Lough Shore Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning

I have had a lovely couple of weeks with lots of visitors and Easter carrots!  I have mentioned before that I live as part of a herd....that is the horsey name for Family! In my herd there are four of us, the key to a peaceful and harmonious existence within the herd is good leadership and everyone knowing and accepting their place within the herd. As in human families there is a hierarchy within our herd, I have secured the role of herd leader or dominance...Juno, Clover & Taylor all accept this (at the moment!) and understand that as Leader I make important decisions like where we graze and keep alert for potential danger.  The role of leader can change and I will not always be the dominant horse, I accept this and when a new leader emerges I will respect my new position within the herd. As an effective leader it is important that I have certain qualities such as patience and confidence, however a leader does not get angry, but commands respect throu...

Hi everyone I am a very happy horse this week! Spring has finally arrived, the sun is out and my human mum has finally let me back out in the field to some sweet green grass! 😁🌞 Its amazing how good it can make you feel just getting out in the sunshine....for some people this is not so easy.  People with mental health difficulties can be in a dark place experiencing emotional and psychological pain. I have had the very great privilege of being able to help people suffering with mental health issues.  As a therapy horse I offer a sense of calm and peace for those who are in distress, individuals who are afraid to talk to people in their own life can talk to me without fear. I am a great listener and will never judge or repeat what I am told. I accept everyone for who they are and don't ask for anything in return.  I help people to explore and reflect on their feelings and emotions, through this process I assist them to find solutions to the challe...

Hi everyone I hope you have all had a good week? I had a great week and enjoyed a really fun session with one of the children....this child was very busy and excited but I remained quiet and calm and this seemed to help the child to settle and I got lots of carrots! 🥕🥕🥕 I want to tell you a bit more about the other horses that are in my herd, I have already spoken about the beautiful Taylor 💓💓,today I am going to tell you about Juno! This is Juno in the picture 😂😂😂! Juno is the baby of the herd, she is my half sister as we have the same Daddy.....we look very alike and sometimes its hard to tell us apart!  Juno came to live with us when she was just 6 months old and she is now two. As little sisters go she is not too bad, she can be very annoying especially when she pulls on my rug!  Because she is still a baby Juno is not ridden and is not old enough to be a therapy horse but she still manages to get lots of treats when clients come for sessions with me! ...

This is me and my Lough Shore Equine Herd! I am the handsome fellow in the rug! The one pulling the face is my apprentice Therapy Horse Clover, Juno is the pretty one in the pink head-collar and Taylor is the stunner beside me! 💓  I have had a really fun week, I had a great session with a little boy who was working on his balance and co-ordination with games in the arena...he did really well because he won lots of treats for me!  I am able to help children and adults who have lots of different problems which includes sensory difficulties, perceptual problems and communication difficulties. Because I communicate with my herd and humans using non verbal communication and body language, I can help children and adults who find this type of communication difficult, to understand it better. This helps improve their ability to relate to other people and to develop self awareness about their own verbal and non verbal communication. Humans and Horses are not that di...

This is me back in my dressage days, that's my human mum on my back.....we had a lot of fun together. I especially enjoyed the game we used to play with the trailer!😂 That's the one where I pretended to walk on, eat the carrots and at the last minute reverse off at speed! It was even more enjoyable when people came to watch! I don't do dressage anymore as my job as Head Therapy Horse at Lough Shore Equine is very important and takes up all my time. As a horse I am highly instinctive and sensitive, this helps me to provide honest feedback to humans about their own feelings, emotions and behaviours. I have a strong survival instinct of Fight, Flight or Freeze this helps me to avoid being killed by all the horse eating cows, sheep, plastic bags and the monsters that humans just don't see! Humans have this same instinct and I am an expert at reading their subtle body language that tells me if they are afraid, relaxed, anxious etc.I reflect these emotions back and the...

Me & Taylor❤️ I am in loooove. . . This is Taylor, she is a leggy grey goddess and I have a huge crush on her 😍.  Today was the first day I got to get up close with her without pesky Clover barging in!  I think Taylor likes me..mares are very complicated and hard to work out. One minute they are all over you and the next minute you have a hoof coming at you!  Taylor is different though....Juno (little sister) has picked up on my crush and has been teasing me non stop.  I am off to get my beauty sleep 😴  Ibsen x 🐴   https://www.facebook.com/loughshoreequine /