Animal assisted intervention promotes emotional wellbeing, mindfulness and inclusion

Education

Emotional wellbeing, mindfulness and inclusion are at the heart of all of Greatwood's educational programmes. View our Policies, view our event calendar and see what educational experts think of us.

Horses

A former racehorse has much to offer after its period of rehabilitation and Greatwood makes every effort to match the right horse with a carer. Greatwood equine management staff carefully vets all applicants to ensure that ultimately both horse and carer have a long and happy life together.

Support Greatwood

Donations and support are the life blood of Greatwood. Our work costs Greatwood over £500,000 annually. You can help Greatwood rescue and care for neglected and ill treated former racehorses and educate and inspire children with special educational needs. See how you can help us.

Greatwood Horse Power

Greatwood was a beautiful old Devon farm from which we derived the name for the charity. It was on one particular occasion in Devon that the idea for Horse Power began to take shape. We had been asked if we could help a little girl who had become so withdrawn that she had stopped speaking. When she visited us, we had just rescued a horse that was in a poor way. Over the following few weeks we witnessed the most extraordinary transformation in this child. There was an interaction between the vulnerable child and the rescued racehorse that built both of their confidences up to such an extent that before too long a bubbly little girl would arrive chattering gaily, and a recovering horse would whicker at the sound of her voice.

As our work was needed more and more, we decided to move, and found a dairy farm near Marlborough in Wiltshire. That, in itself, was a huge upheaval, the removal of dozens of horses, geese, hens, sheep and goats made the actual house move a piece of cake.

Once we had settled in Wiltshire we were determined to provide an opportunity for children with special educational needs to learn life skills and emotional literacy through interaction with rescued former racehorses.

In 2012, 19 years since we began and 14 years after the charity was founded, we have successfully re-homed many rescued racehorses and are now happy to report that our work with children has gone from strength to strength and over 2000 children have been educated at Greatwood. Of course, none of this could have been achieved without the substantial help from our staff, friends and supporters.

Thank you all.

Michael & Helen Yeadon