Saracen Horse Feeds Supporting Ex-Military Personnel with HorseBack UK

Saracen Horse Feeds Supporting Ex-Military Personnel with HorseBack UK

Saracen Horse Feeds are very pleased to announce they will be supporting HorseBack UK as their chosen charity, and welcoming the horses and team at the charity as new brand ambassadors. Based in Aberdeen, Horseback UK works tirelessly to rehabilitate ex-service men and woman by introducing them to horses through residential courses. By working with the horses amongst like minded groups, service personnel who have been both mentally and physically scarred can work towards regaining their confidence, dignity and especially in the cases of amputees, mobility.

Founded in 2008 by ex-marine Jock Hutchinson and his wife Emma, the family originally moved to Aboyne to set up a quarter horse business to offer trekking through Royal Deeside. That Christmas several friends, many of whom were either serving or ex-military personnel visited and together spent days with the horses and socialising around a bonfire in the evening. A compelling comment was made ‘ This is what guys should do when they come back from war’ and so the seeds of HorseBack UK were sown.  Eight years later and the charity have 35 horses and ponies, used in all aspects of therapy, for both physical challenges and post traumatic stress. The structured courses which are supported by ‘Help for Heroes’ and run throughout the year have been attended by ex service men and woman from all modern conflicts.

With strong military connections from several members of the Saracen Horse Feeds team, the decision to support HorseBack UK was made, following a talk at this year’s annual BETA (British Equestrian Trade Association) Conference. Saracen Horse Feeds Sales and Marketing Director, Michael Bacon added ‘We have all been truly inspired by the work of HorseBack UK supporting our ex-service men and women.The horses offer so many opportunities to the residents, both from the ground and when ridden, everyone who knows horses will appreciate just how gentle and understanding horses can be with the broken and wounded. We are very proud to be able to support the charity by feeding these very special horses and ponies’.

The horses lie at the centre of everything at HorseBack UK and are chosen and then trained with beginners in mind. Course residents firstly learn to work with a horse from the ground to gain its trust, teaching it to respond to signals in the round pen before progressing to ridden lessons. Once the relationship is built, the sense of achievement for participants is profound.

For further information about HorseBack UK please visit www.horseback.org.uk

Suzanne Ashton

Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.