The horse is a social herd animal.  Without the protection of the herd, it is difficult for a horse to survive in the wild.  Horses live in a group for security, protection, peace, and a greater chance of survival.  Many eyes and ears ensure that a threat or predator can be spotted quickly.  Real friendships can grow between two horses, and some friendships last a lifetime.  Horses enjoy interacting with each other and have a natural instinct to keep moving forward together.

The horse is more quickly desensitized to frightening stimuli than any other animal. If this weren’t so, horses would spend all their time running and there would be no time to eat, drink, and rest. In nature, horses quickly learn to ignore frightening but harmless things, such as tumbleweeds, thunder, quail, and other herbivorous prey species, like bison, antelope, or deer. They are constantly exploring their environment, taking in new information that will help them thrive in new situations. Once they learn, they do not forget.

Horses are movement animals. The wild horse is almost constantly moving in its habitat, analyzing the environment to find food, water, shelter, and minerals. Horses have the fastest response time of any common domestic animal and the ability to quickly perceive stimuli and react. This allows them to take calculated risks and overcome obstacles while safely adapting to new surroundings.

Through conversations with prospective students, parents, community members, and staff, we developed the set of values (Connect • Explore • Pursue) that will be used to filter everything we do. Our values are not just intended for students, but for everyone connected to the Mountainside community. We see our connection to Mountainside as a lifelong endeavor that doesn’t end at graduation or retirement. We see Mountainside as a launching point for encouraging each other to rise up and reach our potential. This is why we’ve adopted the saying “#MavUP!” as our rallying cry. This simple phrase communicates that we’re in this together and we’re on the move to explore and pursue the best versions of ourselves.