We bring the ‘Spirit of the Horse’ to some of the most vulnerable people, through our programmes of riding; equine care; and social connection. Horses touch the lives of people, helping them to heal and to embrace the new and the possible. Our purpose is to empower children and adults with learning disabilities, physical and mental health disabilities, and emotional and social challenges; t
lead active, healthy and fulfilling lives through equestrian activities. To have a positive impact on the health and well-being for all our riders and volunteers.
We enable people with disabilities to experience the enjoyment, challenge and a sense of achievement, through participation in equestrian activities in an inclusive and integrated environment. There is much evidence to show that riding produces physical improvements such as increased core strength, better co-ordination, improved mobility and an overall increase in fitness. Knowing our vulnerable clients personally, we see more confidence, greater self-awareness, improved communication
skills and overall more positive and beneficial states of mind.
We welcome anyone from the age of 4 years to ride including those without a disability and anyone over 13 years to volunteer. People with disabilities form more than 50% of the client base. Their riding fees are partly subsidised by those without disabilities through our differential pricing model. In
addition to the social equity, this also sees people with and without disabilities sharing their mutual love of horses.
We are a British Horse Society Approved Centre and offer horse riding lessons, hacks and special events. We offer training and assessments for BHS Qualifications and many courses on horse welfare .
We are part of the BHS Changing Lives Through Horses programme – The CLTH programme welcomes children and young people aged 5-25 years who have additional needs in the widest sense who would benefit from access to equine facilitated learning. Participants may include those with special educational needs including social and emotional mental health needs, those who may be disengaged or excluded from education, those who are without a school place or are electively home educated and those who may have experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences.
The programme is suitable for those who are either permanently excluded from or at risk of permanent exclusion from education, or who have special education needs or disabilities (SEND) and those who are not in employment, education, or training (NEET).
The CLTH programme is based on outdoor learning around horses with the focus on developing six key life skills. The children and young people progress through various levels and awards, including awards for horse welfare ie non ridden. This can lead to accredited personal development qualifications awarded by BHSQ, nationally recognised and quality assured qualifications.
