News
A Look Inside: Behind the Wire
Our work doesn’t always take place at an Equestrian Centre. Sometimes, we take it behind the wire.
Recently, AFEC delivered Behind the Wire, a five-day Equine Assisted Wellbeing Programme for Armed Forces veterans in custody at HMP Leyhill, designed and delivered in collaboration with Horserenity CIC.
The programme recognises that veterans in custody may be carrying the impact of military service, transition, loss, trauma and years of learned vigilance. Prison life can further reinforce the need to remain guarded, disconnected and constantly alert.
Why horses?
Horses are at the heart of Behind the Wire.
As highly social animals, they live in the present moment and respond authentically to the world around them. Through spending time with the horses, guided reflection and shared experience, participants are encouraged to slow down, observe and reconnect with themselves, their values, their relationships and their future.
The programme brings together experienced trauma-informed facilitators and carefully selected horses, with the wellbeing of both horse and human considered throughout.
Five days behind the wire.
Each day builds on the last.
The programme begins with safety, grounding and building trust, before exploring identity, personal values and what matters most.
As the week progresses, participants explore themes including authenticity, connection, fight, flight and freeze responses, self-talk, regulation and recovery. The final day focuses on hope, purpose, mindfulness, reflection and moving forward.
The intended outcomes include helping participants develop a better understanding of themselves, recognise what is happening in their thoughts, bodies and emotions, strengthen connections with others and create more choice between reacting and responding.
Ultimately, the programme aims to help participants develop a clearer sense of what they stand for, hope that life can be different and motivation to make positive choices moving forward.
Behind the Wire is another example of how AFEC is taking Equine-Assisted Wellbeing to members of the Armed Forces community in circumstances where that support can make a meaningful difference.
