10/07/2026
It’s always a tonic to witness our graduates put learning on our courses into action to create spaces where horses and people can thrive! special thanks to Lisa Ashton Equicoach.Life whose input to our curriculum design made sure our Community are up to speed on social licence and the 5 domains! 🙏🐴♥️
HETI - Horses in Education and Therapy International
One of the first things I do each morning is check the ponies on the cameras.
Sometimes I catch moments like this and feel incredibly lucky.
Looking into the stable, each horse is simply… being a horse. Choosing to rest together, with the older 2 watching over Ted. They have the freedom to make choices throughout their day—whether that’s grazing, seeking shelter, resting, or spending time with one another.
For me, this is what good horse care is about. Not just meeting their physical needs, but recognising that their emotional wellbeing matters too.
I do my best to manage each horse as an individual while giving them the opportunity to express natural behaviours. Their environment is built around the principles of the Five Domains of animal welfare: good nutrition, a safe and enriching environment, physical health, opportunities for natural behaviours and social connection, all of which contribute to what matters most—their mental wellbeing.
The Five Domains remind us that welfare isn’t simply about preventing suffering. It’s about creating the conditions that allow an individual to thrive, not just survive.
It’s something I find myself reflecting on beyond the stable too.
As a psychotherapist, I often meet people who have become incredibly good at surviving. They get up, go to work, care for everyone else, keep going, and from the outside everything can look “fine”. Yet inside, they may feel disconnected, exhausted, misunderstood or simply stuck.
Counselling isn’t about fixing people. Much like caring for my horses, it’s about creating the conditions where growth becomes possible. A space where there is safety, connection, curiosity, and choice. A place to understand yourself more deeply, gently loosen old patterns, and reconnect with who you are beyond simply coping.
Whether it’s horses or humans, I believe wellbeing is about more than the absence of distress. It’s about having the opportunity to feel safe enough to be yourself, connected enough to belong, and free enough to grow.
Perhaps that’s what thriving really means.
Finding calm in connection.
