Trisha - Who’d have thought a horse would be my key to recovery?

I never imagined caring for horses could be so healing! My experiences with Equine Therapy at Bushbred Farm with horse trainer, Dave, have been a key to restoring my confidence for achieving a fifteen year dream of starting my own small business.

Since becoming unwell in 2000, overcoming anxiety and reclaiming my passion for life has taken time and persistence. I’m so grateful to Flourish Australia’s Penrith Service for the chance to re-discover the therapeutic benefits of working with horses at Bushbred Farm as part of my NDIS plan.

I used to ride when I was younger but wasn’t able to get straight back into it due to some arthritis in my knees. Being part of the group that comes to the farm at Gables every Friday for Equine Therapy with Dave has been amazing.

Working with the horses has been so therapeutic, I don’t become unwell as often as I used to and it’s really improved my physical fitness.

Just seeing how horses bond with their herd was a reminder of the need to re-connect socially. The best part of being at the farm each week soon became sharing what’s going on in each of our lives over a cuppa before the work gets underway. Together with this group of people who really get what I’ve been through, I’ve regained my self -confidence as we’ve learned to feed, harness and groom horses, and shared in the joy of doing it!

Dave shares some great insight, like one Equine Therapist who works with defence force Veterans with PTSD who said, “Some who thought they’d never bond with anyone again have re-established the ability to feel connected through Equine therapy and carried this over into their everyday relationships.” (Gupta & Gans 2024).

Working with big harness horses, like Tommy the Clydesdale, has helped me to build a deep sense of self-reliance which the Support Workers really encourage. On one occasion, when I found it tough going pushing a heaving wheelbarrow full of firewood over a levee bank, I asked Dave to do it for me. He said good humouredly, ‘come on now, you can do it, you don’t need a pack horse,’ and it actually felt good to prove to myself that I had it in me to do it!

Feeling stronger in myself has motivated me to pour into my dream of a career in photography. I have a Certificate IV in Photo Imaging from Nepean Tafe and loved working with make-up at Estee Lauder in years gone by. My vision is to combine these two talents by setting up a glamour makeover and photography studio, so I’m making a start with some sessions at home.

My love of all the farm animals, and my Jack Russell called Sandy, who’ve been so healing for me, inspires me to want to expand into horse photography too!

The farm experience is just one of the many practical ways so many people have helped me on my recovery journey, from the Community Mental Health Teams to Flourish Australia’s WestClub Penrith who bring me to Bushbred Farm. With the right people, and animals, around me now, I feel excited about my future again.