Equine Assisted Therapy
A Safe, Natural Space for Young People to Regulate, Connect, and Be Themselves.
When a young person is feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or misunderstood, sitting in a clinic room answering questions can feel impossible. If your child’s nervous system is stuck in fight, flight, or freeze, traditional "talk therapy" often demands the very thing they cannot give: sitting still, making eye contact, and explaining complex feelings with words.
Our ground-based equine therapy in Cheshire offers a different way forward. Led by an HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist, we provide a gentle, nature-based space where young people can step out of the high-pressure demands of daily life and learn through real, tangible experience.
If you are looking for support outside of a traditional therapy room, for you or your young person, reach out today. EHCP funding is welcome, or self-funding options are also available. To get the most out of this type of therapy, blocks of six sessions are recommended.
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All our work is 100% unmounted and ground-based. There is no riding, no performance pressure, and no expectation to "get things right."
Through gentle groundwork, observing the herd, grooming, and guided activities, young people explore what calm, connection, and safety feel like in their bodies.
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Instead, sessions are about experiential learning, learning by doing. Working alongside horses provides immediate, real-world feedback.
Horses are prey animals, which means their survival depends on reading non-verbal cues and energy. They do not care about social expectations, test scores, or fitting into a box. They simply respond to the nervous system in front of them.
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We know that a child cannot learn, build relationships, or feel confident until their body feels safe.
Our sessions focus on understanding the body's natural response to real or perceived threats. Working with horses allows young people to notice when their internal alarm bells are ringing and, crucially, discover what helps them return to a grounded baseline. This approach blends somatic awareness with established psychological frameworks, including: Relational Psychology, Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) which is tailored entirely to the pace of your child.
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While our sessions happen outdoors in the paddock, the level of care and safety matches a clinical setting:
Clinical Oversight: Developed and delivered by an HCPC Registered Practitioner Psychologist, ensuring high professional and ethical standards.
Safe Hands: Every member of our team holds an Enhanced DBS check. Our equine therapy assistants receive ongoing specialist training in child safeguarding and neurodiversity awareness.
Working With Your Support Network: We provide regular, transparent feedback so you can see how shifts in the paddock translate into calmer moments at home and in school.
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Equine therapy sessions are based in Cheshire, with easy access from the M56. Accessible from Liverpool, Manchester and Cheshire East and West.
Who We Support:
Our work is bespoke, creative, and tailored to individual needs. We frequently work with:
Neurodivergent Young People (Autism, ADHD, Sensory Differences): A genuinely neuroaffirming space where young people are never asked to conform or hide who they are. It is a place to drop the exhausting daily "mask," navigate sensory processing at their own pace, work through routine rigidity, and channel inattentive or impulsive energy into purposeful, physical connection.
Children Struggling with Social & Emotional Difficulties: For young people experiencing intense anxiety, school distress (EBSA), or emotional overwhelm, the horses offer a safe, non-judgmental environment to build distress tolerance and emotional resilience.
Looked After & Care-Experienced Children: For young people who have experienced trauma or relational rupture, trust can feel dangerous. The predictable, honest nature of horses allows children to explore boundaries, consent, and relational safety without the fear of human judgment.
I think it exceeded our expectations around how
how I thought my child would respond to the session and his engagement.
I think it exceeded our expectations around how how I thought my child would respond to the session and his engagement.
“I definitely think the horse had a calming effect on him and along with Danielle and the lovely assistant to the horse, he was made to feel comfortable and relaxed, therefore he felt secure enough to interact, communicate well and enjoy the experience.”
