Rescued and recovered horse, Paddy, now has an important therapy role
Posted on 24/06/2022
Share
Handsome 12-year-old horse, Paddy, was totally shut down to human interaction when he was rescued but now, four years later, he is helping troubled humans regain their confidence and rebuild their lives, and is the star of a video recently released by World Horse Welfare on therapy horses.
Paddy has joined two other World Horse Welfare rescue horses at Tower House Horses, an equine therapy charity based in Winchester, Hampshire.
Paddy was awarded into the care of World Horse Welfare when his owner was found guilty of neglect under an offence of the Animal Welfare Act. He was cared for at Glenda Spooner Farm, the charity’s Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Somerset, for almost a year before he was fit and healthy enough to be rehomed.
“We are really beginning to recognise that there are many more jobs that horses can do, not just the traditional ridden, driven or companion roles. Using horses in a therapy environment is becoming more and more popular because people are recognizing what kind of valuable input the horse can have on human lives. It’s about looking after the partnership and that special relationship that horses can have with humans.”
Penny Baker, the World Horse Welfare Field Officer who was involved in the initial assessment and rescue of Paddy
“The great thing about horses is that they are incredibly healing and empathetic to be around. We work with them to help our clients rebuild their confidence and self-esteem, to gain emotional resilience, improve their ability to communicate and just generally go away feeling uplifted by having spent time with these wonderful creatures.”
Susie Little, founder of Tower House Horses
Paddy joined two other horses at the centre who had also been rehomed from World Horse Welfare: Blackie and Exmoor pony, Tommy, who has been with Susie for twenty years.
“We work with victims of domestic abuse, previous offenders, people with alcohol and substance misuse issues, young people with anxiety and depression. The wonderful thing about horses is that what we do with them works with a whole variety of people because it gets right down to the core, the lack of self-esteem, the lack of confidence that people come with.
“Paddy, Blackie and Tommy show the great power of horses to heal people. It’s beautiful to see the horses interact with people, they don’t judge you. All three of these horses come from traumatic backgrounds themselves. They bring a lot to the therapeutic process because they’ve got the lived experience, they’ve been there, got the t shirt.”
Susie Little
Share
Topics
Related News
Nine horses including two foals and a Shetland pony are rescued from deep flood waters in Middlesex
While dozens of flood warnings remain in place across the UK, it is not just people that bear the brunt of the drastic weather.
Team effort to help obese ponies face a fitter future
Four ponies arrived at Belwade Farm Rescue and Rehoming Centre last year dangerously obese and in need of months of expert care.
Recommended Blog Posts
A (nearly) century long commitment
Ending the long-distance transport of horses for slaughter.
Frodo’s journey to Royal Windsor
Frodo's groom Nicolle picks up the story as Frodo prepares to go to Royal Windsor Horse Show.
Meet some of our often-unsung heroes on Groom Appreciation Day – Emily at Penny Farm
"It’s an amazing opportunity to give horses like these a second chance in life so they are loved and cared for."
Enjoy reading stories like this?
Join over 65,000 other horse lovers and sign up for our email newsletter
Join over 65,000 other horse lovers and sign up for our email newsletter
Sign me up now
