Equine saviours
A Scottish yard is saving the lives of countless soldiers discharged from service due to life-changing injuries. Stephanie Bateman finds out why horses are the catalyst in providing a new outlook on life — and giving much-needed hope
How horses are giving ex-service personnel the mental strength to rebuild their lives
Once a horse is tuned in, he wants to be part of the herd to the point where you can control a horse’s breathing and heart rate by your own
WHEN DOUG LOY had a mental breakdown a couple of years ago, he couldn’t see a future for himself. He ended up in hospital and homeless. His saviour was HorseBack UK, an equestrian haven for people looking to regain their self-esteem and a sense of purpose, in remote Scottish countryside. Having previously worked on racing yards, Doug was sent there by Racing Welfare. The equestrian Mecca was set up by former Royal Marine Commandos officer Jock Hutchison. After a decade in the marines, Jock became a military helicopter pilot, and then spent a decade running two companies. He and his wife Emma then decided to pursue their passion of working with horses and bought a farm in Aberdeenshire. “Within two or three weeks of being here, a fellow ex-military friend came
to visit and made me aware that for every individual coming home in a coffin from Afghanistan, there were eight coming home with life-changing injuries — and those people needed help,” explains Jock. “They were surviving because of the unbelievable medical care they were receiving, but there’s not much point in fixing somebody unless you give them a future.” Jock and Emma opened their home to groups of ex-military personnel with both physical and mental injuries. Many had lost limbs and been through particularly traumatic experiences. Through working with horses among like-minded people, injured soldiers could regain their confidence, dignity and — especially for amputees — mobility. Doug credits HorseBack UK with saving his life. “When I had a breakdown, I wasn’t mixing and, for the first time in my life, I wasn’t around horses,” says Doug, a former Pony Club member who went into racing in 1996. “Coming to HorseBack UK got me engaged again. Being with a bunch of racing staff was like being back on the yard and it felt really good. I felt isolated once I’d left my job, but HorseBack UK got me back mixing and talking with people, doing things and feeling useful. “If it hadn’t been for the fact that it was working with horses, I don’t think I’d have lasted a day on the course. The familiarity of being around horses made it easier. “The horses meant that if I was feeling a bit crowded with people, I could disappear into the fields and just sit with the horses. Two minutes with a horse are like two hours with a counsellor for me. “I now feel like I have a future and am looking at possibly doing a counselling course at college. I’ve seen how it can help people and am looking at having a go myself.”
Giving something back
In the first 12 months, Jock and Emma had several groups visit the farm to aid their recovery. In 2009, HorseBack UK gained charitable status with the aim of introducing injured personnel to horses. As the idea grew, Jock came up with the idea that those who had completed a HorseBack UK course could then go on to help deliver the courses to others. “For the instructors, the ability to give something back and help their wounded comrades gives a sense of confidence and achievement. For those undertaking the courses, knowing they are under the tutelage of people who have been in their shoes means they don’t have to explain themselves and it reproduces that familiar camaraderie.” The charity acknowledges that recovering from any life-changing experience requires time, understanding and a healing environment. It now opens its doors to racing staff, through Racing Welfare, who have suffered mental and physical injuries, as well as the wider community. “Everyone needs a mission in their lives and the resulting feeling of achievement, self-worth and empowerment,” Jock explains. “An important part of extending our programme to the wider community is to empower veterans to assist in the process. “Our participants may return to work at HorseBack UK all year round. They find a place where they may rebuild, retrench and move forward into a brighter future.” Doug is one example. He completed the course and now returns as a volunteer. “I’ve made a lot of friends,” he adds. “When we get together, we laugh a lot and that’s a big thing. I’m now living, not just surviving.”
Two minutes with a horse are like two hours with a counsellor for me. I now feel like I have a future