IdEAL is a Community Interest Company offering Equine Assisted Learning activities and therapeutic horsemanship for children, young people and adults.
Inspired Equine Assisted Learning is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company specialising in Equine Assisted Learning activities and Therapeutic Horsemanship, which benefits a wide range of adults and children, including those with behavioural challenges, mental health problems, and learning difficulties. Therapeutic work with horses has been shown to improve mental and emotional wellbeing, physical skills and enhance communication and relationship skills. We offer private and group sessions on a long or short-term basis. For an informal chat or to arrange a visit please message Claire or Mike on this page or email info@inspired-eal.co.uk or call Mike on 07729 909186. We look forward to working with you.
20/02/2026
If your child’s school hasn’t explored Equine Assisted Learning yet, this might be the perfect moment to share our details with them
EAL offers children an innovative, hands‑on way to explore and understand their behaviour, confidence, communication, emotional regulation and self‑awareness. Through calm, structured interaction with our horses, children can learn in a way that feels safe, engaging and deeply meaningful, especially for those who struggle in busy or traditional classroom environments.
We know that school budgets are stretched and staff availability is limited. That’s the reality for so many teachers and SENDCos right now. It’s why we’ve done everything we can to keep our costs as low as possible, so more children can benefit from spending time with our herd.
If you think your child’s teacher or SENDCo would be interested, please consider sharing our details or passing on information about our free workshops. These sessions give school staff a no‑pressure opportunity to see how EAL works in practice and ask any questions. A small nudge from a parent can open the door to something genuinely transformative for a child.
A FREE 2-hour Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) demonstration, exclusively for Teachers wanting to explore how EAL can support their pupils
19/02/2026
Your workplace could make a real difference, to you, your colleagues, and the local community.
If your employer is looking for meaningful ways to support staff wellbeing, strengthen team relationships, or demonstrate genuine corporate responsibility, partnering with IdEAL is a powerful step.
Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) offers teams the chance to step outside the usual environment and reconnect with themselves, with each other, and with nature. It shows employees that their organisation cares about more than productivity: it cares about professional development, mental health, and overall wellbeing.
And for employers, sponsoring IdEAL or booking team‑building and wellbeing sessions sends a clear message: “We invest in our people, and we invest in our community.”
If you’d like your workplace to explore this, why not share information about our free workshops with your manager, HR team or wellbeing lead? It could open the door to something genuinely transformative.
A FREE 2-hour demonstration workshop, exclusively for HR Professionals showcasing the transformative benefits of Equine Assisted Learning
18/02/2026
Difficult conversations are part of leadership but confidence in handling them doesn’t always come naturally.
Whether it’s performance, behaviour, expectations or wellbeing, many leaders admit they hesitate because they’re worried about saying the wrong thing. That’s human and it’s exactly where Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) can make a real difference. Working with horses gives leaders a practical, embodied way to strengthen the 5 Cs of communication:
• Clear: expressing the message without ambiguity
• Correct: grounding the conversation in facts, not assumptions
• Complete: giving enough information for genuine understanding
• Concise: removing unnecessary noise so the message lands
• Compassionate: staying human, even when the topic is tough
Horses respond instantly to intention, clarity and emotional congruence. If your message is mixed, they show you. If your boundaries are unclear, they show you. And when you communicate with clarity and compassion, they show you that too.
EAL offers a safe, honest space to practise the skills that make difficult conversations not just manageable, but meaningful. If you’d like to explore how this works in practice, we’re running free workshops where you can experience EAL first‑hand.
A FREE 2-hour demonstration workshop, exclusively for HR Professionals showcasing the transformative benefits of Equine Assisted Learning
17/02/2026
Small changes can make a big difference! Just ask Toffee
Many of you know Toffee, our naughty Dartmoor pony with the big personality. What you might not know is that he also lives with related two long‑term health conditions:
Most of the time, these are well managed through a careful balance of medication, diet, and regular exercise. He’s usually bright, comfortable, and happy.
