Equine-Assisted Interventions @ TheHorseCourse

Organiser: TheHorseCourse

Where

When

Project availability

The activity runs from 7 October 2024 to 7 October 2025. The Dorset Youth does not manage bookings for this activity and is not responsible for the delivery of the project. If you have any questions, please contact the organisation directly.

What

Our well-evidenced equine-assisted services are for 8yrs to adult, by referral only from Social Care, NHS Mental Health Services, Schools & PRUs, Offender Services and other specialist agencies.

INTENSIVE RESTART PROGRAMME

Our ReStart participants have serious difficulties – typically more than four from the list below. And they are referred because talk-based support is not working for them. We specialise in helping people who are disengaged or stuck – we are experts in action-based intervention.

We teach, rehearse and repeat 8 key psycho-social skills (see THC Star) in an intensive and challenging, but fun, 5 day programme with feedback in-the-moment from specially trained horses and 1-to-1 facilitator support.

• anxiety diagnosis
• ADHD
• ASD
• PTSD
• not attending school (training, work)
• relationship difficulties
• mood swings/impulsivity
• disengaged
• self harming
• suicidal
• bullying, aggression, anger management issues
• being bullied
• risk taking behaviour
• drug & alcohol misuse
• eating disorder
• offending
• domestic violence
• neglect / abuse
• difficult family dynamics
• in family with mental health problems, offending or D&A
• living in care, leaving care or at risk of going into care
• from area of high deprivation
• homeless

Sessions are 2 hours long, on 5 consecutive days to help set new skills and habits. The results tend to be dramatic – see our evidence page – with participants shifting to a point where they can then engage with specialist talk-based support or re-engage with mainstream provision.

We provide detailed handback to the participant and their referring professional, and discuss follow on support.

Professionals are welcome to book onto one of our regular free Professional Taster Sessions on Eventbrite to see the site, discuss when and how to refer and experience the horsemanship first hand (or just watch if you prefer!).

All our ReStart participants can access unlimited top up sessions as needed; and are invited to continue onsite as supported volunteers if they need a supportive environment to continue building skills and friendships.

RESTART COST

The cost to commissioners is £950 / ReStart, we never ask the service user to pay. Where statutory funding is not available we rely on our charitable fundraising. If someone needs our service we do not turn them away.

We do not accept self-referrals. To refer, please email or call (01305 819 669) for referral forms – we often suggest a 1 hour taster session to ensure the participant is happy to commit to the 5 day ReStart.

LIGHTER TOUCH OPTIONS

In addition to the intensive ReStart we offer Lighter Touch equine-assisted options such as:

• Tailored sessions for groups or individuals – to work on a specific skill, where a full ReStart is not required
• Taster sessions – a short session to establish whether a participant is happy to commit to the 5 day ReStart, or for a group to attend and assess which of them would benefit from a ReStart (eg. a family or a group from a school, MH ward, refuge)
• Top up sessions – after a ReStart, as tapered support, or where participants need to come back, weeks, months or even years after their ReStart, to rebuild skills during a difficult time
• Family / Foster family sessions – are useful after individual family members have completed the ReStart course

LIGHTER TOUCH COSTS

The cost to commissioners is £95/hour, we never ask the service user to pay. Where statutory funding is not available we rely on our charitable fundraising.

NB. All our equine-assisted services are for 8yrs to adult, by referral only from Social Care, NHS Mental Health Services, Schools & PRUs, Offender Services and other specialist agencies.

SEND friendly