It's been a super-busy and eventful week last week. But I am particularly excited about having launched the Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL) workshops at a Brent-based primary school last Friday. Taking pony Cassius to school, he was an absolute superstar and instantly captured the hearts of all the children and staff at the school. He wasn't phased at all by the noise and buzz going on around him and absolutely loved all the attention & cuddles he got throughout the session...s with the children - and of course the lush grass that was on offer there:).
The children chosen for this project all have special needs in one way or another (with some on the autistic spectrum), and it was amazing to watch their reaction and response to the pony. Some really surprised us and it was hard to separate them from Cassius :)
The pony had such a calming, soothing effect on the children and many wonderful conversations were sparked. The workshop booklets I've designed will support the children's learning throughout the 10 weeks and the reward stickers went down a treat too. It was a truly special day and I feel so privileged to have this amazing opportunity - to be part of the children's journey for the next 10 weeks and witness them change and grow.
A big thank you also to Kelly & her partner Paul, who are providing the horse transport to and from school each week. Paul was great, hands-on with loading etc. and kept me reassured that 'it'll all be alright on the night'. I could not do this without you.
I will be posting regular updates each week here and on my Facebook page if you'd like to know what's going to happen next. So stay tuned...
I'm not able to publish any pictures with the children at the moment, but here are just a few moments of Cassius enjoying his weekly home at the school...