Horse-assisted mental health charity to close base

A charity that offers horse-assisted therapy for people referred by the NHS and other authorities is to close its premises.

TheHorseCourse said its rented base at Broadwey, near Weymouth in Dorset, was unsustainable due to rising costs and a diminishing number of income streams.

Founder Harriet Laurie, who was appointed MBE for her work in 2023, said the main problem was a "squeeze on public funding" by the NHS and councils.

Equine therapy is not a standard NHS treatment. The BBC has contacted NHS England for comment.

TheHorseCourse began to help violent offenders at Portland Prison in 2010 before expanding to support a wide range of people with mental health and social needs.

In a statement on its website, the charity said: "We have taken the difficult decision to close our Weymouth TheHorseCourse Centre.

"We plan to close to the public at the end of May.

"We will then be rehoming the ponies, hens and Colin the cat, and clearing the site.

"The whole staff team and our trustees want to thank our wonderful participants, volunteers, professional colleagues and community for all the joyful time we have spent together, with our incredible animals, making beautiful memories."

Ms Laurie, 63, told the BBC she was frustrated that the charity had struggled to attract funding, despite growing evidence for its effectiveness.

She said: "I have become slightly jaded by this journey.

"I naively thought that if it worked and was cost-effective, the funds would follow.

"There is no money available from the NHS - we are losing about £70,000-£80,000 a year.

"We also relied on trusts and foundations but they have restricted their criteria."

The charity's online accounts showed it lost more than £26,000 in the year to the end of March 2024.

Ms Laurie said equine research - "the charity's unique selling point" - had demonstrated lasting improvements in young people struggling with their mental health.

Another study involving TheHorseCourse clients showed therapy could reduce domestic violence "by 51% over 12 months, which was better than any other intervention", she said.

The charity will continue to work with partner organisations around the UK and abroad and will also support university research programmes.

Ms Laurie said she was encouraging her staff to set up a smaller base in the Weymouth area.

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