HOPE Hippotherapy

24/04/2026

24/04/2026

🐴 Equine Assisted Therapy 🐴

Grooming is an important part of our hippotherapy sessions. It helps our ponies stay comfortable and healthy, while giving children valuable sensory input, helping with regulation, confidence, and connection before they ride.

A calm, well-groomed pony provides the consistent movement needed to support balance, posture, core strength, and overall development.

📍 Dummer, Hampshire
🕰 Wednesdays (term time)

If you think hippotherapy could support your child, please get in touch.

📩 Contact Helen
📧 hopehippotherapykids@gmail.com

🐴💛

21/04/2026

Morning from Taffy and me ☀️🐴

Wearing my other hat yesterday with Wellington and Dummer Riding for the Disabled, and feeling very grateful.

Volunteering alongside my work in hippotherapy and equine assisted therapy not only strengthens my bond with Taffy, but gives so much back to me too. There’s something incredibly special about being part of such a supportive, knowledgeable team—sharing experiences, learning from one another, and spending time with these wonderful ponies.

The calm, grounding environment, that unique positive (and yes, electromagnetic!) energy you feel around horses, and most importantly, being part of something that truly makes a difference in children’s lives—watching them grow in confidence and flourish—is what it’s all about.

Made even better by a bit of sunshine 🌿

21/04/2026

Another day, another conference with Riding for the Disabled Association and some truly inspiring Paralympians ✨

Including Mari Durward-Akhurst, Simon Laurens, Natasha Baker and World Champion carriage driver Debbie Daniels.

Such a lovely day spent surrounded by passionate, knowledgeable and genuinely inspirational people. Feeling motivated and grateful to be part of this community.

RDA South East Region RDA National Training Centre

20/04/2026

Your first hippotherapy session is always hard… but when your hippotherapist is your mum and you’re only 10 months old, it’s even harder 💛

New environments, new movements, and lots of sensory input can feel overwhelming at first. That’s why familiar toys can make such a difference — offering comfort, reassurance, and something predictable in a very new experience.

With time, patience, and the right support, confidence grows and those little moments of calm turn into engagement and progress.

18/04/2026

Which photo came first? 🤔

Photo 1: lying prone… looking like she might be asleep.
Photo 2: sitting up, engaged and ready to play.

Most people assume the second photo must come after the first.

But the truth is… it could be either.

Sometimes a child works incredibly hard on posture, balance and head control during equine assisted therapy — and by the end of the session they’re exhausted and need to rest.

Other times they start the session struggling to hold their head and trunk up, and as the session progresses they become stronger, more upright and engaged.

Both outcomes are positive.

Equine assisted therapy is powerful, and these photos show just how much benefit she gets from her sessions. 🐴

Spaces available Wednesdays (term time)
12.15pm

📩 hopehippotherapykids@gmail.com



💬 What do you think — which photo came first?

16/04/2026

One hand in her pocket… and still smashing the task!

Play is a big part of therapy.

In this session the child is side sitting at halt while posting pegs into a hole toy. Activities like this encourage reaching, hand control, coordination and problem solving — all important physiotherapy goals.

You might notice she has one hand in her pocket. That’s completely her choice. In equine assisted therapies we work with the child, not against them. Giving children control helps them feel safe, engaged and motivated to participate.

Even when the horse is standing still, side sitting provides a great physiotherapy challenge for balance, trunk control and postural stability while the child reaches and plays.

Movement, position and play are all carefully chosen to work towards each child’s individual goals.

HOPE Hippotherapy
Horse Offering Physical Enrichment
Dummer, Hampshire

Spaces available Wednesdays 12:15 (term time)
hopehippotherapykids@gmail.com

14/04/2026

Training Taffy 🐴

A lot of hippotherapy training happens before a child ever gets on the horse. Desensitising Taffy to toys, equipment and movement helps make sessions calm, safe and predictable for the children who ride him.

Today we practised with my homemade weighted doll Hope, which helps simulate the weight and movement of a child while we work on different positions and activities.

And proof the training works… a toy fell off his bottom and he wasn’t even phased! 😄

Taking time to train like this helps ensure Taffy is relaxed and ready to support each child’s therapy.

📍 Dummer, Hampshire
🕒 Availability: Wednesdays 12.15 (term time)
📧 hopehippotherapykids@gmail.com

🐴✨