Activities
ITCH: Activities
Below are some of the actives that we offer at our facility. To find out more information feel free to drop us an email or call us using our contact information at the bottom of the page!
By working closely with our trained staff and horses you can develop new skills and confidence.
Here are some of the things we help with:
Depression, stress & anxiety
Feeling lost, stuck or without a purpose
Lack of self-confidence
Low self-esteem
Feeling isolated or lonely
Coping with life changes
Strained relationships
Managing grief or bereavement
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
PTSD
Overcoming fear or feeling overwhelmed
Lack of motivation
Healing after a breakup or divorce
Bullying
We are pleased to offer a range of activities that support both children and adults.
How does ITCH work in practice?
There is no one standard approach to the sessions at ITCH. They can simply be observing the horses from a distance, quietly interacting with them within their natural environment, or working alongside them in a structured way in a school or stable. Below are some of the activities we offer…
Overcoming Obstacles
These sessions allow participants to work with the horses on the ground. Obstacle work is exceptionally good for building confidence, developing awareness and problem solving in non-pressured and fun environment.
Horse Care Sessions
Participants are invited to groom the ponies, assist in feeding and general horse husbandry.These sessions can help individuals develop a sense of nurturing and social responsibility and can also lead to formal qualifications if desired.
Therapeutic Rides
A steady walk out on horseback with an experienced leader. Students are taught basic riding skills however the informal setting ensures this is relaxed. Therapeutic rides can be calming and a good form of physical exercise, the main focus of the session is participation (rather than learning)
RDA & Structured Lessons
Lessons are one to one or in small groups depending on the students’ needs and are progressive. Ideal for anyone who shows an aptitude for riding.Lessons are led by experienced riding coaches.
1-2-1 Therapeutic Sessions
Horses are accepting and non-judgemental, making it easier for humans to open up to them which can be particularly beneficial for people who have difficulty accessing their emotions or expressing themselves through talking.
Adult Saddle Club
Want to know why 'that horse' is an angel for one person and a nightmare for another? Head ITCH Facilitator Fiona can tell you. These fun and informative interactive sessions will teach you all sorts of fascinating things not only about how your horse’s brain works but human brains work too.
Dementia Tea Parties
By the time you’ve boiled your kettle, another person will have developed dementia. Over 944,000 people in the UK are affected by the condition – and if someone you love is living with dementia, you’re living with it too.Working in partnership with Dementia UK, we host pony tea parties for people living with dementia, and those living with people living with dementia.
Forest School (Coming Soon)
ITCH: Based at Kingsmead
Qualified facilitators who are DBS checked
Staff who are experienced in working with people of all ages and abilities
A supportive environment to learn and have fun
Public liability insurance
Qualified first aiders
A herd-based approach to horse care
An understanding of the physical, mental and emotional needs of the horse and of people.
Licence Holder: Mrs Fiona Tothill. Licence Number: RE3 issued by Tandridge District Council
Overcoming Obstacles
“If people are doubting how far you can go, go so far that you can’t hear them anymore.”
- Michele Ruiz
These ground-based activities involve leading a horse through an obstacle course.
Depending on what level you choose to work at, this may be a simple exercise to practice
communicating with your horse and developing motor skills; or it can take a more
therapeutic form where the obstacles in the course are assigned personal meaning by you.
Your horse will help you to navigate through these obstacles acting as an emotional
barometer.
Horses have the ability to sense human emotions and react accordingly. Working with them
through an obstacle course encourages self-awareness. If you are angry for example, then
your horse may be obstinate. If you are nervous or uncomfortable, your horse may become
skittish. Horses pick up on emotions and respond to them in a dependable way. We don’t
always know that we are holding (and therefore communicating) tension, we can just feel
frustrated by how people are responding to us and it’s easy to react to them rather than
looking for the ‘why’. Horses act as mirrors, they will tell you what you are communicating,
and they do it without judgement or agenda. This makes it possible for you to modify your
behaviour and test out new approaches very quickly. When you feel different, the world
feels different.
Correctly viewed obstacles can be seen as opportunities to turn problems into progress.
Horse Care Sessions
“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt
How many times have you avoided doing something you thought you couldn’t handle only
to realised it wasn’t actually that big a deal after doing it? Action is a tried and tested way to
overcome fear. When attention is focused on completing a task (like haltering, leading or
brushing a horse), the sense of purpose in the activity allows you to practice important skills
like self-control, decision making, and communication. It’s also a great way to build self-
confidence.
Developing a bond with a horse can help you develop a better sense of self-worth and trust,
stabilise your emotions, and improve your self-regulation, and socialisation skills. The simple
act of petting an animal releases an automatic relaxation response and chemicals known as
endorphins. Humans interacting with horses have found that horse care promotes the
release of serotonin, prolactin and oxytocin - all hormones that can play a part in elevating
moods (and overcoming addiction). This results in lower anxiety and greater personal
growth.
If you want to take your horse care even further to gain qualifications, we can help with
that. From in-house certificates and records of achievement to nationally recognised exams,
we can support you on your journey into the equestrian world whatever your level.
Therapeutic Rides
“If you want to fly, give up everything that weighs you down.”
- Buddha
What could be better than a relaxing walk through the woods on horseback being led by an
experienced leader. Feel your stress and worries melt away surrounded by the beautiful
countryside of the Surrey Hills - Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. If you want to talk, our
guides (and horses) are excellent listeners; if you’d rather drift along in silence thinking your
own thoughts, just let your guide know and they’ll be happy to oblige. All that might disturb
you is birdsong and the clop clop clop of your horse’s feet.
