Decades after loving them as a child, horse therapy taught Olivia Palamountain how to assert herself “Daddy, I want a horsey,” demanded seven-year old me, imagining Famous Five-style riding adventures somewhere a lot more exciting than Earl’s Court. But my father is neither a pushover nor an idiot, so the closest I ever got to a trusty steed was an awkward pleasure ride on Weymouth beach and an enviable collection of ‘My Little Pony’ toys. Fast-forward thirty years and I’m striding around the stables of Lucknam Park like the heroine of my girlhood dreams, ready for a lesson in horse whispering with Dawn Cameron, who has managed the estate’s Equestrian Centre for more than 20 years.
Known as ‘Equine Connect’, the two-hour experience draws on an established method pioneered by cowboys in the Wild West, which enables you to bond with a horse using body language only – and have it submit to you as its leader. The technique mimics how stallions coerce mares to join their herds in the wild, running them down to the point of exhaustion before taking the pressure off and gently inviting them into the herd. All you need is a whip and loads of confidence.
Used to rehabilitate prisoners, inspire confidence in disadvantaged kids or alleviate physical and emotional trauma, at Lucknam Park, horse therapy has been applied to team building experiences and corporate away days as a way to foster emotional growth and self awareness – pretty progressive stuff for an old-sch.