Horses to help mental health
AFORMER teacher is using her passion for horses to help to treat mental health.
Maggie Falconer, 57, from Macclesfield, has opened a therapy centre which helps people overcome issues, such as addiction, by building relationships with horses.
Alongside business partner Ivan Broad, 43, Maggie already runs a centre in Staffordshire and is set to launch a second site, just off Whirley Road.
The pair met while qualifying as the first group nationally in a Level 5 Diploma in Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, through Leap.
Maggie, a former teacher at Fallibroome Academy and All Hallows, says the therapy can make a real difference to people.
The mum of four said: “We have started a community project (Staffordshire and Cheshire Equine Assisted Psychotherapy) and want to be able to provide this therapy across Cheshire and Staffordshire.
“This therapy can help with depression, anxiety, trauma, self esteem, confidence and much more.
“We are currently working with young people aged between 14 and 16, but it can help any age group, also providing assistance with relationships and boundaries.”
The group currently has six horses at their Staffordshire site and two at their centre in Whirley, which they are hoping will be open soon.
She said: “We just want to help as many people as possible. The plan is to expand.”
According to Maggie the animals are highly tuned to reading body language and react to the ‘energy’’ of the client.
She says over the course of a few weeks, with influences from native American spirituality, both the horse’s and the client’s behaviour will change ad adapt to each other.
Maggie said: “The client will choose their horse but really it is the horse that chooses them. The horse will respond to them and their energy and they take it from there.
“They will go out with to the maneage or stables and do some grooming work with the horse.
“And some of the work will lead to the person getting the horse to follow commands, even without speaking to them or touching them. It can be really interesting.
“They will also do some horse painting and things that they want to leave behind them they thread into their main. They then send the horse off away from them - it is quite life changing.”