Acre Lodge

07/10/2026

Schools, sixth forms and colleges... I’d really value your thoughts on something new we’ve been developing at Equimotional. 🐴📚

We’ve developed a substantial 12-week equine wellbeing and professional development curriculum for 16–18-year-olds for a college who then were unable to secure funding.

It is designed as a foundation and progression programme for young people who have an interest in horses and may be considering future study or careers in areas such as equine studies, counselling, psychology, social care, education, coaching, wellbeing or eventually equine-facilitated work.

So this isn’t really an “alternative provision activity programme”, and it isn’t therapy.

Think more along the lines of a young person saying:

“I know I’m interested in horses and people... but I don’t really know where that could take me yet.”

The programme gives them a structured opportunity to explore that.

Across 12 weeks, they look at areas including equine communication and welfare, human communication, wellbeing, boundaries and consent, confidence, stress and regulation, relationships, teamwork, ethical practice, leadership, professional responsibility and future progression.

There are different levels of challenge, with a full teacher delivery programme, learner workbook and evidence portfolio, so learners aren’t simply taking part in activities. They are observing, applying ideas, reflecting, explaining their reasoning and building evidence of what they have learned.

It could potentially sit really nicely before progression into a land-based or equine college, university study such as Hartpury, counselling or psychology training, health and social care, education, coaching or other people-and-animal-related pathways.

It is important to say that it is not currently an Ofqual-regulated qualification. At this stage, it is an Equimotional foundation curriculum designed to support learning, personal development and progression rather than award a formal external qualification.

What I’m trying to establish now is whether schools, sixth forms, colleges, specialist settings or equine education providers would actually be interested in delivering something like this.

If you work in education, particularly with 16–18-year-olds, I’d genuinely love to know whether you could see a place for it within your setting.

And if this sits on somebody else’s desk in your organisation, please feel free to send it their way. 💛🐴

We would like to offer it at a BETA price bracket.

11/09/2026

We are not entitled to ride our horses.

Not because we bought them.

Not because we pay for them.

Not because they were “bought to do a job”.

Not because we’ve spent £200 on a lesson, entered the competition, booked the clinic or driven three hours to get there.

None of that gives us an automatic right to get on their back.

If a horse is uncomfortable, frightened, overwhelmed, unwell, poorly prepared or simply not coping with what we’re asking, then our plans are irrelevant.

And I think the horse world still has a real problem with this.

We are very quick to say a horse is being difficult, lazy, stubborn, taking the p**s, testing us, napping, refusing or “just needs to get on with it”.

Far slower to ask whether we should actually be asking in the first place.

Of course horses need education. Of course they can learn confidence, boundaries and new skills. This is not about wrapping every horse in cotton wool or deciding that any sign of reluctance means we never ride again.

It is about recognising that ownership does not equal entitlement.

A horse is not a piece of sporting equipment that happens to need feeding.

They are a living animal whose body, comfort and emotional state should matter more than whether today’s session goes to plan.

Sometimes good horsemanship looks like getting on and working through something.

Sometimes good horsemanship looks like getting off.

Sometimes its not riding at all.
And knowing the difference matters.

I love riding but I also want horses to have long, enjoyable lives where they are comfortable & sound.

I don’t think “I pay for this horse” is ever a good enough reason to override what the horse in front of us is telling us.

I think the horse world still struggles with this. 👀🐴

26/08/2026

Amazing service by an amazing family run business, all horses arrived safe and sound, communication was great and Liam made sure they were all well looked after. Highly recommend this company.

24/08/2026

14/08/2026

UPDATE: now sorted thank you to everyone for your help it’s very much appreciated.

Looking for hay or haylage (Big Bales) to be delivered to my yard near crick. Does anyone have any available please? If so can you private message me.

Send a message to learn more

18/07/2026

A slightly more personal post from me today. 💛

As of Monday 20 July, I am being made redundant from my role as an Assistant Social Worker.

It is a strange sentence to write.

I have spent years working alongside children, young people, foster families and professionals, while quietly building Equimotional around the edges of a full-time job.

For the next six to eight weeks, before life changes again with the arrival of our baby, I am going to throw myself into Equimotional EVEN MORE 🐴

I want to use this time well.

I want to create things that equine facilitators, alternative provisions, coaches and organisations genuinely need.

So I would love to hear from you.

What is missing in the equine facilitated sector?

What do practitioners need more help with?

Where are the gaps in training, resources, confidence, policies, safeguarding, session planning or professional support?

What would make your work easier, safer or stronger?

I am also open to:

🐴 Collaborations with equine businesses and practitioners
🎓 Guest training and workshops
📚 Resource and workbook projects
🏫 Partnerships with schools and alternative provisions
💬 Mentoring and consultation
🤝 Joint events, lives, podcasts and professional conversations
🧠 Trauma-informed and non-pathologising projects
✍️ Writing, course development and educational content

I bring experience from social care, fostering, mental health, equine practice, training development and running Equimotional.

I have ideas. Plenty of them. Possibly too many. 😂

What I want now is to make sure those ideas are useful.

So, if you have been thinking, “Someone really needs to create this,” tell me what it is.

If you run a business and think we could work well together, please get in touch.

If you know an organisation, practitioner or project that could use my skills, tag them below or share this post.

Redundancy was not part of the plan.........before maternity. LOL

Perhaps this little six-week window is an opportunity to build something valuable anyway. 🌿🐴

📩 Send me a message or email 📧 [email protected]

09/07/2026

It amazes me sometimes, the sheer lack of consideration & empathy, given to our hardworking horses & ponies. As many owners/riders will still go off and compete their horses & ponies in this ridiculously hot weather. Is your horses well being really worth less than trying to win a piece of ribbon & so you can boost your Ego 🤦‍♀️.

In this prolonged dry spell, the ground is like concrete (would you set a course of show jumps on a concrete car park & jump your horse?). Your horse is wearing a fur coat (will you put a woolly jumper on and try and run & jump a XC course?). Most will mostly travel in a hot metal box, with no air conditioning. Even with windows & vents, if you get stuck in a traffic jam they will cook (you would not take your dog out in this heat, why do we not consider our horses in the same way?). Think how hot they often come off the horse box in normal weather!

Horse show venues, I know is it’s hard trying to make a profit, but is risking animal & human welfare, really worth not cancelling & trying to reschedule to another date? Is it not wrong to make owners make the decision to withdrawal in this extreme heat , yet you get to keep their hard earned cash really fare? It will put owners off using such venues in future! As many horse owners are already struggling financially, trying to compete & own horses right now is tough.

Let’s put our horses & ponies 1st, it’s not about rosettes right now, it’s about protecting our horses longevity. I am seeing far too many horses being exploited, worked way too hard too young and it’s heartbreaking…But YOU can do the right thing…❤️please feel free to share