Animals have been used in therapeutic practices throughout history, and psychologist Jemma Hockley is passionate about the benefits that can come from interacting with horses.

Now she’s working with Jewish charities to help children with mental health problems.

Jemma, who is co-founder of the London-based equine assisted-therapy centre Strength and Learning Through Horses (SLTH), says the companionship and a strong sense of wellbeing that can come through contact with horses has helped thousands of hard-to-reach and vulnerable young people.

Jemma, who practises critical psychology, is passionate about “thinking about different ways to support those with mental health difficulties”.

She told the JC: “A lot of members of the Jewish community won’t access a psychologist because of shame and stigma.

“Other reasons people don’t access therapy could be down to poverty or discrimination,” she said.

“Most of the people we see would not engage in traditional therapy settings.”

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Some of the children who have benefited from equine therapy (Photo: Handout)

SLTH, which recently moved to new premises in Barnet, north London, works with several Jewish charities, helping Jewish school children with mental health problems or those who are experiencing illness within the family.

It currently needs to raise £370,000 to build a new equine therapy centre to increase its capacity and to be able to continue to help clients such as 13-year-old Josh Jacobs.

When Josh’s sister Abigail was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2020, the family was “terrified” .

They went into “survival mode”, said Abigail’s dad, Adam.

“Charity was something we gave to, not something we expected to receive. Our world came crashing down when Abigail was diagnosed.”

Friends and family recommended they got support from SLTH partner Camp Simcha.

Thanks to the charity, Josh was able to attend therapy sessions with the horses.

Adam explained: “Josh has ADHD, so what was happening to the family was a lot to process. He finds it hard to express emotions.

“We didn’t even know equine therapy was something that existed.”

The simple act of caring for the horses through SLTH has been “amazing” for his son in helping him to connect to what he is feeling.

Adam explained: “He would go every Sunday morning and loved the animals. We noticed he was really coming out of himself.”

Josh’s parents even noticed a huge improvement in his “road awareness”.

“We would always be worried about him walking into the road, but because he would have to pay attention to the horses, his road safety really improved.”

Josh is just one of hundreds of children who have benefited from SLTH.

Co-founder Jemma, who is Jewish, has been researching the use of horses in promoting mental wellbeing since 1998.

She is passionate about increasing awareness of equine therapy among mental health professionals.

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Reflection: children think about their feelings when they are with horses (Photo: Handout)

“Because horses respond to the emotions of young people, they have to learn to change their behaviour in order to build a connection with the horses,” she explained.

“Horses will respond fearfully to anger, or nervously to anxiety, for example.

“It means that when young people come to the yard, they have to alter their behaviour in order to build successful relationships with the horses.

“The horses are a way of getting them to think about how they behave in their own day-to-day lives.”

SLTH works with young people aged five to 25 who are struggling with mental health issues, emotional and behavioural problems and/or learning difficulties.

Jemma explained: “These are some of the hardest-to-reach young people. They typically struggle to engage in traditional therapy or the classroom, but when they come to us, because of the horses, they open up.”

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the charity’s future hung in the balance, and in 2022, the lease was terminated on what had been its home for the past ten years.

Jemma said: “We were homeless, and our young people were without a means to the emotional support they relied on.

“Thankfully, Barnet council stepped in and gave us a permanent lease on a derelict stable yard in Barnet.”

The charity has just completed phase one of the build to create London’s first dedicated equine therapy centre, which opened in spring 2023.

The centre is always looking for volunteers, who must have had at least five years’ experience of handling horses.

Jemma said: “We are grateful to have a permanent home but have a long way to go to finish the build.

“We need all the help we can get to ensure we can help as many young people as we can.”