If you do want tips about how to manage your inner voice, Riders Minds* (the online
resource dedicated to supporting the mental health and well-being of all horse riders) offers
the following advice: Be aware of ‘should’, ‘ought’, ‘must’, ‘got to’ language. They are
pressurising and limiting. Switch to ‘would like’, ‘want’, ‘choose to’, these have the effect of
putting us back in control and foster a sense of choice. Often, we think we have no choice,
but what we’re indirectly focusing on is the consequence of the choice rather than the
choice itself. Plus, sometimes things happen that we have no control over, but what we do
have is a choice about how we manage it. Watch out for the tone of your self-talk too, when
it slips from encouraging too harsh, angry, driven, take a moment to be kind to yourself.
RDA & Structured Lessons
"There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure"
- Paulo Coelho
Did you know that RDA riding lessons are classed as hippotherapy? Hippotherapy utilizes the
natural gait and movement of a horse to provide motor and sensory input. It improves
muscle strength, balance, neurologic functions, sensory processes and fitness. It’s also really
good fun!
We want as many people as possible to be able to access and enjoy horse riding. Our regular
riders include children and adults with physical and learning disabilities. We strive to ensure
that anyone with a disability can benefit from the unique bond between humans and
horses.
Our coaches are trained and qualified to deliver the best possible experience, based on your
needs, ambition and goals.
We offer individual as well as group sessions.
1-2-1 Therapeutic Sessions
“Until we make the unconscious conscious it will direct our lives and we will call it fate.”
- CarlJung
More often than not, we tend to become fixated on events and changes that we have
absolutely no control over. Practicing Mindfulness can increase our ability to accept and
cope with change. As prey animals, horses can teach us how to be mindful and fully
‘present’, which boosts our resilience.
Horses are accepting and non-judgemental, making it easier for humans to open up to them
which can be particularly good for people who have difficulty accessing their emotions or
expressing themselves through talking. Our facilitators use trauma-informed approaches to
create safe spaces to help you live in the moment and let go of past and future worries.
Equine assisted interactions have been shown to be hugely effective in helping people of all
ages find out about themselves. The experience with the horse combined with the added
benefit of facilitated reflection enables participants to gain significant insight into their inner
world. Using cognitive behavioural techniques, we will support you to re-shape your
thinking and quiet your mind.
Sessions are tailored to meet the needs of each individual. Some activities are set up
although much of what we do just happens or evolves. We will help you to plan the length
and number of sessions. We understand that everyone is different and will do everything we
can to accommodate your requirements.
Adult Saddle Club
“A horse doesn’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
- Fiona Tothill
These interactive informative demonstrations teach participants about the true nature of
horses and why we work with them. Workshops encourage people to think about life from
the horse’s point of view and help them understand how horses think and behave. Sessions
enable participants to communicate with horses without using force or bribery
strengthening their bond and fostering self-esteem.
Regular topics covered include:
► Full Horse Welfare: physically, socially and psychologically
► How a Horse Communicates
► Hierarchy
► Why the Training Never Ends
► Herd Mentality
► Desirable Traits / Workable Traits / Non-Desirable Traits
By gaining the horse’s respect and by becoming a leader, participants are able to increase
their own self-awareness and confidence. By learning to manage their own emotions, they
are better able to deal effectively with conflict. Aimed at anyone interested in finding out
more about what makes horses tick, these sessions have also proved extremely beneficial
for corporate clients as team-building experiences.
Specific sessions can be created on request by letting Fiona know what you are most
interested in.
Dementia Tea Parties
“Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Launched in 2021 by RDAUK, Tea with a Pony focusses on sensory experiences with horses
and ponies. It was launched as part of a nationwide dementia project in response to the
growing number of people living with dementia and similar conditions.
Horses have been shown to lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health. They
can trigger and assist in recall of memories and help sequence temporal events in patients
with chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Working closely with the Alzheimer's Society and
Dementia Friends to create this activity, Tea with a Pony offers fulfilling and enriching
experiences with horses to people living with dementia or other similar conditions.
When you come to an ITCH Tea Party, you’ll get to enjoy a slice of cake and cup of tea while
watching our herd, before being invited to interact with them. Our community Arts
practitioner will then deliver supporting activities like devising living stories, constructing a
memory tree, or creating musical histories.
And if you can’t come to us, we can even arrange to bring our ponies to you.
Forest School (Coming Soon)
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
―C.S. Lewis
We believe that all children should experience the benefits of connecting to the outside
world for both mental and physical health, which is why we are developing exciting plans to
open a new Forest School.
In April 2023 the @csjfoundation published the latest figures of children who have not
returned to school post Covid - a staggering 100,000! These children are collectively known
as ‘ghostchildren’. The most common reason given behind their reluctance to leave the
house was a ‘decline in mental health’ and anxiety. Add to that the fact that astoundingly 1
in 5 people living in England do not have access to a garden, park or local green space where
they live (research by @friends_earth).
Forest School has roots in the open-air culture, friluftsliv, or free air life, seen as a way of life
in Scandinavia where Forest School began. It arrived in the UK in 1993 and has grown in
popularity since then.
Forest School is a child-centred inspirational learning process, that develops confidence and
self-esteem through learner inspired, hands-on experiences in a natural setting. The process
helps learners develop socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically and intellectually.
Situated inside Kingsmead’s beautiful private woods, Forest School will offer a safe, non-
judgemental nurturing environment enabling meaningful connections to the natural world.
Accessibility and inclusion are at the heart.
Hold Your Horses!
Sign up for our newsletter now and we'll send you a monthly update with our news, events and how you can get involved!
© 2024 ITCH - All Rights Reserved
