VIDEO: Using horses to help give people’s confidence a giddyup

Di and Paul Haines officially set up their non-profit equine learning facility, Field of Dreams, last October.

“It’s just sort of happened,” said 49-year-old Di. “It’s fallen together and I’ve just gone with the flow.

“I’ve had horses since I was 20 and it’s been a very traditional thing for me, but since I’ve changed the way I’ve done things it’s been so much easier and productive. It’s such a wonderful experience and it’s so nice to be able to share it.”

Di also believes that by using their five horses - Grace, Phoebe, James, Coco and Ace - they can enable people develop better communication skills and build strong foundations.

Di explained how it all came about:“I had a dangerous horse basically, so I spent a lot of time trying to settle him down.

“He threw everyone off, including Paul, and in desperation I got into natural horsemanship and the difference was remarkable.

“It wasn’t about getting the horse to behave itself, it was understanding why the horse was going ‘what’s the matter with you’ in the first place and from that this huge relationship started to blossom.”

At Field of Dreams, confidence building may begin by simply being near a horse, or clients can play games with the horses which Di believes is a great way to learn how human emotions can enhance or spoil relationships.

They also offer Paths of Development (PODS) to help people from all sorts of backgrounds build on their development through the animals.

To contact Di email [email protected] or call 01403 820639/07730 956420

See the full feature coming soon in the Horsham edition of Etc magazine.