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Horses4Health brings horse lovers together in campaign for building emotional wellbeing
Horses4Health (H4H) is inviting all those who love horses to join in a nationwide celebration to highlight the positive effect horses have on mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Through its Equine Welfare Grants Scheme, in 2022 H4H supported 17 equine charities across England and Wales and 33 RDA Groups with their Tea with a Pony initiative, and it’s now inviting horse enthusiasts to sign up to its latest fundraising campaign, Horses for Health Hack and Chat.
The initiative runs from 15 May until 28 August and it’s hoped that during that time, people taking part will get together for a hack in the countryside or a good old-fashioned chat at the yard. The charity wants to see participants taking a break from their hectic lives to spend quality time with their equine companions, friends and family and to take time to prioritise their mental health needs.
Horses4Health recognises the power that interacting with equines can have in terms of improving feelings of wellbeing. Simply stroking a horse’s nose can have an immediate positive impact on a person’s emotions that can last for the rest of the day, and, in some cases, interactions can continue to have a beneficial effect for months, or even years, afterwards.
Anyone wanting to take part in Horses for Health Hack and Chat can join for free and they will be given assistance in the form of a fundraising pack that contains ideas for raising money and a poster to download to help publicise the initiative. There is also a guide for setting up a Just Giving page and a fortnightly newsletter from the H4H team.
Participants can fundraise in any way they wish, whether that’s organising a group ride, a tack-cleaning session, a yard coffee morning or any other enjoyable and sociable activity involving horses. Last year, Camilla Erskine raised £500 by walking more than 110 miles with her horses. Unable to ride following an accident, she decided to take up the challenge and subsequently found it was the perfect way to keep active mentally and physically while out of the saddle. Not only did her walk have a benefit for her on a personal level, the money she raised was used to help horses in need via the charities supported by H4H.
If you would like to take part in the Horses for Health Hack and Chat 2023, or to find out more, click here.
