Healing Hooves: The Story of Greatwood Charity

Learn how Greatwood Charity uses retired racehorses to support children with learning difficulties, autism, and emotional needs through equine-assisted therapy.

Healing Hooves: The Story of Greatwood Charity

Since its founding in 1998, Greatwood Charity has been transforming lives—both human and equine. Based in the Wiltshire countryside, Greatwood is a unique organisation that blends the rehabilitation of retired racehorses with educational and therapeutic programmes for children and young adults with special educational needs (SEN), learning difficulties, and social disadvantage.

A Charity Born From Compassion

Greatwood’s story began on a farm in Devon—named, fittingly, Greatwood. It was here that Helen and Michael, the charity’s co-founders, recognised a growing problem: there were no formal systems in place to care for ex-racehorses once they left the track. The couple began lobbying for better safety nets within the racing industry, and their pioneering efforts contributed to the eventual founding of Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), now the leading organisation for the aftercare of retired racehorses.

But Helen and Michael were already doing the work long before RoR existed. They were rescuing and rehabilitating horses who had fallen into neglect—through no fault of their original owners, but rather as a result of a broken system. For over 25 years, this mission has remained at the heart of Greatwood’s work.

From Rescue to Recovery—For Horses and Humans

In 2006, a new branch of Greatwood’s mission began to take shape. Helen, who had observed a selectively mute girl bond with one of the rescue horses, noticed something remarkable: as the girl cared for the animal, she began to speak again, while the horse visibly recovered too. This mutual healing sparked what would become Greatwood’s groundbreaking animal-assisted intervention programmes—long before such therapies were mainstream.

Their first educational programme, named HorsePower, was designed to support young people struggling with emotional literacy. It quickly proved to be a powerful tool. Over the years, the programme expanded and evolved, now offering accredited learning with fully qualified teachers. Courses focus on communication, emotional development, and work-based skills, all within the calming presence of thoroughbreds.

The Horse as a Leveler

One of the reasons Greatwood’s model is so effective lies in the unique connection between humans and horses. As staff explain, the limbic system—the part of the brain responsible for emotions and empathy—is remarkably similar in both species. This creates an innate connection that fosters trust, self-awareness, and emotional growth.

Children who are withdrawn often gain confidence and self-esteem. Others who struggle with discipline learn the importance of body language and non-verbal cues—vital lessons when working with horses. For those with autism or social communication difficulties, the horses’ reactions provide gentle but powerful feedback.

And the impact lasts far beyond the paddock. Parents and teachers consistently report improvements in behaviour, communication, and emotional regulation when young people return to school or home life.

The Horses Feel It Too

It’s not only the students who benefit. The horses—many of them retired thoroughbreds—show incredible emotional intelligence in return. Bold or spirited around adults, they instinctively become gentler around nervous children or care home residents. One such horse, Mahlervous, regularly visits care homes and is known for his calm demeanour around people in wheelchairs or with mobility issues.

This reciprocal healing—“horses helping people and people helping horses”—is what sets Greatwood apart.

Royal Recognition and Community Impact

Greatwood’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Over the years, the charity has received visits from HRH The Princess Royal and even Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who was so engaged during her visit in 2014 that she stayed for nearly two hours instead of the planned thirty minutes. Patron Sir Harry Herbert was instrumental in introducing the charity to the Queen, helping shine a light on its unique work.

Today, Greatwood supports over 230 learners each year, working closely with outside agencies and charities such as Wiltshire Mind and FearFree, which helps victims and survivors of domestic abuse.

A Noah’s Ark of Healing

While horses are central to Greatwood’s work, the site is home to a delightful menagerie of animals that form part of the educational environment. From cheeky Shetland ponies to goats, chickens, Polish bantams named Sandra and Golden Syrup, and even a resident cat called Colin, the animals provide comfort, engagement, and life skills for visitors. A peacock often makes a cameo, adding a dash of colour to the rural sanctuary.

The Connection to Old Gold Racing

Now as well as highlighting the fantastic work that Greatwood do on a day-to-day basis, we visited the facility in order to see one of their latest recruits, the one and only Picks Lad.

Picks Lad had a lot of potential to perform at a high level for our OLBG syndicate, under trainer Harry Derham. Unfortunately, Pick later picked up an injury when working at home. After plenty of time off in order to rehab correctly, he just couldn’t recover to return to racing, which has eventually led to him going to Greatwood.

His fantastically relaxed demeanour will no doubt make Picks Lad a hit at the yard, and we can’t wait to hear updates on him as the months and years go by.

How to Support Greatwood

Running a charity of this scope isn’t cheap. It costs over £600,000 a year to look after the thoroughbreds alone. But there are many ways for the public to help.

Become a Guardian: A small monthly donation can make a huge impact.
Join the Greatwood Lottery: A fun way to give and potentially win.
Attend the Annual Open Day: Held every June, this family-friendly event is supported by OLBG and offers an up-close look at the charity’s work.
Support them online: Raise awareness by following and sharing the work that they do online to help them reach a wider audience. Search for ‘Greatwood Charity’ on social media platforms to find them.

You can find more information and donate via their official website: https://www.greatwoodcharity.org

A Future Rooted in Purpose

As for what lies ahead, Greatwood’s mission remains simple: continue expanding its reach, deepen partnerships with local organisations, and care for as many people and horses as possible. In a world that often forgets the power of empathy and connection, Greatwood is proof that healing can begin with something as simple—and as profound—as a shared look between a child and a horse.