Children from our Olsen House School, Liverpool are encouraged to participate in all kinds of offsite activities that match their individual interests and hobbies. Two of the children are particularly interested in horse riding and horse care, so the school have enabled them to attend weekly sessions at a local stables as part of their extended curriculum.

Let’s hear about a day at the stables..............

After arriving at 9am in the correct clothing for working at the stables, the young people then collect the equipment that is needed to complete the first task of the day; mucking out! Once they have filled the wheel barrow with the dirty straw they then empty it onto the midden. Clean straw then has to be collected to be put into the stables ready for when the horses return.

The young people then have to put the head collars on the horses and tie them correctly to the back of the stables so they don’t escape. Feet and tails are usually brushed and cleaned to stop dirty straw going back into the cleaned stables. Once all the stables are done, the yard then has to be brushed thoroughly to stop any infections.

After a busy morning, it is definitely time for a break and a hot drink. Next on the job list for the day is grooming, so the correct equipment needs to be collected to groom all of the horses. This is a good time for the young people to spend time with the horses and getting to know them better. Everyone really enjoys this task, they find it therapeutic, calming and relaxing.

Hay nets then need to be filled and the young people have to know which of the horses have either hay or haulage and at what weight to make ensure the horses are getting a balanced diet.

After lunch there are plenty more jobs around the stables like filling the duck pond, tidying away any equipment and also helping with any horse riding lessons. This gives a sense of responsibility and they both take pride in this role.

As you can see, a day at the stables is hard work but also a lot of fun and there are often many giggles throughout the day. Attending regularly has really helped increase levels of confidence, self-esteem and the young people continue to learn a lot more about horses and the constant care they require.

Well done for all of the hard work!