A Helping Hoof is an alternative provision that offers equine assisted support and mentoring sessions to children and young people. We want to support children to learn about horses, relax in a calm outdoor environment and build connections with our furry friends.
Our values
Support Through Connection
At A Helping Hoof, we welcome many teenagers who face challenges such as high levels of anxiety and low self-confidence. We provide a calm, supportive environment where being outdoors and working with animals has a noticeably positive effect on wellbeing.
Interacting with our horses offers young people a chance to experience connection, responsibility, and empathy. We’ve seen first-hand how many of our participants begin to grow in confidence and self-belief as they focus on caring for the horses and forming meaningful bonds with them.
Teamwork & Collaboration
We believe strongly in the saying, “it takes a village.” Our approach is centred around collaboration, working closely with parents, schools, local authorities, alternative provisions, tutors, and other professionals to support each young person.
Our experienced team brings together a passion for both horses and youth development. We plan our sessions with care, assigning the most suitable team member to lead each one, ensuring consistency and connection in everything we do.
Learning Through Experience
Learning is one of our core values. Our structured programs are designed to teach young people about horse care, stable management, and animal welfare in a hands-on and engaging way.
Participants gain practical skills including grooming, feeding, mucking out, and general stable duties, including chicken and duck feeding and handling. For those interested in progressing to further education or equine-related college courses, we offer opportunities to complete basic assessments and develop foundational knowledge to support their applications.
Encouraging Growth
Growth is central to everything we do, both as a team and in how we support the young people we work with. We see growth not just in equine knowledge, but in confidence, independence, and life skills.
As they learn to care for horses, young people naturally build important qualities such as resilience, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication, all of which prepare them for future challenges, both in and out of the stable.