“I sometimes wonder when it was we lost sight of how much benefit there is to spending time in nature….” The words of Kerry (EAQ Manor Farm Centre Manager and Lead Facilitator) as we set off to meet the stable of therapy horses.
“It’s almost like some people have forgotten how to connect,” she muses. “But it’s something we’ve managed to resurrect, with some amazing results here at Manor Farm!”
We’re in Stocklinch, a quaint village just over 3 miles from Ilminster.
EAQ Manor Farm is an outdoor and equine-assisted learning centre, set in 13 acres of beautiful Somerset countryside, located directly opposite the 13th century Church of St Mary Magdalene.
The team at Pluss Positive People has been referring participants here for several years.
Sheer joy
One such person is 27-year-old Ellie, who has returned to the farm today (along with her Pluss Positive People Change Coach, David) to pay a visit to the place she credits for boosting her confidence and helping her begin to overcome her agoraphobia.
After meeting Ellie and chatting about what sort of support she was looking for, David (pictured right) suggested Ellie give Equine Therapy a try as an antidote to her agoraphobia.
“When we first met, Ellie struggled to even leave her own house,” he says. “In the early days she often didn’t manage to make her appointments due to her condition.
“Ellie then had some sessions with the West Dorset Practice in Poundbury, to help her approach some of her challenges, and after a while, and with lots of support, she worked up the confidence to give Equine Therapy a go.
“It wasn’t very long before we saw the results,” David continues. “EAQ Manor Farm allowed Ellie to explore her feelings about being outside, without any external pressures and the freedom to progress in her own time.
“We noticed – when we came to collect her after each session – the sheer joy on her face and the amount of excited talking in the taxi on the way home. It was incredible, like we had picked up a completely different person.”
Ellie agrees. She’s now at college studying to become a Barber; something she would never have considered before teaming up with Pluss Positive People, her coach David and the folk at Manor Farm.
To use an equine analogy, sometimes life can feel like it’s galloping away with you, and maybe all you need to do is pull on the reins to get the best results.
📹 Click on the image below to watch the video and let Ellie tell you, in her own words, more about her time with the horses and how her life has changed.
This is Ellie’s story…..
NB. EAQ stands for Equine Assisted Qualifications.
#NoOneLeftBehind
#FeelingBetter
From someone who struggled to leave her own house, to now studying to become a barber, let 27-year-old Ellie tell you how much Pluss Positive People and one of its partners; EAQ Manor Farm, have helped change her life. Join her as she makes a return trip to meet some of the people who have supported her on her journey.
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