Horses Helping Humans

Horse Time is a SCIO that facilitates the delivery of evidence-based mental health and trauma interventions with feedback from horses. This unique combination builds on the known benefits of evidence-based processes by harnessing the psychological and emotional benefits of working in partnership with a therapeutic herd of horses.

Why do we work with horses?

Horses are able to give immediate, honest and non-judgemental feedback on how our behaviour is interpreted by others. Their ability to see the person behind the coping strategy validates that person’s lived experience, creates trust and provides the co-regulation necessary to catalyse the change process.

How does Horse Time create change?

Experienced trauma therapists, informed by the authentic feedback provided by the horses, utilise appropriate tools, strategies and evidence-based processes to increase client awareness and provide the insight necessary to support the change process and subsequent recovery.

We have the right skills to make a difference

Our unique blend of expertise caters for a wide variety of needs, ensuring the best possible outcomes for our beneficiaries, in a safe and supportive natural environment.

But it's all about funding

The biggest challenge Horse Time faces is to fund the ever-increasing number of beneficiaries desperately trying to access the transformational solutions we can offer.

And we need your help to do our work

The more funding we can raise, the more people we will be able to help. We need your help to ensure that we can expand our programmes to help transform the lives of many more people. Please donate now

Who we are and what we do

Our programmes

Our programmes create the opportunity for personal, emotional and relational learning insights that ultimately enable people to process and resolve their difficulties, form better relationships with others, and reach their full, unique potential.

Resilience and regulation – strategies for life

This programme addresses a wide range of problems that emerge from difficulties in emotional and relationship management.

By increasing personal awareness, we are able to recognise and manage our emotions and triggers more effectively.

As we become more resilient, we are better equipped to set healthy boundaries and build positive connections and relationships in order to create and live the life we want.
Understanding Behaviour – from self-sabotage to successful strategies

Follows on from Resilience and Regulation – Strategies for Life

This programme explores psychological frameworks, which help to explain our behaviour. By discovering which core beliefs drive our emotions, thoughts and behaviours, we are able to separate ourselves from our coping strategies.

This allows us to determine which strategies are successful and replace those that are sabotaging our lives and preventing us from reaching our full unique potential.
Depression – activate your life

In this programme we help you to explore the behavioural patterns of depression and learn how these behaviours impact your mood. We support you to make strategic changes that will help you alleviate your depression and take charge of your life.
Anxiety – rewire your anxious brain

This programme helps you to understand the differences between worry, anxiety, panic and fear.

We teach you how to identify where your anxiety comes from and use healthy coping strategies to modify your thought patterns and manage distress.
Understanding your neurodiversity

This programme helps you to understand your neurodiversity and the challenges you may face on a daily basis. We resource you to manage overwhelm more successfully, develop healthy coping strategies, feel more confident and improve your relationships.
Understanding neurodiversity

This programme helps to demystify neurodiversity. We explore diagnostic criteria, challenging behaviour and coping strategies, as well as supporting and resourcing those working with or caring for neurodiverse people with alternative, more successful, communication and regulation techniques.
Resourcing children through family therapy

This programme helps children to cope, and resources parents to support themselves and their children through times of distress.

We provide a safe space that enables honest communication and recognition for all individuals, helping to create family harmony and resilience.
Horses for Forces

This programme addresses the needs of veterans struggling to transition successfully into civilian life following military service.

By helping veterans to recognise their triggers and manage their difficult emotions more effectively, they are able to improve their ability to connect and communicate more successfully with family, friends, and the wider community. This can often lead to better employment opportunities.

Horses for Forces Plus 1

Under the Horses for Forces umbrella, we also run a programme to resource those closest to veterans, and help them to understand how their loved one’s difficulties may affect their daily functioning, relationships and family life.

Resourcing Forces Families

This programme addresses a wide range of difficulties that can affect forces’ families, with a particular focus on helping children to cope, and resourcing parents to support themselves and their children through times of distress.

We provide a safe space that enables honest communication and recognition for all individuals, helping to create family harmony and resilience.
Individual trauma therapy

Horse Time also delivers bespoke programmes of individual trauma therapy. We recommend attendance of at least the Resilience and Regulation workshop programme before beginning individual work.

This prepares beneficiaries by increasing self-awareness and understanding of their experiences, and resources them with the tools they need to build the resilience required for successful trauma processing.

Attending additional workshop programmes has a positive impact on the efficacy and sustainability of therapeutic outcomes.

Trauma therapy with feedback from horses

Resilience and regulation programmes with horses

“It has changed how I see my world and my problems in it and how to change my belief systems for the better.”

