of $15,000 in funding from three donors to the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation has allowed the centre鈥檚 teens to take part in the Horse Power program.

Thanks to this funding there will be a summer and fall session as well.

And the demand is certainly there, because one in five children will experience a mental health challenge, according to Dr. Karen Tee, manager of Fraser Health鈥檚 youth and young adult mental health services.

To learn more about Healing Hearts Sanctuary go to unbridlingyourbrillance.com.