Cowboy hats, lassos and giant pictures of John Wayne might appear somewhat out of place in a regular classroom, but in Susan Bovinette’s summer school program, Horsing Around, it all comes with the territory.

And the best part?

Bovinette gets to have loads of fun with her students in an atmosphere where they might not even realize they’re learning.

“[My class] is anything and everything to do with horses,” Bovinette explained.

“When I was a little girl, I loved horses. I’ve always wanted to teach something like this, with a focus on horses.”

Bovinette explained that there are plenty of educational and extracurricular activities that can be done that tie into man’s four-legged, whinnying friends.

“We’ve made boots out of paper and laced them, we’re decorating horseshoes and doing all sorts of other horse-related crafts,” Bovinette said.

“We’ve put together horse puzzles, painted horses and learned about legends like John Wayne and Mr. Ed.”

Bovinette showed off how horses could be tied into other activities that challenge students’ word skills, math skills, comprehension, etc.

They might be given a sentence, like “the Lone Ranger wore a mask” and be asked to draw it. Or they might receive a collection of horse-related words, like “trot,” “gallop” and “mane,” and be asked to alphabetize them.

“These are things I don’t have time to teach during the regular school year. Curriculum-wise, it might not fit in with what I regularly teach in second grade.”

Bovinette said everything from horse anatomy, to horse-related reading and even some patriotic activities are covered in her summer school course.

“It’s summer school, and the kids don’t want to just sit around and do boring stuff,” Bovinette said.

“So ‘Horsing Around’ is a good title. They know it’s going to be fun.”

Each day, the Horsing Around students take part in two main activities. There are the “procedures” that must be done every day, including singing songs and completing activities like reciting the “I am special” mantra.

After that, students also get to take part in “stations,” crafted educational activities that the students may take on at their own pace.

Students get paid Cow Bucks for completing activities, which they can spend every Thursday on special prizes.

“That helps them with their adding and subtracting,” Bovinette said.

“It also educates them on spending and saving.”

One student, Sebastian, was up to 65 Cow Bucks saved. He said he was hoping to purchase some Pokemon cards with his earnings. Thomas Miller-Culler said he was also saving his Cow Bucks and eagerly showed off the wallet he had made during class to store his funds.

While it’s clear that the students enjoy this kind of change of pace from their regular class schedule, Bovinette said it’s a delight for her, too.

“I find that if you do something you really like and have an interest in, it’s not work,” she said.

“When I come here, I think ‘oh, I get to play today.’ Yes, the playing is learning, but it doesn’t feel like work.”

Bovinette said she also counts herself as the luckiest grandma in the world, as five of her grandchildren are attending Horsing Around and she gets to see them all on a daily basis.

Whether it be her grandkids or any of her other students, though, she said her goals for the summer school course are simple.

“I want them to have fun learning and enjoying horses,” Bovinette explained.

“If you fall in love with horses, like so many of these kids have, you can use that subject in so many other things.”

If a teacher asks for a poem, you could write one about a horse, for instance. Or if you have a book report, you could pick a book that focuses on horses.

“This class has been a smorgasbord of things for them to learn and take away with them,” Bovinette said.

“It’s fun, but it’s structured fun, and I get to share a passion for horses with my students.”