Posted: 28th July 2022 | Back to news feed
Church Farm Equestrian Centre based near Keynsham between Bristol and Bath is launching an exciting new programme called 'Horse School'.
The Centre is already Accessibility Mark and Pony Club accredited, and this new initiative is aimed at school age children, particularly those at risk of being excluded from mainstream education.
During the sessions the centre will use horses' abilities to read body language and act in a non-judgmental way to help people develop self-awareness, and enhance their life skills so they feel re-energised and better able to integrate into society.
The programme is made up of six sessions over six weeks, which will cover six topics (nutrition, environment, health, behaviour, wellbeing, and self-esteem).
Participants will take part in a number of non-ridden activities, which in turn will help them to develop their emotional resilience, communication skills, self-discipline, relationship building, self-motivation and understanding of nature.
Kirsty Edwards, Centre Coordinator said, "We use Horse School's programme as a framework for learning, but because we are such a small venue, we're able to tailor our programme and actually prefer a person-centred approach. There's no pressure for anyone to do anything - some of our clients like to turn up, groom the horses and give them lunch, then go home again - and that's fine.
"We try to match participants who have the same preferences to create the best environment for them, whilst also offering opportunities for participants to socialise in small groups. We already have a diverse range of clients with physical, mental and emotional challenges and we are always keen to meet new people to see how we can help them to be the best version of themselves.
“Whilst we aim the programme at younger people, we're happy to work with all ages and we have a number of adult clients on our books."
Horse School sessions are initially taking place on Thursdays and Fridays, during school hours.
Church Farm is keen to work with local schools to allow this new programme to benefit more children. To request a brochure, or find out more, please contact the Centre on churchfarmec@outlook.com
Accessibility Mark status is awarded to a riding centre that has been approved by the RDA following training and assessment. The close link with the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) means that it can offer continuous support to the establishment to ensure it provides a first-class experience that aims to be hugely beneficial to riders of varying levels of disability.
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