LITTLE HOOVES: ECE

Little Hooves
A Pony & Me Wellbeing Program

Little Hooves Pathway

Little Hooves sessions invite children to explore wellbeing, regulation and connection through playful, pony-inspired learning experiences within their early childhood learning environment.

Rather than interacting with a pony directly, the program draws on the relational qualities we observe in ponies — calm awareness, sensitivity to body language and gentle communication — and translates these into meaningful experiences for young children.

Each session offers opportunities for children to slow down, notice their bodies and practise respectful connection with themselves and others.

Little Hooves sessions may include experiences such as:

exploring pony-inspired stories, visuals and learning invitations
practising breathing, rhythm and grounding strategies
noticing body cues and learning ways to return to calm
observing pony behaviour through images, videos and discussion
reflecting on qualities such as patience, awareness and gentle communication
participating in small group cooperation and relationship-building experiences
engaging in creative, sensory and movement activities inspired by pony themes

These experiences help children to develop:

Self-regulation
Focus and attention
Body awareness
Confidence and responsibility
Social cooperation and turn-taking

Little Hooves recognises that children learn deeply through relationships with educators, peers and their learning environment. By drawing on pony-inspired concepts and experiences, the pathway creates opportunities for children to strengthen wellbeing skills in ways that feel safe, engaging and developmentally appropriate.

The program supports early childhood services in nurturing children's social and emotional development while aligning with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guidelines (QKLG) and Kindy Uplift wellbeing and social–emotional learning priorities.

Curriculum Alignment

Little Hooves has been developed in reference to key Australian educational frameworks to support meaningful integration within early learning settings.

The program aligns with:

Early Years Learning Framework 2.0 — particularly Outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4, supporting children’s identity, wellbeing, agency and emotional development.

Queensland Kindergarten Learning Guideline (2024) — across the learning and development areas of Identity, Connectedness, Wellbeing, Active Learning and Communicating.

Australian Curriculum (V9.0) — in reference to the General Capabilities, particularly Personal and Social Capability.

The Little Hooves also supports Kindy Uplift priority areas, including social-emotional development, wellbeing and inclusion.

WHY EARLY CHILDHOOD SERVICES CHOOSE LITTLE HOOVES

Little Hooves offers early childhood services a gentle, engaging and developmentally appropriate pathway for supporting children's wellbeing and emotional development.

The program is designed to complement existing early childhood practices while providing educators with meaningful experiences that help children build the foundations for regulation, confidence and positive relationships.

Early learning services value Little Hooves because it:

supports children’s emerging self-regulation and emotional awareness
encourages cooperation, empathy and respectful relationships
provides engaging, pony-inspired learning experiences children connect with easily
complements existing social and emotional learning practices within the service
aligns with EYLF, QKLG and Kindy Uplift wellbeing priorities
offers flexible delivery options to suit the needs of each learning community

Through the calm, reflective qualities inspired by ponies, Little Hooves helps children develop the skills to notice their feelings, find their steady and build positive connections with others.

A PONY-INSPIRED, NON-RIDDEN PROGRAM

Little Hooves is a non-ridden, pony-inspired wellbeing program.

The focus is not on learning to ride or interacting with a pony directly. Instead, the program draws on the qualities we observe in ponies — calm awareness, responsiveness and gentle communication — as inspiration for learning experiences.

Through stories, visuals, discussion and playful learning invitations, children explore emotional awareness, regulation and connection in ways that are developmentally appropriate for early childhood settings.

All experiences take place within the early childhood learning environment, allowing educators and children to engage with the concepts in familiar and supportive spaces.

GUIDED BY THE EQUICHILD FRAMEWORK

Little Hooves is guided by the Equichild Framework, a relationship-based approach that brings together:

strengths-based practice
trauma-informed care
child-centred learning
relational safety
early childhood developmental understanding

This approach ensures each learning experience is intentional, supportive and responsive to children’s wellbeing and development.

PROGRAM OPTIONS

Early childhood services can choose the delivery option that best suits their program:

One-off experience – a single wellbeing session introducing pony-inspired regulation concepts: 45 minutes in length
5-week series – a short pathway exploring key wellbeing and connection themes: 45 minutes per session
10-week program – a deeper learning journey supporting children to practise and embed regulation skills over time: 45 minutes per session

Little Hooves is designed for children aged 3–6 years and delivered within the early childhood learning environment.

DELIVERY WITHIN YOUR SERVICE

Little Hooves sessions are delivered within the early childhood learning environment, allowing children to explore the concepts in familiar and supportive spaces.

Sessions are designed to integrate smoothly with the rhythms of early childhood programs and can be adapted to suit the needs of each learning community.

Group sizes are kept appropriate for engagement and participation, with a recommended maximum of 22 children per session.

Services may choose to run multiple sessions on the same day if more than one group would like to participate.

WHY PONIES INSPIRE LITTLE HOOVES

Ponies are widely recognised for their calm presence, gentle awareness and sensitivity to body language.

These qualities offer powerful inspiration when supporting young children to develop emotional awareness, self-regulation and respectful connection.

Within the Little Hooves pathway, the relational qualities we observe in ponies — calmness, attentiveness, patience and clear communication — become the foundation for learning experiences that help children notice their bodies, understand their feelings and connect with others.

Through pony-inspired concepts and learning invitations, children explore ideas such as:

calm breathing and body awareness
respectful communication
patience and turn-taking
responsibility and care
confidence when trying new experiences

Pony-inspired learning also invites children to slow down and notice what is happening within themselves and around them. In busy learning environments, these gentle moments of reflection can support children to practise regulation, focus and emotional awareness.

Within Little Hooves, these ideas are explored intentionally through stories, discussion and playful learning experiences that support children’s social and emotional development.

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
ABOUT BRINGING LITTLE HOOVES TO YOUR SERVICE

Servicing the South Burnett, Gympie and Toowoomba regions.

Submitting an Expression of Interest allows us to begin the conversation about bringing Little Hooves to your service.

Once your form has been received, we will be in touch to discuss your service’s needs, possible program options and available dates. This step helps ensure the experience is thoughtfully planned and suitable for your learning community.

Please note that submitting an Expression of Interest does not confirm a booking. Session availability will depend on scheduling, staff availability and travel considerations.

As we work across a number of regions, there may be times when we are unable to travel to certain locations on the requested days. If this occurs, we will always do our best to explore alternative dates or options with your service.

Our aim is to work collaboratively with you to find a time that allows Little Hooves to be delivered in a way that is calm, well-prepared and meaningful for the children.

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Little Hooves A Pony & Me Wellbeing Program