Field Shelters and Classroom for Equine Therapy Charity

TRUSTEE approval has been granted for Wooden Spoon Devon to donate £12,500 to Sirona Therapeutic Horsemanship, a charity which provides therapeutic and educational activities to young people and adults experiencing any kind of disadvantage or difficulty. The funding will be used to provide field shelters for some of their horses as well as a portacabin classroom which can be used as a therapeutic space.

With a team of qualified and experienced therapists and practitioners alongside a special herd of horses, Sirona provide equine-assisted therapy, a form of intervention that can help children and young people build new skills, gain confidence, improve communication skills and develop trust plus a host of other benefits. They offer their services to schools, social services, pupil referral units, residential homes and private referrals and have already helped more than 175 young people in Devon.

Being with animals has been proven to have many therapeutic benefits including decreased blood pressure, an increased sense of wellbeing, with the additional bonus of being in nature and the outdoor environment.