“The Quiet Corner has been a most wonderful experience both for my son, and myself. It is filled with such great pleasure for Stuart.” Barrie shares the story of how interacting with our therapy ponies is not just therapy for his son, but is a joy they share as a family. Barrie and Stuart are supporting our Buy A Bale Winter Appeal, which runs until February. It aims to raise awareness of the impact our therapy ponies have for our participants, and to raise funds to support their care over the winter months.
Who can forget 2020, the year the Covid 19 Pandemic hit. As a charity we worked very hard to find ways to support our community, in line with social distancing rules. Quiet Corner, which is a non-ridden option of our equine facilitated therapy service, evolved partly due to these particular circumstances. It was developed by two of our experienced Coaches in our adult sessions at that time, Jenny and Sharron.
Stuart, the Horse Whisperer
Stuart has been coming to Quiet Corner since it first began, and his dad, Barrie, knows what it means to Stuart,
The Quiet Corner has been a most wonderful experience both for my son, and myself. It is filled with such great pleasure for Stuart. In his small ways he expresses warm inner delight and that also brings sunshine into my life.
Quiet Corner is a one-to-one, non-ridden session with a participant, therapy pony and a specially trained member of our volunteer team. Depending on the weather, it can be outside, spending time in the fresh air, or inside in our indoor arena. Sessions are about gentle interaction, watching the pony breathing, listening to new sounds, touching him, grooming him and feeling his soft muzzle, the smell of his coat, the hay he’s eating. Just being with the pony in a tranquil environment.
(Stuart with therapy pony, Uist. Photo by Alan Hall)
Joy
There is a saying that the outside of a horse does good for the inside of a human. Coming to Muirfield Riding Therapy has not just had a positive impact on Stuart, as Barrie explains,
Before my wife died she was fortunate to also join in Stuart’s visits to MRT. She loved the interaction between the horses and Stuart, a joy we shared as a family. Following the passing of my wife, going to MRT greatly helped me through dark days, lifting me up and helping restore my spirit.
The story continues
Barrie and Stuart are supporting our winter Buy a Bale appeal which runs until the end of February. It aims to raise awareness of the impact our therapy ponies have for our participants, and to raise funds to support their care over the winter months,
MRT is always very special. We went as a family, the connection with horses was marvellous for Stuart. The story continues, and now Stuart and I go on together, with MRT as a lovely part of our lives.
Our Equine Facilitated Therapy is free-of-charge to our participants, to ensure it is accessible to everyone that needs it. We rely entirely on fundraising to do this and raise the £175,000 we need each year to cover our running costs. If you would like to support our work, please consider donating to our Buy a Bale Appeal
Click here to buy a ‘bale’ for our incredible therapy ponies this winter, and we’ll add it to our ‘Hay Barn’ here in our reception at our Centre! Choose from a Wee, Family or Big Bale, and help us to continue to provide our therapy.