‘Animals Are So Healing'

Down on her Therapy Farm, Hannah Clarke is using the compassion of dogs, cats – and even geese, goats and a turkey – to help children who’ve faced tough times

- Katharine Wootton

All pet lovers know the power of animals to help make us feel better, from just sitting on our laps, to when they do something silly when we’re feeling down. But now one woman is harnessing this animal sensitivity to help children who’ve been through incredibly difficult times in her work running the Therapy Farm.

Hannah Clarke had long worked with children, first as a teacher and later as a psychotherapist, when she had a unique experience that changed everything.

“The mum of a child I was working with asked if I wanted to attend an event about how horses could be used as therapy,” says Hannah (49). ”I used to ride as a child, but my memories were generally of riding teachers shouting at me and, as I was quite a shy child, I used to get terrified. However, that got mixed up inside me and I wrongly thought I was scared of horses.

When I went to this event, I met a giant Hanoverian horse who had been badly abused by humans and the memory of being scared came back, but this horse just came straight up to me and put his nose on my forehead and breathed calmly. It was as though he was saying he knew how I felt being shouted at by people, because he’d also had that experience. It was such a powerful connection and I thought this could be a great experience for young people, especially those struggling to deal with their emotions or feelings.”