But over Christmas, a few tiny changes crept in: he had a small amount of unsoaked hay, his exercise dropped because of the weather and we had a spell of very cold temperatures
Individually, none of these seemed dramatic. In hindsight, though, the combination was enough to tip the balance and Toffee developed laminitis very quickly. This meant a period of box rest, additional medication, visits from the vet and farrier and a very unimpressed pony.
He’s recovering well now, but his experience is a powerful reminder that hindsight is wonderful but awareness is far better. The little things matter, they add up and they can change everything faster than we expect.
This obviously isn’t just true for horses, it’s true for us too, a small shift in routine, diet, movement, sleep, or environment can have a surprisingly big impact on our own health and wellbeing, for better or worse. Toffee’s story is a gentle nudge to pay attention to the small changes before they become big ones.
Take a moment today to check in with yourself, what tiny adjustment could help you feel steadier, healthier, or more supported? Your future self will thank you.
16/02/2026
We call ourselves facilitators for a reason.
In Equine Assisted Learning, our job isn’t to instruct or direct, it’s to create the conditions for meaningful interaction between clients and horses. We help those moments unfold, and sometimes we offer insight into what happened. But more often, we simply encourage people to stay curious, stay present, and discover the learning for themselves.
Facilitation is about holding space, not taking over and that’s where the real growth happens.
Join one of our free workshops to experience it first‑hand.
16/02/2026
Home educating your child? Here’s how Equine Assisted Learning can support you
More and more families are choosing to educate their children at home and one of the biggest questions they ask is how to create learning experiences that feel meaningful, balanced, and supportive of the whole child.
That’s exactly where Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) can help. Yes, EAL can strengthen academic‑linked skills like focus, communication, problem‑solving, and emotional regulation. But for home‑educating families, the real value often lies in everything that happens around the learning:
Socialising in a natural, low‑pressure way: Children interact with others through shared tasks, teamwork, and gentle guidance, without the intensity of a classroom.
Building confidence and emotional wellbeing: Horses respond honestly and without judgement, helping children understand their own emotions, boundaries, and communication style.
Learning through nature: Being outdoors, moving freely, and connecting with animals supports calmness, resilience, and a sense of belonging.
Developing real‑world skills: Leadership, empathy, patience, problem‑solving, all learned through experience, not worksheets.
For many home‑educating families, EAL becomes a space where children can grow socially, emotionally, and academically in a way that feels authentic and grounded.
And the best way to understand it is to come and see it. We’re running a free workshop exploring how EAL can support home‑educated children and their families. There’s no catch, no pressure, and no hard sell, just a warm welcome and a chance to experience it for yourself.
A FREE 2-hour Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) demonstration, exclusively for Teachers wanting to explore how EAL can support their pupils
13/02/2026
What kind of leader are you and more importantly how do you really find out?
One of the most powerful things about working with horses is the way they reflect our leadership style back to us with complete honesty. No hierarchy. No job titles. No performance. Just pure, instinctive feedback.
In Equine Assisted Learning, we often explore seven broad leadership styles:
• Visionary – inspires with purpose and direction
• Coaching – supports growth and development
• Affiliative – builds harmony and connection
• Democratic – seeks input and collaboration
• Pacesetting – leads by example with high standards
• Directive – provides clarity and structure
• Adaptive – adjusts fluidly to changing situations
Most people aren’t just one of these. In fact, every leader probably carries elements of all seven and it’s this unique blend that defines their style.
That’s exactly what the horses help you discover. They respond to your energy, your intention, your clarity, your confidence, and your emotional state. They show you which leadership styles you naturally lean into, which ones emerge under pressure, and which ones you may not even realise you’re using.
And because horses only respond to authenticity, not performance, they help you fine‑tune your leadership style in a way that stays true to who you are and to the people you lead.
