Willows Nook Equine Assisted Learning C.I.C

Willows Nook Equine Assisted Learning C.I.C EAQ (Equine Assisted Qualifications) Approved. Those who are suffering from social isolation or other wellbeing issues.

Willows Nook offers outdoor Equine Assisted Learning and Wellness sessions to people of all ages, working with ponies, goats enveloped by nature in the beautiful Calder Valley. The sessions will benefit children / young people who are excluded or struggle to be in school also children who are home schooled. Sessions may benefit Children young people or adults who have learning difficulties, autism

, behavioural and emotional difficulties or poor mental health. The sessions can also support those not in education training or employment. Willows Nook offers alternative education sessions in the natural outdoor environment and is a place where people can Discover, experience and connect with nature, develop their self-confidence and explore communication skills through interaction on the ground with ponies and other animals. Programmes are bespoke and designed to meet the needs of the learner/s
One to one and group sessions are available. Ground based equine assisted learning and outdoor activities can;
Improve mental health reduce stress and promote emotional healing and wellbeing. Combat loneliness and social isolation giving a sense of purpose accomplishment and self -worth. Increase self -esteem, personal development through experiential learning. We aim to promote awareness and responsibility for the natural environment and wildlife. Encourage environmentally friendly practices and conservation with regards to land management and animal care. We are committed to an ecologically sustainable pattern of horse-keeping and pasture management with the needs of the native flora and fauna in mind. We can provide opportunities to gain skills and qualifications. We offer outdoor equine assisted learning and therapeutic sessions in a fun, safe, supportive environment with non-judgemental, friendly staff and animals. Equine assisted learning is a fabulous way to engage people of all ages, deliver areas of the curriculum, support those who have been unemployed for a long time or give elderly people a chance to remember and reconnect with their past. In time we would like to create the opportunity for local people who are interested in learning about Equine Assisted Learning / horse, animal or land management the chance to volunteer and gain valuable skills and work experience.

Foraging for pig nuts, our mate Pie the magpie getting friendlier each day, Cuckoo flowers, willow treats, poo picking p...
05/06/2026

Foraging for pig nuts, our mate Pie the magpie getting friendlier each day, Cuckoo flowers, willow treats, poo picking pals…

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02/06/2026

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Some people believe that horses are just animals.

But many ancient cultures knew something deeper.

They believed that horses carried messages between worlds. Between the visible and the invisible. Between what we know and what we can only feel.

Looking at this image, it is hard not to think about that belief.

An old soul sits quietly, holding a pipe, surrounded by silence. Above him, a horse emerges from the mist like a memory that never faded. Not a possession. Not a tool. A spirit. A companion.

Because the bond between a human and a horse has never been measured in miles ridden or trophies won.

It has always been measured in trust.

In understanding.

In the quiet moments when no words are needed.

There are people who spend their entire lives searching for peace.

Some look for it in wealth.

Some in power.

Some in places far away.

Yet often, peace arrives in the simplest form: sitting still and remembering who you truly are.

Horses have a strange gift.

They remind us.

They remind us to slow down.

To listen.

To breathe.

To stay connected to something greater than ourselves.

They do not care about status, titles, or success.

They only respond to honesty.

That is why horses have a way of revealing the truth hidden inside us.

The old man in this image looks as though he is remembering a lifetime.

Perhaps the horse above him is not standing in the sky at all.

Perhaps it is a memory.

A friend long gone.

A faithful companion who carried him through storms, victories, heartbreaks, and years that passed too quickly.

The older we become, the more we understand that life is not made of things.

It is made of connections.

Of moments.

Of souls that leave hoofprints on our hearts.

And some bonds are so powerful that time cannot erase them.

Not distance.

Not age.

Not even death.

Because real love never disappears.

It simply changes form.

Sometimes it becomes a memory.

Sometimes it becomes a feeling.

And sometimes, on a quiet day, it returns like a gentle spirit standing beside us, reminding us that we were never truly alone.

Maybe that is why horse lovers never forget.

The horse may leave the pasture.

The saddle may gather dust.

The years may pass.

But the connection remains.

Living quietly inside the heart, where it will run free forever.

27/05/2026

On the plus side.... the amazing New Delight Inn at Blackshaw head is hosting a quiz this evening and proceeds will be donated to us to help with project running costs, come along and support a local project and a local business.

