Supporting Mental Health with Horses at Eat Sleep Ride

Healing Hearts and Minds with Horses: How Eat Sleep Ride Supports Mental Health in Rural Scotland

For Mental Health Awareness Week 2025, we’re proud to share how Eat Sleep Ride is making a difference. Based on a reclaimed landfill site in rural Berwickshire, our off-grid community farm uses the healing power of horses and nature to support people facing barriers — from young people struggling with anxiety to adults in rural isolation.

Our equine-assisted coaching programmes build emotional resilience, confidence, and life skills through meaningful connection with horses, people, and the environment. For many, we provide early intervention support in a calm, trauma-informed setting — often before formal services can be accessed.

“Horses create a powerful mirror. They help us slow down, notice how we feel, and respond without judgement,” says Founding Director Danielle McKinnon.

We also work with women in the justice system, carers, and those who feel disconnected from community life, helping them rediscover self-worth and shared purpose. Our work is deeply rooted in lived experience, promoting wellbeing through a holistic, nature-based approach.

Despite challenges with funding and rural resources, the impact is life-changing. Connection, shared leadership, and community are at the heart of everything we do.

“Being around the horses grounds me — they remind me to breathe, to be present, and to soften.”

At Eat Sleep Ride, mental health support is about more than services — it’s about creating spaces where healing and hope are possible.

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