This Wirral charity is using the calmness of horses to change young people’s lives

A charity in Wirral is using the calm gentle nature of horses to help change the lives of young people with mental and physical health challenges.

Hooves for Healing, which is based in Meols, helps children of all ages with a range of health needs including mental health, neurodiversity and physical disabilities.

They’re able to connect with its six resident ponies and horses, taking part in brushing and stroking, leading and even riding on a lead walk.

By creating a bond, it helps young people to build their confidence and trust, try new things and push their own boundaries with the support of staff who are all trained in Equine Assisted Learning (EAL).

Hooves for Healing was set up in 2016 by former nurse Pam Clothier. 

After 21 years working as part of the district nursing team in Wirral, Pam was looking for retirement options when she spotted an idea while on holiday in Australia.

“I saw a sign in the middle of nowhere that said, ‘Pam’s Pony Parties’ and I thought, I could do that,” she explains.

“When I was home and wondering what I was going to do when I retired, I thought about it again and, as we’ve got some land, decided to do it.

“I went to business college for three months and they were offering £500 set-up funding if you completed the course so I used that money to buy our first two ponies and we started to provide pony parties at weekends for children.”

That was in 2010, and it wasn’t long before Pam was getting requests from parents who had children with additional needs. 

“We’d have the parties and parents would tell us their children couldn’t be in a group or had mental health problems, so we started booking them in for hour-long sessions.  

“We began moving in that direction in 2016, but then when Covid happened everything changed. We couldn’t do the parties anymore, but we provided individual sessions for frontline workers’ children who had additional needs.

“Once things started getting back to normal again after lockdowns there were so many children who were damaged during that time, their mental health was really compromised, so more schools and social services were contacting us.”

Hooves for Healing now sees up to 70 people a week, mostly children from age 4 upwards, although they do have some adults.

“We have young people come to us who can’t access education, some are so locked in they won’t go anywhere without parents and a few only come out of the house when they visit us. We’re their starting block to put a foot out into the world.”

Pam says, just like humans, every horse and pony has its own distinctive character so staff at Hooves for Healing assess each young person to help find the right match.

“We have to be aware of each child’s different needs; the first horse they work with might not be the one they end up with or they could have an immediate bond.

“For instance, we know Willow would work better with a child who has involuntary movements or shouting because nothing fazes her.

“We have a lovely little mare called Elly who’s so special to me, we’ve had her for about 8 years. A young lady comes who has cerebral palsy and is non-verbal, and Elly just stands with her head over her and breathes on her and actually touches her cheek with her top lip. 

“It sounds like nothing but it’s everything and it’s just beautiful to watch.”

Pam says the interaction not only puts a smile on children’s faces, it can build their self-esteem and ease anxiety.

“Horses reflect you and they’re intuitive so they understand what someone needs. If they see a child who’s anxious or struggling they pick up on that and respond,” says Pam. “They can also synchronise their heartbeat to a human’s so it can be really calming to be with them.”

From its first two ponies, the charity now has six working horses and ponies and two yard managers, three part-time staff, and volunteers who help with jobs around the stables. 

For 66-year-old Pam, and those who go there, Hooves for Healing has been life-changing.

“We’ve had loads of positive results from children and young people who’ve come along, really embraced horses and just found themselves again. Some have even been able to start riding school when they never thought they’d ever step out of their bedroom again,” she says. 

For more info on Hooves for Healing click here.

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