Facilities

INDOOR FACILITY

As the demand on our services increased we needed to expand the facilities at Blairmains. A large new building was completed in 2020 and has been affectionately nicknamed ‘FRED THE SHED’. This new space allows us to facilitate the complete block of sessions regardless of the weather. We can allow relationships to develop fully between client and pony with the consistency of the very important leading exercises. It also provides us with a self contained facility with a viewing area, cuppa cabin and offices.

OUTDOOR ARENA

This facility is used on those ‘few’ occasions when the weather is amenable!! Most of the time this is a training area for us to work with the ponies without the clients. This time is used to encourage trust and help the ponies to understand how to work with the clients. Due to it being bigger than Fred the shed, it also provides more options of different leading games using obstacles encouraging control between pony and client. During the summer camps it can be used with or without the ponies, giving the young people fresh air and freedom in a safe environment.

FOREST WALKS

We were successful in achieving funding from ‘PetPlan’ in 2017 to improve our outdoor experiences. With the help of the Criminal Justice Service we laid connecting paths to allow us to take the ponies and clients for a walk around the trees and fields. The clients love to hear the birds sing and look for deer hoof prints whilst controlling their pony in an open space. Many of these children like to run when given the chance, but the responsibility of taking their pony means they learn to regulate and stay focussed. As soon as the client loses focus the pony senses this and will pull for grass, a fantastic indication of the pony teaching the client life skills.

UDDINGSTON

In January 2022 we were very pleased to expand our services to include sessions at Woodhead Farm & Livery in Uddingston, thanks to yard owner, David Allison. The reason for this expansion to the services of PHC is due to the demand. Some South Lanarkshire/Glasgow clients can go to Uddingston allowing more available spaces at Blairmains. This has worked very well allowing families to reach the benefits of PHC without them needing to travel to Blairmains. After the first block where we had 2 ponies, Buttons & Bertie providing 4 sessions each week we were able to increase to 6 with the introduction of Cody. In such a short period of time we have built up a fantastic team at Uddingston led by Ann McKenna.