Equine-assisted learning can involve observing and interacting with horses to support a variety of mental health conditions, from alcoholism and addiction to depression and disordered eating.

Studies have indicated its effectiveness across age groups; adolescents with depression and anxiety have shown a 60% improvement in symptoms after a 12-week programme, while 80% of veterans with PTSD reported a significant reduction in symptoms. Interacting with horses creates a non-judgmental environment for self-expression and has been shown to reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure and decrease stress, whilst improving interpersonal skills, enhancing self-esteem and confidence, and increasing mindfulness and presence.

Meet Susie Little, a certified equine-assisted learning facilitator with a lifelong passion for horses and a background in business. Inspired by the success of equine-assisted treatment centres in the United States, she founded Tower House Horses in 2011. This initiative is driven by the undeniable powerful yet gentle healing that horses offer, changing lives in profound ways.

Since its inception, Tower House Horses has become a beacon of hope, healing and recovery, to date helping more than 1200 clients. Survivors of domestic abuse have found strength to reclaim their lives, while individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and previous offenders have embarked on journeys of recovery and transformation.

Additionally, Tower House Horses provides invaluable respite for healthcare professionals and carers, alleviating the enormous stress of their demanding roles.

With a dedicated team and their remarkable horses, the story of Tower House Horses is rooted in a passionate belief in the transformative power of horses to effect meaningful and lasting change.

Introduce yourself

Hi, I’m Susie Little. I live in a beautiful, rural part of Hampshire with gorgeous views across open farmland. Horses have been important to me all my life – I was “that kid” who drove their parents crazy until I wore them down and they allowed me to have riding lessons. Growing up in the southern part of the Lake District, when my parents eventually caved and bought me a pony, I was fortunate enough to have the beach at Morecambe Bay and the moorland above the coastline to roam around.

How did Tower House Horses start?

I started my business after becoming interested in the work being done in treatment centres in the US, with horses being a catalyst for change for people in recovery from substance misuse. I became fascinated and wanted to learn more about this rather different way of interacting with horses. I trained as a facilitator 15 years ago and co-founded the charity with Jo Simpson, whom I met while training.

We set up Tower House Horses initially as a Community Interest Company, becoming a charity in 2019. I am CEO, so I do most of the running of the charity, overseeing our fundraising efforts, facilitating client sessions and looking after the horses. Jo shares the facilitating and takes care of all the financial aspects of the charity. I am lucky enough to “live over the shop” as the charity operates from my home so I don’t have to commute to work 😊.

How did you want to change the world?

I can only directly change things in my corner of Hampshire, by helping people with mental health issues or life trauma to regain some confidence and emotional resilience, and relieve their anxiety and depression, through spending time with our horses. If I do have a hope/dream on a more global scale, it’s that everyone comes to see what an amazing contribution to emotional health and wellbeing horses can bring to the world.

They have the power to help and heal people, and as we move further away from historical ways of thinking about horses – as beasts of burden or sports vehicles – I would like everyone to recognise how much we can learn from their extraordinary emotional intelligence and empathetic nature.

What’s unique about Tower House Horses?

Hopefully our way of working with horses is no longer unique, as the equine-assisted services industry is growing fast, and increasingly being seen as a powerfully effective contributor to people’s health and wellbeing.

What is special about our charity is that the welfare of the horse is at the heart of everything we do. We want them to live their best life. The horses live outdoors, 24/7, with access to shelter and each other at all times. They are never confined to stables and only occasionally segregated (one or two are prone to weight gain!). 

It is important to us that we, and our clients, treat the horses with the utmost respect. All interaction with humans is ground-based – there is no riding involved in our work – and as far as possible, the horses have a choice as to whether they want to be involved. Our aim is to always seek the horses’ consent to be with us, rather than controlling or coercing them to “perform”. 

Our client sessions centre on making a connection with the horses and gaining their willing cooperation. In the process, clients learn how to change their own thinking and behaviour, and to find peace from the cause of their distress in the company of the horses, who are perfect role models of mindfulness and presence, just by being themselves.

How does Tower House Horses operate?

As a charity, we fundraise so that we can offer our services free to those who otherwise would be unable to benefit from our programmes. We have a number of beneficiary groups, including adults coping with anxiety and depression, those in recovery from substance misuse, survivors of domestic abuse, previous offenders, refugees, and care professionals. We also work with young people who are struggling at school for whatever reason. We can help them build their confidence, self-awareness and self-esteem, so that they are better able to cope with life’s challenges.

