Lots of people are animated by the sight, sound, touch and smell of horses

They are often regarded as 'positively mood altering' ......without unpleasant side effects!

The equine assisted therapy programme was started in Norfolk in 1990 by Ruth McMahon (Senior Occupational Therapist) to help people suffering from a wide range of mental health problems. Before leaving the NHS in 2006, Ruth worked for many years with Community Mental Health Teams in Norfolk & Waveney Mental Health Care Partnership

To begin with, people with mental health problems were encouraged to attend a local riding school to try 'therapy on horseback'. The focus at the time was on understanding horse welfare, learning to ride and confidence building .

A sense of 'feeling better' after the sessions was consistently reported by the people involved and so we decided to set up a regular weekly group with a view to exploring the therapeutic possibilities in more depth.

There seemed to be real possibilities of helping in the areas of self confidence,self esteem, communication, relationships, problem solving, coping skills and personal responsibility. These possibilities arise from a guided understanding of the relationships developed with the horses and dealing with the challenges involved. Overcoming fears, uncertainties and gaining new skills whilst learning self reliance are some of the important parts of this process

For some years, the main programme has been based at Croft Farm Riding Centre in Filby, near Gt. Yarmouth, where Heather Cook, proprietor, allowed the use of her centre. Jenny Wells (horse specialist), has recently joined the team, and we are currently exploring additional venues in the county to bring EAT closer to more people.

Over the years the programme has developed to include work on connecting with horses, developing the human-horse bond and how this helps the recovery process. Creating a safe environment and unique learning opportunity is an important part of the Equine Assisted Therapy programme

Support and debriefing during sessions encourage self awareness and change

Clients are referred for Equine Assisted Therapy from a wide range of health professionals, including General Practitioners, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and Psychiatric Nurses, in NHS and private clinics/organisations.