Project Outcomes: Positive Impact on Well-being

Our project demonstrated a significant positive impact on participants' overall well-being. Based on the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), we observed an average total score of 58.60 across all 25 participants, indicating a high level of mental well-being at the end of the programme.

Key Findings:

• High Average Well-being: Participants reported consistently positive feelings across various aspects of well-being, with average scores ranging from 3.92 to 4.44 across all 14 categories.

• Positive Feelings: Participants reported feeling optimistic about the future (4.16), useful (4.36), relaxed (3.92), interested in others (4.44), energetic (3.92), able to deal with problems (4.32), thinking clearly (4.32), feeling good about themselves (4.20), close to others (4.00), confident (4.36), able to make up their minds (4.28), loved (3.92), interested in new things (4.24), and cheerful (4.16).

• Age and Gender Differences:

  • Participants aged 13-15 showed the highest average total WEMWBS score (58.7).

  • Female participants had a higher average total WEMWBS score (59.4) compared to male participants (57.8).

• Consistency: The standard deviation across all categories was relatively low (0.45 to 0.69), indicating a consistent positive response from participants.

These results demonstrate the project's effectiveness in enhancing participants' mental well-being across a variety of domains.

Transformative Impact: Equine-Facilitated Learning in HMP High Down

Our Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL) and Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) program at HMP High Down, delivered with a local partner ‘Kingswood Shetlands & Friends AAT CIC’ has delivered remarkable results, exceeding expectations and fostering profound personal growth among participants.

Key Achievements:

• Overwhelmingly Positive Feedback:

  • Participants consistently described the program as "brilliant," "fantastic," and "amazing," expressing deep gratitude for the experience.

  • The program significantly surpassed initial expectations, demonstrating its powerful impact on emotional, physical, and mental well-being.

• Profound Personal Growth:

  • Residents reported increased self-awareness, improved emotional regulation, and a more positive outlook.

  • The program facilitated the development of practical skills for stress management and coping with challenges.

• Powerful Animal Connection:

  • The bond formed with horses and other animals proved to be a key source of healing and learning.

  • Participants valued the non-judgmental interactions and the insights gained from observing animal behavior.

• Supportive and Transformative Environment:

  • The program fostered a safe and supportive environment, praised for its skilled facilitators and welcoming atmosphere.

  • Participants experienced a sense of community and belonging, contributing to their personal transformation.

• Lasting Impact and Desire for More:

  • Residents expressed a strong desire for longer course durations and follow-up programs, highlighting the program's lasting impact.

  • Participants are eager to apply the skills learned in their daily lives and share their knowledge with others.

• Mental Health Benefits:

  • The program has shown to have a positive impact on mental health, with participants reporting reduced anxiety, and a caliming of the nervous system.

• Broad Applicability:

  • Participants recognized the program's potential to benefit a wide range of individuals, including those with mental health challenges, young people, and even prison staff.

In essence, the EFL/AAT program at HMP High Down has proven to be a powerful catalyst for positive change, fostering emotional growth, and promoting well-being among participants.

This project supported six therapeutic parents—foster carers and adoptive parents—through a six-session Equine-Facilitated Learning (EFL) programme designed to address compassion fatigue, emotional exhaustion, and the risk of placement breakdown. Grounded in trauma-informed practice, the programme integrated Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills and therapeutic parenting principles (PACE), offering carers a safe, experiential space to reconnect with themselves.

Key Outcomes:

• Reduced Compassion Fatigue: Statistically significant reductions were observed in burnout and secondary traumatic stress, with participants experiencing enhanced emotional wellbeing and resilience.

• Improved Emotional Regulation: All participants demonstrated greater ability to manage emotional responses, with 100% reporting increased somatic awareness and grounding.

• Increased Self-Awareness and Boundaries: Participants gained deeper insight into their emotional needs and developed stronger interpersonal boundaries.

• Transferable Skills for Home Life: Breathwork, boundary-setting, and non-verbal communication strategies were widely applied in daily caregiving contexts.

• Restorative Relational Experience: Interactions with the horses provided emotional validation, reflection, and a sense of connection, often described by participants as “life-changing.”

Quantitative Highlights:

• Average wellbeing scores (WEMWBS) increased significantly.

• Burnout and secondary traumatic stress scores decreased with large to very large effect sizes.

• Strong correlations were found between improved wellbeing and reduced compassion fatigue.

Participant Feedback:

“Even in the cold, we all showed up. That says everything.”
“I’m more aware now and a bit kinder to myself.”
“The horse just stood with me—like it got how I felt.”

This action research affirms EFL’s potential as a powerful, non-clinical intervention for carers, offering embodied, relational support where traditional services often fall short. It calls for broader access to EFL as a preventative and restorative tool for caregiver wellbeing.

Hope Through Horses is a trauma-informed, family-centred Equine Facilitated Learning programme supporting children in care, children on the edge of care, and the wider systems around them. Working alongside horses, families and professionals are supported to build emotional regulation, relational safety, confidence and connection through experiential, psychologically informed learning.

Funded initially through The National Lottery Community Fund, the programme supported 24 families across three 12-week cohorts, delivering 288 sessions and reaching over 100 individuals including carers and professionals. Outcomes demonstrated meaningful improvements in wellbeing, relationships and emotional awareness, with all participants providing matched wellbeing data showing improvement by the end of the programme.

The project has since developed into a growing, scalable model with emerging partnerships across education, mental health, social care and youth justice settings. A full impact report and ongoing evaluation findings will continue to inform the development of the programme and wider sector learning.