27/05/2026

Can you believe that councils and schools are putting small community projects like ours at risk simply by not paying invoices on time?
We don’t have a finance department. I am the finance department. I’m the accountant, bookkeeper, funding finder, facilitator, report writer, planner, shopper, land manager, animal carer, odd-jobber… and yes, sometimes the s**t picker too 😅
Right now we’re owed nearly £7,000 for work that has already been completed.
I could refuse to provide further sessions until payments are settled, but ethically that just doesn’t sit right with me. The young people and students who come to Willows Nook have already been massively let down by systems that are supposed to support them. I don’t want to be another person who lets them down.
But honestly? I’m exhausted and frustrated. So much of my time is being spent chasing payments instead of actually doing the work that makes a difference.
I contacted Rochdale Council for support and was advised to join a “priority account” service so invoices get paid on time… but they would take a percentage of the invoice for the privilege. Can you actually believe that?!
I love my job. I love helping people through nature connection and working with animals. I love seeing the difference it makes to wellbeing and confidence. But right now I genuinely feel like I’m losing the will to keep fighting systems that make it so hard for small grassroots projects to survive.
Anyway… rant over.
If anyone has advice, experience with this, or ideas on how small organisations can protect themselves without letting vulnerable people down, I’d genuinely appreciate it ❤️

23/05/2026

Munching the grass..

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09/05/2026

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Experience these benefits in action at this year’s ARCH Gathering! The annual experiential conference for facilitators applying story, animals, and nature in mental health, coaching, and education. ⁠

📅 Join us in Minnesota June 17-19, 2026. ⁠

Are you an ARCH member but haven’t signed up yet? Head to our link in bio to learn more and register today!

05/05/2026

The joys of spring…Ponies foraging in the hedgerows self selecting essential plants to benefit their health and contribute to a healthy diet for example cow parsley which aids digestion. Goats are enjoying willow which is a natural pain relief, improves rumen health, and parasite management. Look how the ponies can gently remove the hawthorn leaves avoiding the spikes…. Love the energy…the swallows are back busy and chatty as ever, even bobs got a spring in his step!

25/03/2026

Lovely day for it….🥶🙄😫💦🌞❄️💨

09/10/2025
01/10/2025

Copied and pasted but so true.....

Imagine you start a new job and they send a strict dress code, down to the colour of your socks and style of your shoe. They also send you a list of equipment which they say you must have every day. Some of it seems a bit strange - two green pens?- but off you go dutifully to Smiths and equip yourself.
On the first day, you’re lined up with your colleagues and inspected. Anyone whose clothes aren’t exactly according to the dress code is told they’ll have to work an extra half hour. Same for any missing equipment. The penalties add up - wrong colour socks and missing protractor? One hour after work.
You’re a bit concerned at this because you had arranged a lift home and if you have to stay late you’ll miss it. You check your clothes and equipment, all seems okay. You pass the check, but the woman next to you has the wrong shoes. She’s distressed at the news that she’ll be staying late - she had plans later. Tough. She starts worrying about how she’s going to get new shoes to avoid the same tomorrow whilst also staying late at work. You don’t know how to help.
You get into your office and look around at your colleagues, but there’s no time to chat. On the whiteboard is a list of expectations for the day. You must be on task at all times and this will be monitored through your computer. Toilet breaks are limited to particular times and you’ll be queuing because it’s the same time for everyone. Eyes must be kept on your computer and this will be tracked. You must sit facing forwards and not slouch. You must use a regulation ruler whenever you read a document. If you break the rules, you’ll be kept after work the same day.
You‘re told that if you get too many ‘after works’ then you’ll spend a day in the Quiet Room where no one will talk to you for the whole day and you can’t eat lunch with your colleagues or go to the toilet more than twice. You start to feel a sense of unease. You’re worried about whether you can comply and what will happen if you start gazing off into space or rocking on your chair.
The office is very quiet. ‘Isn’t it lovely?’ says your manager. ‘People here appreciate our structure and clear boundaries. You’ll do the best work you have ever done here because no time is wasted. We’ve set it up so you don’t have to worry about making decisions, you just do what we say and concentrate on your work’.
You think perhaps this isn’t the right place for you, but they remind you that you’ve signed a five year contract without a get out clause. There are no other options. You are powerless.
What effect would that have on you? Would you be happy and relaxed at work? Would you be motivated and doing your best for those five years? Might you feel anxious and trapped or resentful and angry?
And why would we think it would be any different for our kids?

Address

Pudding Lane Cornholme, Todmorden
Halifax
OL148NT

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