January/February 2012

2012 is going to be a fabulous year for Hopethruhorses, we are beginning the year by launching ‘An Investment in Emotional Health’, a huge campaign to help combat the growing problem of stress and depression both at home and in the work place. The beautiful Cotswold countryside and our gentle, kind horses provide the perfect and peaceful environment for people to come and learn how to relax both physically and mentally.

One of our special ‘in care’ boys has moved on to another life this month after coming for Equine Involvement Therapy nearly every week for the last year. We will miss him and wish him the very best for his future. We will be keeping in touch and hope to see him again.

Magnus and Caspian have survived their castration and behaved impeccably throughout. We were so proud of them and very relieved they healed remarkably quickly.

Breeze has coped with a trip to equine hospital to have a large lump removed from her ear. The hospital was fantastic and allowed her brother buck to stay with her for the two days she was there. They were so beautifully behaved and dealt with loading onto the lorry and being stabled alongside the biggest horses any of us had ever seen, admirably.

She is so much happier without the pressure of a melanoma filling her ear cavity. She had become introvert and indifferent, her personality totally changed and since the operation she is back to her affectionate and soft self.

We have had the most hideous mud to deal with during the last few weeks; the horses are very tired of the lack of grazing. We are desperately looking for more land to move them to for a couple of months, to allow their existing field to rest.

We are cashing in on research that has been done on the effects of being out in the countryside on mental health. Research has shown that young people with ADHD are substantially calmer having spent time in their natural environment and the same has been found for those suffering from depression and anxiety. Once again the environment we have to offer at Hopethruhorses is ideal for them to fully experience the benefits.