Leadership isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about becoming a clearer, more grounded version of yourself. If you’re curious about what your leadership style looks like in action, EAL offers a safe, insightful, and surprisingly powerful way to explore it.
12/02/2026
Free EAL Workshops: No Catches, Just Curiosity
We’re running a series of completely free Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) workshops, each one tailored to a specific audience (schools, businesses, SEND teams, and more). But here’s the important bit: Everyone is welcome.
If you’re curious about what we do, how it works, and why it helps, come along.
• There’s no cost.
• No commitment.
• No pressure.
• And absolutely no hard sell.
We believe the equines will speak for themselves and we’re just here to share, support, and show how EAL can make a real difference, whether that’s helping pupils build confidence, supporting employee wellbeing, or strengthening community connections.
So, if you’ve ever wondered what EAL actually looks like in practice, or you just fancy a warm welcome and a chance to see something different, this is your invitation, all you have to do is get a free ticket via Eventbrite.
We had a brilliant Equine Assisted Learning session today with a local school for children and young adults aged 2 to 19 with a wide range of learning difficulties and disabilities. As always, the pupils brought bags of personality, and one moment in particular deserves a mention.
One young lad was very reluctant to lead Jake the horse around the obstacle course. Fair enough, it can feel like a big step. We could have left it there and let him sit that part out… but where’s the fun in that?
So we tried something a little different; I untied Jake, pulled my hoodie down over my eyes, and handed full responsibility over to the pupil. His job? Guide me (and Jake) safely around the course using only his voice. Let’s just say he rose to the challenge beautifully. He absolutely loved it, everyone else found it hilarious, and Jake and I made it through with our dignity mostly intact. More importantly, he took part, fully, confidently, and on his own terms.
Moments like this are exactly why EAL works. Adaptability. Creativity. Meeting people where they are. And giving them the chance to succeed in ways that feel safe, achievable, and fun.
If you’d like to understand more about why EAL is so effective, for schools, businesses, and community groups, we’re currently offering free workshops to demonstrate how it all works in practice. No cost, no commitment, just a chance to see the magic for yourself.
09/02/2026
Why is there so little uptake when something genuinely valuable is offered for free?
We’ve been offering free Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) workshops, no cost, no commitment, no catch. Just an open invitation for schools and local businesses to come and see how EAL can support pupils, employees, and the wider community.
And yet… the response has been surprisingly quiet.
These workshops are a chance to experience, first‑hand, how EAL helps schools engage pupils who struggle with confidence, emotional regulation, communication, and resilience. For businesses, it’s an opportunity to explore innovative, experiential training that strengthens teams and supports wellbeing.
We’ve even priced our full EAL programmes with South Lincolnshire’s low‑income realities in mind, making them as accessible as possible. And for businesses, working with us is a meaningful way to demonstrate Corporate Social Responsibility, investing in the same community where their employees live, work, and raise their families.
So, it raises an honest question: Why is there so little feedback or uptake when the barrier to entry is literally zero?
• Is it hesitation?
• Is it unfamiliarity?
• Is it the assumption that “free” means “not valuable”?
• Or is it simply that people are too busy to explore something new, even when it could make a real difference?
Whatever the reason, the offer is there, open, genuine, and created for the benefit of our local community.
If you’re curious, even slightly, I’d love to show you what EAL can do.
A FREE 2-hour Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) demonstration, exclusively for Teachers wanting to explore how EAL can support their pupils
08/02/2026
“Use it or lose it.”
We’ve all heard the phrase, usually right before a valued service disappears. And yet, when the inevitable happens, people still seem shocked, upset, or angry that something they rarely engaged with is suddenly gone.
The reality is that many community services, charities, and wellbeing initiatives spend months, sometimes years, explaining that they need people to show up, participate, or support them if they’re going to survive. But overcoming community inertia is incredibly difficult.
A big part of that inertia comes from the way people seek negative reinforcement from those around them. Friends, family, and colleagues often validate each other’s doubts:
• “It probably won’t be any good.”
