'Ponies Inspiring People': our pioneering programme working with disadvantaged young people
For the past four years, DPHT has been working with special needs students and young people using the Dartmoor Pony as a platform for learning and developing life skills. The programmes are tailored to individual needs and allow participants to interact with a sensitive animal with which they can create a bond, thereby gaining confidence in new situations. They also achieve new life skills that improve their personal development.
The ‘Ponies Inspiring People’ Programme helps students to:
- Develop self confidence and deal with significant challenges, e.g., learning how to overcome their fear of a large animal and teach it acceptable behaviour (no barging or nipping)
- Engage in positive behaviour with peers, e.g., by working as a team, supporting each other and relying on individuals who each have their own role, to make the whole experience come together. Each attendee has the opportunity to prove themselves and earn respect for each achievement along the way
- Develop positive relationships with adults and authority figures, e.g., by demonstrating new capabilities and understanding, particularly achieved through learning new skills in a very different environment and working with staff and pony trainers as a much-valued team member
- Achieve personal and social development - completing the project successfully and making new friends and relationships with both animals and humans provides students with enormous personal development opportunities
- Engage in a positive learning experience - the life skills and personal skills developed have proved to have real short- and long-term impacts on previous participants
- Develop practical skills - while they may never use pony handling skills again, the general manner required to deal with animals which are often reflected in situations dealing with humans as well
- Develop empathic relationships with the ponies - the effects of human interaction with gentle but needy animals is proven to be beneficial in terms of emotional development and direction. The opportunity to focus on another living creature can change the most fundamental attitudes and break down barriers, enabling individuals to move forward in their personal lives
- Develop an awareness of the effects of non verbal communication - participants learn that the way they speak, move and interact with others affects the pony they are handling.When they gain good skills, the ponies and humans around them will work with them and react positively, in partnership. The effect is immediately noticeable and the ponies are very sensitive to the needs of individuals, quickly establishing a rapport. Equally, 'when the going gets tough’, support from experts and demonstrations from others working with animals, shows how words may not be the only powerful communication tools.
Our aim
Our aim is to create opportunities for young people, enabling them to meet their full potential and to provide them with with a set of social, emotional and communications skills which should enable them to become more positive members of society and ultimately, to move into long term employment and away from the welfare system.
Students who have progressed particularly well on past courses have had significant issues with:
- Anger management
- Low self esteem and poor confidence
- Attention behaviour deficits
- Deprivation
- Poor social skills
- Autism and Aspergers
Please contact Dru Butterfield if you would like to book your group on to a PIP session. 01626 355314 or dru@dpht.co.uk
Download an article on 'horses with halos' from Horse & Hound
We also run a range of primary and secondary education activitities: See school groups
“The work by Dru and DPHT is most likened to ‘Equine Facilitated Learning’ (EFL), an intervention which utilises horses to teach people about themselves in the hope of bringing about positive change via the learning of skills, although the inclusion of wild Dartmoor ponies offers a variation to the normal protocol. Participants seem to form a bond with both Dru and the ponies, which allows them to receive constructive feedback in a non-threatening, non-judgmental way so that the participants can come to know themselves better and witness how their actions can have consequences. Skills learnt are said to include team work and social skills, trust and motivation which in turn contribute to the building of self-esteem whilst improving empathy, effective ways of managing feelings and developing greater self-awareness, all important social and emotional skills.”
Dawn Chaplin and Katy Hurworth - Final Year BSc (Hons) Psychology Undergraduates, Plymouth University
“I hoped that the children in our Enhanced Provision for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders would develop their ability to interact with others through working with the ponies on this project. The progress that these children made went far beyond my expectations. The children established a relationship with 'their' pony from the first day when the children and ponies were paired up, somehow being drawn towards each other. The children are calmer and more motivated to engage in activities when working with the ponies. The children have developed their independence and confidence, better listening and concentration, improved understanding and use of language and ability to take turns and share. All these positive effects have carried over into their work at school and life at home. It is the only project we have found that offers opportunities for these children that meet their needs so exactly and effectively."
Preston Primary School
“I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for the opportunity you have given our young people at Mayfield.
The ‘Ponies Inspiring People’ courses have been a huge success. For those that lack self esteem in many areas of their lives, they were supported and truly inspired to believe in themselves. This again was a wonder for us to see and their individual progression was carefully charted and resulted in higher than expected results. I believe this was due to the constant analysing of individual targets that both Mayfield and your team did whilst in your sessions. Every young person showed growth and that is an incredible statement to make for our young people. “
Mayfield School
"The [4- to 6-year-old] children with a profound autistic spectrum condition have been fortunate enough to have been able to take part in Ponies Inspiring People (PIP). This project is a wonderful opportunity for the children because it is a real life experience that promotes language development and social communication; skills that are so important for these children. We have found that our children made marked progress in their confidence and self esteem and felt empowered by being able to interact with such a large animal when they are so small and young. Another noticeable improvement has been in their independence and this has carried over into their school and home life. Self help skills such as dressing and brushing their own hair have improved. We also found that the work with PIP provided a context and motivation for reading and writing. In addition to their direct work with the ponies, the children have experienced the wider aspects of learning to care for the ponies such as taking part in ‘poo picking’. Almost all the children have thoroughly enjoyed collecting up the ‘poo’ from the field, learning how to use a scraper, scoop and wheelbarrow. This activity really encouraged and developed their ability to work as a team.
The only drawback we have found with PIP is the funding that is needed for the sessions and also the transport. Perhaps the local authorities and children’s charities could look at how they might support this very worthwhile project."
Jonquil Stapleton, Teacher in charge of the Enhanced Provision for children with communication and interaction difficulties (autistic spectrum disorder), Preston Primary School
January 2012