Equine Encounters

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Mabel had a fantastic morning at forest camp with Meadow Education! She helped out by mowing the lawn for them… and teaching the children all about horses. It was also a great learning experience for Mabel with so many new sounds and smells 😊💜

Last Friday we had a new assistant Oliver and his dog Bertie join us. Bertie is a 4 year old standard poodle and had lots of energy - it might have been a chilly morning but Bertie kept us all entertained!

We don’t just do ponies!
Therapy dogs Herbie and Frank have loved getting to know some of the pupils at over the last few weeks!

Things don’t always go to plan…


Yesterday I had to do a lot of problem solving and self-regulation! After a 5:30am start, a dodgy car, torrential rain and gale force winds I finally got the horses in from the field ready for work. But Fen just wasn’t feeling it. She usually gets on the horsebox without hesitation but she planted her feet on the ground and refused to move. The temptation to just explode with frustration or lie down in the horsebox with Mabel and cry was strong, but I decided to take some deep breaths, ask a friend for help and really listen to what Fen was telling me. She didn’t want to go, it was too much for her that day…

Luckily another pony Brandy was able to step in and keep Mabel company on the school visit, and Fen had a rest in her stable. Despite the initial stress, the rainbow in the sky was that this was such a great talking point with the pupils, some of whom struggle with emotionally based school avoidance. We spoke about what Fen was feeling that morning, what it’s like when you just can’t face a day at school and what you can do to regulate and take it one step at a time. The pupils also learnt all about how horses keep themselves warm and how their vision differs from ours. It ended up being a fantastic day of learning and connecting - and of course I couldn’t have done without the wonderful ponies Mabel and Brandy!!! ❤️❤️

We had a great day at today! The horses have no idea they’re working they absolutely love being groomed and fussed over by all the students! Today we focused on gaining mutual trust by brushing Fen and Mabel and then leading them around the lovely nurture garden

We're so happy to welcome on board our newest member of the team - Lotte Carlebach.

Lotte has worked for over 10 years with children and teenagers with a range of different complex needs and life experiences including anxiety, autism, bereavement, trauma and attachment. She has also completed a Diploma in Equine Facilitated Learning and Therapy at Horse Haven UK so is very well qualified to offer professional help to our clients.

You can read more about Lotte on our website: https://www.londonequinetherapy.com/who-we-are

Mabel is already an amazing therapy pony but she is now learning to be a ridden pony too! It’s taken lots of work behind the scenes but she is enjoying getting out and about with a little rider! Turns out she also enjoys having her tail shampooed and sunbathing… maybe she’d like to go on a pony spa weekend 🤔 how did you guys make the most of the sunny weather?

Happy birthday Mabel!!! 6 today! 🥰🥰🥰

Play is such an important part of learning - for humans and horses alike!

Mabel enjoys her training sessions but she needs time between exercises to take a break and have a play. Just like kids, it’s important that she has time to lower her stress/arousal levels so that she can process what she has just learnt. It also means that she keeps enjoying herself rather than getting frustrated or over-excited. Mabel is quite an intense pony who enjoys interaction, so she sometimes needs a bit of encouragement to chill out! Rolling around in the sand is a great way to let off steam - maybe I should give it a go? 🤔🤔

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Ponies boost pupils' mental health at East Finchley school East Finchley school Archer Academy in Barnet, London, is using horses to boost the mental health of its pupils through equine therapy.