• Meet with our horses in a beautiful natural environment
• Learn their language and enter their horse world
• Build a rapport with our horses - entering a relationship which is power with, not power over.

Our Therapeutic Horsemanship session/ Whispering sessions are open to all young people aged 11 years and over who love horses. In these sessions your daughter or son only needs to have a strong desire to be with horses to qualify!  and be in main stream school, or being home Schooled struggling we can work one to one.

You can book a one off session or come regularly. When you book we will first explore how your daughter or son would like to work with the horses. This can be a one to one session, or you can organise a group of between 2 and 3 friends or siblings. We don't offer horse riding but a desire to ride as well is only natural, and we are happy to recommend a local riding school.

"Art of Horse Whispering" philosophy
Becoming a horse whisperer takes a life time of being around horses, there are no quick routes, but many of the great horse whisperers' developed their skills by getting the chance to learn how to connect with horses in nature - usually from childhood and that is the part we explore.

In modern times not that many of us get the chance to grow up around horses and just "be" with them and learn from them. In these sessions our intention is to give children and young people the opportunity to do just that. This is a chance to learn horse connection in away that is safe, informative, intuitive and creative. They will not be riding the horses or learning to train or control them, instead, by paying attention to the horses subtle nuances, they will be learning to become their co-creative partners.
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We are based in a beautiful natural environment of fields and woodland and some nature connection or "Forest School" type exercises will also form part of the session.

What's the difference between Equine assisted experiential learning and the "Art of Horse Whispering?"
At Awareness with Horses both the Art of Horse Whispering and Equine Assisted Experiential Learning is about stepping into the world of the horse and exploring the horse human connection intuitively and creatively. But in our Art of Horse Whispering sessions the process is less about having an agenda and more about the whole experience that emerges, as your child learns to build a relationship with the horse/s. The only intent is that the horsemanship skills they learn will stay with them. In either an equine assisted experiential learning or the "Art of Horse Whispering" session children and young people learn experientially how to connect with the horses, how to care for and groom the horses, how to lead, and how to work with the horse at liberty. They will also learn how horses communicate, and enter into a field of herd mindfulness, this can naturally help with many life skills. So although our Art of Horse Whispering sessions are not framed to offer therapy, the horses by their natural biological make-up will be asking us to stay connected, authentic and mindful and this can be very therapeutic. Connecting with horses in this way can also help develop self confidence and a greater trust in self and others, by developing presence, integrity and congruency.

Example Prices:
For one-to-one sessions: £60 for one and a half hours or £75 for two hours.
Groups: One and a half hours for 2 -3 people £40
Half day/three hours for 2-3 people - £60 per person
Short Full day/five hours for 2-3 people - £90 per person
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There are many more options available please contact us to get a quote.

For more information contact Sue Blagburn
Phone: 07831 865259
Email: awarenesswithhorses@btconnect.com

There are six different options we can offer you…

Our mission: To provide equine assisted interventions that support young people's mental health wellbeing, learning and growth through therapeutic and transformative opportunities with horses.

Who do we work with?
We can provide a safe, non-judgemental environment with horses, for children aged 11 years and upwards who are struggling in main stream school, suffering with anxiety and stress, high functioning ASD, ADH, dyslexia and/or other learning or mental health difficulties, or young people who are just very sensitive.

We work with young people who are disadvantaged, vulnerable and excluded, suffering from trauma, attachment issues and/or adverse childhood experiences (ACES). And other social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

We also work with young people who are not in education, employment, or training.

Children and young people come to us privately though their parents and/ or their carers or through Social Services. At the moment we are mostly working with young people who are struggling in main stream school, and often those that fall between the gaps when it comes to getting the right help because they are high functioning.

How we work?
Our one-to-one sessions are a therapeutic way of engaging people who are disadvantaged, vulnerable and excluded. The horses skills they learn are all skills which can transfer forward into participant everyday lives.

Awareness with Horses offers a range of professionally facilitated equine assisted interventions which offer therapeutic and transformative opportunities through awareness and engagement with horses.

Please note we do not offer horse riding, all our equine assisted interventions happen with ones feet firmly on the ground.

Awareness with Horses philosophy and way of working
Our aim is to support well-being and growth, in order to develop potential and skills which transfer forwards into peoples everyday lives.

Our one-to-one sessions are always tailored to the learning and therapeutic needs of each individual attending. During a programme, course or session participants are lead towards success and positive outcomes in the tasks they do with the horses, and through the honest non-judgmental feedback the horses give they gain skills and knowledge, and build calmness and confidence. This is particularly helpful for young people who find sitting down and talking about their challenges difficult. Horses are natural teachers of calmness and self awareness, and it has been scientifically proven that just being around horses and building a relationship with them can bring about calmness and feelings of wellbeing.

During a session participants become involved in various activities with the horses and the learning and therapeutic value is in the experience. The premise is that by being in a completely different environment and engaging with horses, participants find new pathways for learning and building relationship that may not always be possible in their everyday environment.

The horses give accurate feedback through their responses as the participants learn to engage and build a relationship with the horse. The horses feedback may also help the client become more conscious of behaviours they have, both those that are positive, and ones that are negative.

A growing desire to work with the horses can help with motivation and engagement.

Participants take what they have learned, for example how to build rapport, develop emotional intelligence and healthier coping strategies into their everyday lives.

Outcomes include:
• Improved mental health and wellbeing
• Reduced social isolation
• Better engagement and motivation
• Reduced levels of stress and anxiety
• Better able to develop new skills
• Improved confidence and self esteem
• Better understanding of self and others
• Better able to express feelings and emotions
• Reduction in depression and negative thoughts
• Improved communication skills
• Better able to participate in group activities
• Become more physically active
• More likely to continue to engage in nature based activities
• This can also help with improved educational attainment rates and employability.

How much does it cost?
Our normal break even rates are:
One-to-one session: £60 for 90 minutes and then £15 for each extra half an hour if the client needs a longer session.

Please note: Even with the above prices at the moment we are running at a loss but as a non-profit social enterprise we make up the difference from receiving funding, donations, and any profit we make on our business and adult sessions, courses and programmes. Because of this we can sometimes offer bursaries to young people who couldn't otherwise afford the prices above - see below.

Bursaries and funding
Through donations and funding we are able to work with young people who otherwise wouldn't otherwise be able to afford to come by offering bursaries. In addition parents and/ or carers, charities and youth services can sometimes afford to raise some or all of their own funding. We are always willing to support this by writing reports to help you get finance.

For more information contact Sue Blagburn
Phone: 07831 865259
Email: awarenesswithhorses@btconnect.com