What our work relies on is the natural ability of the horse as a flight animal, to attune to subtle shifts in energy and behaviour in the human. Horses have survived for centuries because they know when it is safe for them to stay or when they need to leave. The feedback from the horses' reaction to the human, sometimes through very small changes in body language and facial expressions, can reflect the human's inner feelings and emotions.

Horses are perfect role models for how to be mindful and present. They help humans to quieten their minds and be in the moment with the horse. The experiential nature of equine-assisted learning helps people to gain insights into their own state of mind and way of being. and can be a powerful catalyst for change. 

We introduce clients - either one-to-one or in small groups - to the horses very gradually, with plenty of time to observe them initially from a distance. Over the course of a series of sessions, as familiarity grows and confidence builds, clients progress to very simple, hands-on activities with the horses. The act of leading a horse, for example, requires them to build trust, and develop a connection based on cooperation and consent, rather than coercion or control. 

These skills are transferrable to every situation in life. Clients can not only improve their emotional health and wellbeing in a beautiful outdoor environment, they can improve communication skills, develop emotional resilience, and acquire techniques for becoming mindful and reducing anxiety. 

There are many studies which confirm the strength of the human-animal bond. Research confirms that when interacting with horses, people can experience a calming effect caused by the release of a hormone called oxytocin, coupled with a significant decrease in blood pressure, a reduction of the stress hormone cortisol and an increase in endorphins and the reward hormone dopamine, all of which add up to an improved sense of wellbeing.

Clients are referred to us from many sources, including GP practices, treatment centres, schools and other charities. We make it clear that, while equine assisted learning is therapeutic in nature, as facilitators we are not therapists, and our work does not provide a replacement for clinical therapy. We provide a safe, nurturing environment in which our clients can relax and gain a different perspective on their situation.

Tell us about your horses

We have six horses and ponies. Four of them are rescues and have been re-homed with us by World Horse Welfare. Rocky is a New Forest pony who is on permanent loan and enjoying a second career with us. We have a small Dartmoor Hill pony, Woody, who chose to come home with me after I met him at a re-homing centre in Devon - he followed me around all day and practically loaded himself in my trailer. 

Only one of the group has ever been ridden. The four rescues – Blackie, Tommy, Paddy and Kite - all come from backgrounds of abuse and/or neglect.

The photo of the herd shows, from l to r, Paddy, Blackie, Kite, Rocky and Tommy - Woody is hidden behind Rocky. They are all wonderfully engaging, special characters, ranging in age from 6 to 34 years old. 

Why do you buy from EquiNatural? 

I am impressed by the quality of EquiNatural products, which were recommended to me by someone whose knowledge of nutrition and opinion I respect. With such a diverse group of horses, all with different needs and limited alternative grazing, I rely on  EquiVita as an all-round mineral supplement to keep them in great condition.

Throughout the year their coats reflect the fact that they are getting what they need. Not that we can see much of their coats right now, under layers of mud, but when we do scrape off the layers we can see a lovely sheen. I also use their Boswellia for a couple of the ponies who are experiencing arthritic changes to relieve their aches and pains. 

Is organic/provenance important to you?

Provenance is very important. I like the fact that EquiNatural products are not produced using agri-chemicals.

How have you seen the horse world change? 

The horse world is constantly evolving as recognition of horses as sentient beings changes attitudes. I think greater scrutiny of horse sport – our social licence to operate – is broadly a positive thing in ensuring the horse world is accountable for how we treat our equine partners. I am relieved to see that transport of horses for slaughter will soon be outlawed, thanks in large part to World Horse Welfare’s tireless campaign. 

I also love the fact that the horse world is increasingly accepting of the fact that not all horses have to be ridden, and that they can contribute to the quality of our lives just by being there.

Who’s your favourite equine guru, and why?

If you mean who is my favourite human guru, I don’t really have one. I follow a number of horse handlers and behavioural practitioners whose approach I respect. My real gurus are the horses themselves. My original inspiration to pursue this career came from the wonderful thoroughbred in the photo with me – sadly Pooks is no longer with us – but he was the founder member of the Tower House herd and taught me more life lessons than any human guru ever could. I am forever in debt to this beautiful soul.

What’s your favourite drink – a cuppa or something long and cool?

I enjoy my first cup of tea in the morning, but the occasional glass of champagne hits the spot!

Final word?

Thanks for taking an interest in Tower House Horses 😊

Follow the herd

Website - www.towerhousehorses.org

Case Studies - https://www.towerhousehorses.org/case-studies-1

FB - https://www.facebook.com/towerhousehorses