“Life changing! You are all truly amazing ladies who have changed my life more than you’ll ever know.”

“The way the information is delivered in a fun and interesting way makes it so enjoyable and easier to understand.”

“Horse Time has made me more aware of my feelings and I now understand why I feel that way.”

Our team

The success of our team lies in the individual skill set and experience each member brings to the delivery of our programmes. This combined with our value-based approach enables us to provide the best possible experience and outcomes for each beneficiary.

SWIPE

Angel

Our very own little ‘Black Beauty’.

Favourite thing: Apples and sunshine
Favourite pastime: Long walks in the countryside
Special talent: Helping people overcome their insecurities and anxiety

Sabine

Sabine is our fun-loving Fjord who loves to engage with teenagers.

Favourite thing: Magic tricks
Favourite pastime: Houdini impersonations
Special talent: Magically appearing in fields where the grass is greener!

Bob

A very big horse in a very little body. Bob is our resident ‘Rock Star’.

Favourite thing: His hair
Favourite pastime: Breaking down barriers… particularly our fences
Special talent: Modelling… because he’s worth it!

Billy

Billy is a gentle giant and the Horses for Forces Mascot.

Favourite thing: Being groomed
Favourite pastime: Eating
Special talent: His ability to grow a magnificent handle bar moustache in winter

Zeus and Thor

Zeus and Thor are the latest additions to the herd. These lovely little Dartmoor Hill Ponies are half brothers and are collectively known as the Wildlings.

Favourite thing: Each other
Favourite pastime: Playing for treats
Special talent: Running in step together

Chester

A true gentleman, Chester is always polite and charming.

Favourite thing: Eric
Favourite pastime: Hanging out with Eric
Special talent: Helping people overcome their fear of horses

Fiona

Fiona manages the yard and helps to look after the welfare of the horses, the team and the programme participants. She lends her own personal experience to supporting and modelling personal growth and change. She is responsible for local fundraising events for Horse Time.

Erin

Erin is an ardent supporter of the change process we facilitate here at Horse Time. She is our administration and PR coordinator and runs our social media channels. Please do take the opportunity to see what we are up to on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @horsetime.org.

Olive

Olive is the baby of the herd.

Favourite thing: Her mummy
Favourite pastime: Pushing boundaries with the older members of the herd
Special talent: Being adorable!

Jasper

Jasper is a superstar.

Favourite thing: Hay
Favourite pastime: Mutually grooming the other minis in the herd
Special talent: Holding space for the magic to happen

Colada

Colada is brave, curious and playful.

Favourite thing: Squeaky toys
Favourite pastime: Having her ears scratched
Special talent: Giving the most excellent cuddles!

Vince

Vince served with the KOSB, seeing active service in Northern Ireland and the Gulf. The Horses for Forces programme evolved after he participated in individual equine facilitated trauma therapy. Vince now volunteers as a mentor and a horse handler. He is an advocate for the success of the Horse Time programmes.

Lucy

Lucy brings a soft and nurturing energy to the herd and is Olive’s mummy.

Favourite thing: Olive
Favourite pastime: Stealing quiet moments in the sunshine
Special talent: Showing people exactly what they need to see, even when they don’t know what they are looking for

Eric

Eric is the smallest member of the herd, standing at a magnificent 32″.

Favourite thing: Zips and shoelaces
Favourite pastime: Tipping over wheel barrows full of poo
Special talent: Changing colour with the seasons

Marianne

Marianne is an equine facilitated psychological trauma therapist with 30 years experience in mental health in the NHS, working with children, adolescents and families. She has owned and bred horses for over 40 years and is perfectly poised to combine her skills in both arenas to facilitate potential growth for Horse Time beneficiaries.

Humbug

Our boundary specialist who helps people overcome their fears.

Favourite thing: Jumping
Favourite pastime: Spotting crocodiles in the Scottish countryside
Special talent: Has a vivid imagination!

Sue

Sue is an equine facilitated psychological trauma therapist and founder of Horse Time. With a background in teaching, she writes and delivers the life skills programmes with the support of the Horse Time team. Sue is passionate about facilitating the possibility for change in order for people to reach their full unique potential.

“The programme has shown me a whole new set of skills to improve my life.”

“For the first time in my life I can relax, stop and take the world in. My relationships are better, and I don’t have to pretend to be something I am not.”

“This workshop has been a rollercoaster, week three was such a huge turning point for me and I can’t thank you all enough for being there and supporting me through this journey.”

“Change is always inevitable but personal growth is optional and this experience has been one of the most powerful and eye-opening experiences of my life.”