The purpose of this study was to investigate Japanese college students' learning experiences during horse leading in field placements. The study was situated in the framework of andragogy theory and used an explanatory (holistic) case study design. Participants were six Japanese college students with no prior experience in learning how to lead horses at a public university. Data sources included face to face and online written interviews. A constant comparative method was adopted to interpret the data. Three emergent themes were established: (a) students' learning how to communicate with horses during horse leading, (b) students' learning how to use token economy interventions, and (c) students' serving as facilitators (not instructors) of horse leading practices. Viewed through the lens of andragogy theory, Japanese college students' field experiences in this study shifted as they encountered success developing human to horse relationships. Japanese college students' learning experiences in leading horses in field placement settings can be improved with multiple planned experiences, and proper training on instructional strategies for working with horses in this capacity. Due to the paucity of research in this area, it is essential for scholars to further explore follow-up phenomena to evaluate the merit of these experiences.