Our Beginning

Mossburn Community Farm was originally formed back in 1990 as an animal sanctuary.

Our objective back then was to provide help for misused, abused, unwanted and neglected horses and ponies.

In time, that remit was widened to include any domestic farm and exotic animals - but excluding dogs, cats and donkeys as they have their own excellent charities elsewhere (things are hard enough for charities without stepping on each others' toes!).

So for many years we did just that – we cared for and nurtured all manner of creatures - and over time we gathered together a band of willing helpers who would happily spend their time working with and around animals that they would not otherwise come across.

Essentially we had set out to make a difference for those animals – and we ended up making a difference for those people as well. We didn't make a fuss about it – we just did what we were good at.
And we saw real results.

Gradually this vague notion of the symbiotic relationship between human and animal wellbeing evolved into a complete programme of training and self improvement.

But that of course was later.

Our Present

Today, Mossburn Community Farm remains a safe haven – but it's not just abused, neglected and at-risk animals that are cared for now; the remit includes humans, young and old, working with the animals in a range of programmes dealing with all manner of behavioural, relationship, social or mental issues.

Why?

Because, at a time when the medical profession was doling out Ritalin to so-called "disturbed" youngsters and paracetamol to stressed out parents we, and others like us, were seeing the truly spectacular results that can be gained from bringing together properly vetted animals, and people with a range of social and mental health issues.

We were introducing socially disturbed young people in a carefully controlled environment to a horse.
And standing back.
And waiting for the smile.

The use of horses in therapy has been big in America for more than a decade – and it's big with us too (and more of that later). The fact is that animals generally have an innate ability to open up a part of our psyche that some of us have tightly closed. They can arouse in us feelings that we have either deliberately - or through circumstances - suppressed. And, when combined with the expertise of professional mentoring, those feelings can be channelled to the good. The science behind this is explained later. For now – that's what we do. . .

We make a difference. . .

And we make a difference with people whom society has largely written off.