Equine Therapy at Excelsior Academy

Pupils from the Engage Provision at Excelsior Academy, Newcastle, recently participated in an enriching session of Equine Assisted Education, and the experience was a tremendous success!

Jo McShane, Practice Advisor for Alternative Provision at Excelsior Academy, organised this day of Equine Therapy for twenty pupils. Jo, who trained with the Athena Herd Foundation to become an equine-educated facilitator, explained, “It’s about mindfulness through the soothing, calming presence of horses.”

Equine Therapy is highly effective for regulating behaviour, as students must achieve a calm state before approaching the horses. This process, supported by the Engage Team if necessary, teaches students the importance of self-regulation and mindfulness.

Eve Barton, Support Facilitator and horse trainer elaborated, “What we’re trying to train the kids is to know if the horses don’t want attention, they have to respect that. It’s all about boundaries and reading people, which is a great life lesson.”

Students shared their positive experiences:

• Dan, a Year 10 pupil, said, “I’ve ridden one horse in my whole life when I was on a beach in Gambia. I’d like to do it again, it feels amazing to be around them.”
• Liam, another Year 10 pupil, added, “It’s relaxing to be around them, and brushing them is really satisfying.”

Jo concluded with, “Respect them and don’t surprise them—they’re just like people. Imagine if you came charging across to two people; they’d react to that. Students have to be calm to be around the horses, and it therefore causes a therapeutic effect on children.”

This initiative highlights the innovative approaches being taken at Excelsior Academy to support the emotional and behavioural development of its students through unique and effective methods such as Equine Therapy.