22/08/2025
At Hooves of Hope, much has been happening behind the scenes. The demand for our services has grown significantly, and with animal welfare always at the forefront of our work, combined with changes in personal circumstances, we now find ourselves needing to make some important adjustments.
Our beloved horses have carried much of the load in recent months, particularly within equine-assisted sessions where riding has often become the main focus. While we completely understand the joy of riding—after all, we love riding our horses too—it is important to remember that our horses’ wellbeing must always come first. No horse has given more than Shikari, whose patience and resilience have been extraordinary as he has supported nervous and developing riders. Shikari has earned, and now requires, a well-deserved break.
In response, we have been working to relieve the pressure. Chewy, ever playful and talented, has proven to be an excellent mount, though he does not possess the same patience required for riders still developing balance, rein contact, and coordination—particularly where weight adds to the challenge. This is not about shaming in any way, but about safety and respecting the limits of our horses’ capacity.
We are deeply grateful to have recently welcomed Hank, a beautiful thoroughbred (pictured), who will help share the load with Shikari and Chewy. In addition, we are restoring one of our sulkies (harness buggies) to expand opportunities for participants who wish to do more than groundwork but may not meet the weight requirements for mounted sessions. This decision aligns with international standards; for example, the United Kingdom is moving toward legislating maximum weight limits for riders to protect horse welfare (Horse & Hound, 2025). In line with this, Hooves of Hope will introduce a maximum rider weight of 90kg for our retired racehorses.
We respectfully ask that those who participate in our equine-assisted learning and therapy sessions demonstrate patience over the coming week as we adjust and wrap our services around what is best for our horses. This may mean changes to session suitability, and while we respect that certain time slots may not be convenient, we must act in the best interests of the horses themselves. They are not merely a service to be used; they are living, breathing partners in therapy and learning. Their needs must always come first. We ask a great deal of them, and they have given us everything they have. Now, it is time for everyone to listen to them. If session times or formats no longer align with participant availability or expectations of riding consistently, unfortunately, we may not be able to accommodate those participants.
We are also mindful that changes in our personal circumstances will impact after-school equine-assisted sessions. While we value the importance of schooling, we also recognise that therapeutic and learning opportunities play an equally vital role in child development and emotional regulation. What matters is not simply riding, but engaging in meaningful therapy and learning.
Over the years, we have invested countless hours and resources into creating an award-winning program—one designed to support wellbeing, growth, and connection through horses. However, we have observed a growing trend of participants seeking riding lessons under the guise of equine-assisted services. It is important to be clear: our focus is not to provide riding lessons, nor to guarantee riding time in a session, but to deliver equine-assisted learning and therapy where the emphasis is on healing, growth, and development—always with the welfare of our horses at the heart of everything we do.
We will be reaching out to all our clients individually once we have established a more sustainable format and thank everyone for their understanding and unwavering support of Hooves of Hope and our Equine team.
