Stable Life in the Spotlight

This August we were chosen for the Charity Spotlight section of Gambit Insurance, which specialises in providing insurance services for charities of all sizes, including community groups, clubs, societies, voluntary organisations and hobby/interest groups.

We were able to share a lot of what we do here at Stable Life, and to explain more about specific projects we are proud of this year, including Equine Connections – Building Brighter Futures. This is an early intervention programme designed to support young people who may be at risk of becoming involved in antisocial behaviour or entering the youth justice system.

Equine Connections combines our proven equine-facilitated wellbeing sessions with opportunities to gain recognised awards, develop practical skills through supported volunteering and, where needed, access professional counselling.

By working alongside trusted adults, horses and peers, young people will build confidence, resilience and positive life skills before challenges escalate.

Our ambition is to expand the opportunities available to young people by offering accredited learning, volunteering and progression pathways, ensuring every young person who comes to Stable Life has the chance not only to improve their wellbeing but also to develop the skills and confidence to shape a positive future.

We had a great time talking to Gambit Insurance, and to be in their spotlight, You can read the whole article on their website..

How our horses and ponies are helping young people in our projects every day

We love this post from BBC Children in Need, sharing what our young people have to say about their equine partners and the difference they make. The trust, connection and confidence they build with our ponies can have a lasting impact on their lives.

A huge thank you to BBC Children in Need for shining a light on our work, and to everyone who supports and donates to the appeal. Your generosity helps us continue providing life-changing experiences for children and young people who need them most.

Every kind donation helps create moments of growth, healing and hope – and our ponies are there every step of the way along the road.

Below are our ponies along with the quotes from our young people, we hope this gives you some positivity on a sunny Sunday afternoon!

“I was an anxious person with some really scary thoughts Seamus gives me legs when I don’t feel like moving, his heart beats for me when I feel like I wanna give up… he’s a lifesaver and he doesn’t even know it,”

"Lachie really helped me because he was really gentle he made me feel calm and loved"

“Bert is my favourite - he’s really calm”

“I love Maddie - Maddie’s helped with my confidence,”

“Riding Smartie is the best - I love her so much,”

“When I am stroking Rosalin I feel like all my anxiety has vanished for a moment and I am confident,”

“Paddy just makes everything better - I want him to come home and live with me”

“I love Rascal - he helped me have fun”

Thank you again for all your donations and support, we couldn't do it without you! You can sponsor any one of our ponies, just go their sponsorship page to sponsor a horse at Stable Life, and follow the instructions!

Teen Mental Wellness Day and our Equine Facilitated Wellness project

On Teen Mental Health Day we have been thinking about mental health and how we all need a little bit of help sometimes. Equine assisted wellness is something we have seen help young people and teenagers going through challenging times

Today, March 2, is World Teen Mental Wellness Day, and we wanted to take the opportunity to share how we have seen positive results from teenagers who have come to Stable Life with challenges which were affecting their mental health.

We see every day how being a teenager is an increasingly complicated and difficult time of life to navigate, from screens and social media sending messages about the way people are supposed to be presenting themselves, to the physical issues around growing up in a fast-changing world where we are all more connected than ever, but there is also an epidemic of loneliness.

Here at Stable Life we provide a safe space for children and young people to work out some of their challenges using the horses and ponies we work alongside and the beautiful landscape around us.

The intuitive nature of horses is an amazing part of what we do – horses aren’t judging you on the normal set of criteria used by humans; instead they are looking at you from an equine point of view, and as an individual that can make you think about how you present yourself to the world.

Being with a horse can be a brilliant learning experience, or just a relaxing one: one of the exercises we do with the young people is ask them to lean over the horse’s back and just feel the rhythm of the breath of the animal, and try to follow it themselves. This simple exercise helps people to slow down, and reset their nervous systems, which has a hugely beneficial effect on both the body and the brain.

There is a great deal of documented evidence devoted to how being outdoors in nature, spending time with animals, and building exercise into your routine can help your mental health, whoever you are and whatever stage of life you are at – this short BBC video explains some of the ways equine assisted wellness can help people as well, which is what we try to do.

All of which is just to say that if you’re spending time with a teenager today try to check in on them, and if you’re a teenager yourself, try giving yourself a minute without your phone, and then a pat on the back. It’s not the easiest stage in life, but it doesn’t last forever either.