Not every young person finds it easy to sit in a room and talk about how they feel.
Equine Assisted Therapy offers a different approach.
Working alongside horses creates opportunities for young people to explore communication, trust, relationships, confidence and emotional regulation through practical interaction and experience.
Horses respond to behaviour, movement and communication in immediate and often very clear ways. This can help young people become more aware of how they communicate, how they manage their emotions and how their behaviour can affect those around them.
For some learners, the environment itself can also make engagement easier. Instead of feeling that they are attending another formal intervention, they are participating in an activity with a clear purpose and focus.
Sessions can be particularly helpful for young people experiencing anxiety, low self-esteem, difficulties with emotional regulation or disengagement from education.
As with all Hawthorn Education services, the starting point is the individual young person. The intervention can sit alongside 1:1 education, mentoring and other support as part of a wider programme designed around their needs.
The objective isn’t simply interaction with horses. It is to use that experience to help young people recognise their strengths, develop confidence and build skills that can transfer into their relationships, education and everyday lives.