• “Someone else will go.”
• “It won’t make a difference.”
• “I’m too busy, maybe next time.”
Before long, that shared negativity becomes the dominant narrative. It’s easier to join in with the scepticism than to break away from it. And so, people stay passive, even when something is being offered specifically for their benefit and wellbeing.
Meanwhile, the people delivering those services are doing everything they can, often quietly, often at personal cost, to keep something alive that exists for the community, not for themselves.
“Use it or lose it” isn’t a threat. It’s a reality. And when we lose something because we didn’t use it, we all lose far more than we realise. Maybe it’s time we start valuing things before they’re gone.
06/02/2026
Calling all HR professionals based around Boston and Spalding
We’re hosting a free Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) demonstration designed specifically for HR leaders, and I’d love to extend a personal invitation.
We’ve looking to invite a small number of people whose roles, experience, and vision for people development really align with what we’re showcasing. If you’re passionate about innovative approaches to wellbeing, communication, leadership, and resilience, this session is absolutely for you.
You’ll get to see how horses help people develop core workplace skills in a way that’s experiential, memorable, and deeply human. It’s a powerful addition to any HR toolkit and it contributes to CPD while also aligning beautifully with CSR goals through community impact.
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Inspired Equine Assisted Learning CIC posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Contact The Practice
Send a message to Inspired Equine Assisted Learning CIC:
Spending time with our horses will positively and permanently change your life! Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) is a unique learning experience that uses horses as active participants; it does not involve riding and no prior experience with horses is required. Our horses make perfect learning partners as their natural responses provide immediate and honest feedback to your actions and behaviour giving you a deeper understanding of yourself.
Inspired Equine Assisted Learning is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company specialising in Equine Assisted Learning activities and Therapeutic Horsemanship, which benefits a wide range of adults and children, including those with behavioural challenges, mental health problems, and learning difficulties. Therapeutic work with horses has been shown to improve mental and emotional wellbeing, physical skills and enhance communication and relationship skills. We offer private and group sessions on a long or short-term basis. For an informal chat or to arrange a visit please message Mike on this page or email info@inspired-eal.co.uk or call 07729 909186. We look forward to working with you.
Are you looking for something completely different and fun to do with your family? Do you struggle to compete with Social Media, TV and Video games?
Let our horses help! Inspired Equine Assisted Learning has a unique approach to building communication, leadership and team building skills - and your most important team is the one you share your life with at home? Join us for a fun session and discover what really makes your family tick. We’ll customise a unique experience for your family that will help improve communication, understanding and respect, and we’ll deliver it in a unique and unforgettable way, using our horses to guide you.
Our EAL + NLP Company Away Days are positively fun and positively productive!
Collaboration vs. Competition - Many team events are based on competition, but you really want all your team to work TOGETHER like a well-oiled machine! You don’t have to like every member of your team, but if you can communicate and understand one another then your team will be unstoppable!
At Inspired Equine Assisted Learning every experiential training session helps to develop effective skills in a fun and memorable way.
Our corporate Away-Days allow employees to spend quality time together to discuss ideas, issues and information in an environment that encourages innovation and creative thinking.
Inspired Equine Assisted Learning is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company. The fees we receive from corporate training help us to offer subsidised EAL sessions to disadvantaged people, living with various conditions in our community who can really benefit from EAL but don’t have the resources to pay for sessions themselves.
Horses Helping To Improve Care Home Residents Happiness
Last year, we took two of our ponies, Toffee and Pepsi, to meet residents at local care homes in South Lincolnshire. We received very positive feedback from the sessions, with residents eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the ponies and participating in the sessions. Residents asked lots of questions about the ponies with some reminiscing about riding and farming with horses. There was also anecdotal evidence that significantly more residents actively participated and enjoyed the innovative EAL sessions than take part in some of the other regular activities that are provided for them.
