Equine Assisted Services
in Beautiful Surrey
At The Holistic Horse and Pony Centre in Surrey,
we have an extensive range of equine-assisted services to suit your needs.
Equine-Assisted Services
H.E.A.R.T Equine-Assisted Therapeutic Coaching
Therapeutic work with horses has been shown to :
- Improve confidence and self-esteem
- Reduce stress, anxiety and depression
- Enhanced communication and relationship skills
- Manage emotions and behavioural issues.
- Encourage nurturing skills and self-discipline
- Develop focus, balance and coordination skills
- Provide a connection with nature and the environment.
- Their sensitivity, awareness of their surroundings and responsiveness to the slight changes of energy in humans, other horses and their environment.
- Horses know how to discern the difference between a calm, non-threatening approach and anxious, nervous energy.
- Horses set clear and easy to understand boundaries with their herd companions.
- They look for strong leadership and are willing to follow after they find respect and trust.
- If we provide contradictory behaviour they start to question and challenge our authority to lead.
- Team work within a herd of horses is expected and respected.
- Horses cannot lie of overthink a situation (they re honest and non-judgemental)
- Horses respect fair consequences
- Learning to listen to what horses have to say is powerful and can sometimes be the catalyst to individual change
Please visit the website our sister company Healing Hearts and Minds with Horses to meet our human-herd of HEART Equine-Assisted Therapeutic Coaches.
H.E.A.R.T Equine Assisted Therapy
Equine assisted therapy is a way of finding out about ourselves, our beliefs and our behaviours by interacting with horses. As natural herd animals, horses are ideally equipped to read non verbal communication and can pick up on subtle energetic cues. There is no hiding, whatever you are thinking or feeling will be senses by the horse and mirrored back to you.
These sessions are delivered by Wendy Firmin-Price.
Wendy began using this approach in the 1990s, long before most people had heard of equine assisted therapy. She values it as a way of going deeper with people and getting to the heart of their issues faster. She works with all types of people, young and old, and can even tackle serious issues such as self-harm, addiction and depression. She believes that all our dis-eases stems from our disconnection from our source. The horses help to ground us and restore us to our truth, while being out in nature helps to restore our natural sense of connection to all that is.
Wendy holds a BHSI (T), Dip in Practical Metaphysics, M.S.E.C. She is an NLP Practitioner and Spiritual Counsellor.
Therapeutic Riding Sessions
Therapeutic Riding Sessions (TRS) include ground activities and a riding session. The ground activities may include any of the following: putting on/taking off helmet and body protector, putting on/taking off a head collar, leading, grooming and tacking-up, spatial awareness and understanding body language. The riding session includes the following activities: mounting and dismounting, learning general riding skills, as well as a host of cognitive tasks (e.g. sequencing and planning; building horse, literacy or maths knowledge; problem solving; making decisions; etc). The length of session varies depending on the needs and goals of the individual. They may be 45-minutes up to 3-hours.
Participants engaging in therapeutic riding sessions benefit in a multitude of ways both physically and non-physically. These benefits are categorised into four areas: social, physical, emotional and cognitive.
Social Benefits
- Improving social awareness through learning about body language
- Building relationship skills and trust in others through the horse/human bond
- Improving empathy and communication skills by learning to anticipate the needs of the horse
Physical Benefits
- Improving fine and gross motor function
- Improving dynamic balance and trunk postural control
- Engaging in a multi-sensory environment to support development of adaptability, sensory integration and tolerance to stressors
- Increasing range of motion
- Improving hand-eye coordination
Emotional Benefits
- Helping with emotional regulation
- Developing nurturing skills
- Improving impulse control
- Practising ways to support anxiety
- Developing awareness of boundaries
- Working with and learning to communicate with horses often leads to a boost in self-esteem
- Improving independence
Cognitive Benefits
- Improving focus
- Developing problem solving skills
- Improving listening skills and ability to follow instructions
- Improving task sequencing
- Understanding of cause and effect
Therapeutic Horsemanship & Horse Care
Therapeutic horsemanship involves working with the horses in ground-based activities (eg learning about horse behaviour and communication) and horse care. It benefits by improving confidence and self-awareness for all individuals and those with behavioural challenges, mental health concerns and learning difficulties.
Equine Facilitated Learning
1. Experiential and Hands-On: Like other forms of experiential learning, EFL emphasizes hands-on activities and direct experiences. Participants engage in activities with horses and then reflect on and discuss their experiences.
2. Educational Goals: The primary goal of EFL is often to achieve specific educational objectives. This could include developing communication skills, improving leadership abilities, enhancing problem-solving, or addressing other personal or interpersonal challenges.
3. Facilitation by Horses: Horses are considered co-facilitators in the learning process. Their responses to human behavior, body language, and communication provide immediate and non-judgmental feedback that can be used for reflection and learning.
4. Tailored Activities: EFL activities are often designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing facilitators to tailor the experiences to the unique needs and goals of the participants.
5. No Riding Involved: EFL typically does not involve riding horses. Instead, participants interact with the horses on the ground through activities such as grooming, leading, and problem-solving tasks.
6. Applicability in Various Settings: EFL is applied in a variety of settings, including education, personal development, leadership training, team building, and therapeutic interventions.
7. Professional Facilitators: Like other forms of equine-assisted activities, EFL sessions are typically facilitated by trained professionals who understand both human psychology and horse behavior. These facilitators guide participants through the activities and help them process their experiences.
8. Holistic Approach: EFL often takes a holistic approach to learning, recognizing the interconnectedness of physical, emotional, and social aspects of individuals. The horse's role is seen as a catalyst for holistic personal development.
Equine Facilitated Learning can be a powerful and effective tool for a range of purposes, from enhancing team dynamics in corporate settings to providing therapeutic support for individuals facing emotional or behavioral challenges. The focus on experiential learning and the unique qualities of the horse-human interaction make EFL an engaging and impactful approach in various educational and therapeutic contexts.
- Equine Assisted Learning
- Equine Assisted Youth Leadership
- Horse Powered Reading & Maths
- Home Education Support Programme
- Self-Love with Horses
