Last weeks talk was presented by Dina Shale from The Way of The Horse, a multi-award winning, not-for-profit, equine therapy centre established in Leicestershire, but now operating from Trusthorpe.
Dina began her talk with a group discussion about the many ways the world has changed in recent decades and the impact it has had on children’s development.
The Club felt busy parents are too ready to let children entertain themselves on smart devices or gaming machines whilst schools have adopted a politically correct (aka woke) agenda that fails to set boundaries or correct bad behaviour, or even puts them in charge.
This has resulted in children being raised in a bubble where they can largely do whatever they want with no consequences.
By controlling what they engage with on their devices, they also protect themselves from facts or opinions that they find uncomfortable, preventing the development of the appropriate emotional and intellectual responses we all rely on when external factors affect our mood.
This lack of development is increasingly diagnosed as one or more mental disorders, which Dina feels is often not helpful and may not result in the most beneficial treatment.
This is where Dina aims to help both children and adults work on their emotional, behavioural and mental health challenges by living in the moment, experiencing nature and working with horses. Additionally, The Way of the Horse also offers workshops for people suffering from trauma as well as training for professionals who work with traumatised clients.
Find out more about Dina and The Way of the Horse at www.thewayofthehorse.co.uk which is also the home of her podcast “Taking Back The Reins”.