Mental health charity Mind says today is ‘Time to Talk’. They’re encouraging people across the country to “brave the big talk” and discuss their often unspoken mental health experiences.
According to the latest NHS figures, mental health conditions are becoming more prevalent in England, especially for young people. 25.8% of 16 to 24 year olds had a common mental health condition in 2023-24 – an increase of 6.9% from 2014.
For some people like Aaron, talking can be difficult. This is where horses come in: “There’s definitely days when I’d rather be with the horses than anyone else just because there’s no judgement there, you can just be yourself without worrying”.
Aaron has OCD with intrusive thoughts and autism, and he says horses have helped improve his mental health. He explains: “when you come into their space, just how calm and patient and still they are – that kind of penetrates you and you feel that peace and you tend to calm down. It’s just a really special connection.”
For both Aaron and Naomi, horses have a calming sensory effect
He is now a volunteer at Park Lane Stables Riding for the Disabled in Teddington, which is holding their own ‘Time to Talk’ event on Friday 6th February.
Naomi, a mental health activist who organised the event says horses “provide something for people to talk about and connect over,” especially for individuals who find talking challenging.
She’s been coming to the stables since 2018, and finds that it’s helped with her anxiety and autism. “I find being around horses just really calming and really grounding,” she says: “I find the sensory input of horses, the smell, the texture, really soothing as well.”
Naomi has been coming to the stables for eight years
Feelings of loneliness are becoming increasingly prevalent among young people, with 31% of 16-19 year olds saying they feel lonely, according to Mind’s ‘Big Mental Health Report 2025’.
This issue is becoming more prevalent as young people spend more time on their phones. Ofcom’s latest figures reveal 18 to 24 year olds averaged six hours and twenty minutes online per day.
At Strength and Learning Through Horses, a charity providing equine-assisted services as well as equine therapy in Barnet, they aim to bring young people back into the moment.
Founder and clinical psychologist Dr. Jemma Hockley explains: “The horses really help young people to connect with their basic experiences of their bodies […] We teach about how horses’ bodies look when they’re feeling worried and then we teach them about how we look or how we might feel.”
Strength and Learning Through Horses has helped over 5,000 young people since 2010
She says this ‘modelling’ technique is especially helpful for young people with additional learning needs as “doing things with the horses is a really helpful way of remembering what works and what’s helped.”
According to Alicia van den Abeele, the charity’s equine specialist lead, learning to care for the horses and help them through stressful situations helps the “young people to embody the helpful habits for the horse and then hopefully they can carry that out for themselves”.
With funding for youth services down by 73% since 2010, and growing concern for young people’s wellbeing, Jemma’s aim is for “young people to build a stronger and more positive narrative about themselves.”
She explains: “When they leave here, we want them to think of their strengths rather than their difficulties.”
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HeadlineHorses improve mental health, London charities say
Short HeadlineHorses improve mental health, London charities say
Standfirst‘If you’re having a bad day, they will definitely lift your spirits’
Mental health charity Mind says today is ‘Time to Talk’. They’re encouraging people across the country to “brave the big talk” and discuss their often unspoken mental health experiences.
According to the latest NHS figures, mental health conditions are becoming more prevalent in England, especially for young people. 25.8% of 16 to 24 year olds had a common mental health condition in 2023-24 – an increase of 6.9% from 2014.
For some people like Aaron, talking can be difficult. This is where horses come in: “There’s definitely days when I’d rather be with the horses than anyone else just because there’s no judgement there, you can just be yourself without worrying”.
Aaron has OCD with intrusive thoughts and autism, and he says horses have helped improve his mental health. He explains: “when you come into their space, just how calm and patient and still they are – that kind of penetrates you and you feel that peace and you tend to calm down. It’s just a really special connection.”
For both Aaron and Naomi, horses have a calming sensory effect
He is now a volunteer at Park Lane Stables Riding for the Disabled in Teddington, which is holding their own ‘Time to Talk’ event on Friday 6th February.
Naomi, a mental health activist who organised the event says horses “provide something for people to talk about and connect over,” especially for individuals who find talking challenging.
She’s been coming to the stables since 2018, and finds that it’s helped with her anxiety and autism. “I find being around horses just really calming and really grounding,” she says: “I find the sensory input of horses, the smell, the texture, really soothing as well.”
Naomi has been coming to the stables for eight years
Feelings of loneliness are becoming increasingly prevalent among young people, with 31% of 16-19 year olds saying they feel lonely, according to Mind’s ‘Big Mental Health Report 2025’.
This issue is becoming more prevalent as young people spend more time on their phones. Ofcom’s latest figures reveal 18 to 24 year olds averaged six hours and twenty minutes online per day.
At Strength and Learning Through Horses, a charity providing equine-assisted services as well as equine therapy in Barnet, they aim to bring young people back into the moment.
Founder and clinical psychologist Dr. Jemma Hockley explains: “The horses really help young people to connect with their basic experiences of their bodies […] We teach about how horses’ bodies look when they’re feeling worried and then we teach them about how we look or how we might feel.”
Strength and Learning Through Horses has helped over 5,000 young people since 2010
She says this ‘modelling’ technique is especially helpful for young people with additional learning needs as “doing things with the horses is a really helpful way of remembering what works and what’s helped.”
According to Alicia van den Abeele, the charity’s equine specialist lead, learning to care for the horses and help them through stressful situations helps the “young people to embody the helpful habits for the horse and then hopefully they can carry that out for themselves”.
With funding for youth services down by 73% since 2010, and growing concern for young people’s wellbeing, Jemma’s aim is for “young people to build a stronger and more positive narrative about themselves.”
She explains: “When they leave here, we want them to think of their strengths rather than their difficulties.”
