Salt Rock’s Jane Armstrong treats anxiety through horse therapy
She uses equine theraphy to help children who struggle with the pressures of reading in a classroom and can benefit from having a powerful animal as their support.
Salt Rock’s Jane Armstrong is living a daily dream, working with horses to help others.
Through her business, Unbridled Freedom, Jane offers equine facilitated interventions for well-being which can help with everything from anxiety to learning challenges.
Clients young and old have made positive impacts in their lives by way of Jane and the nine horses she uses for sessions on a farm inland of Ballito.
“It’s ultimately about connection and being grounded. We all live such frenetic lives that we lose sight of what is really important,” she said.
“That’s where the horses come in; they live in the present moment, can help regulate our heartrate and offer immediate feedback. They meet us where we are at.”
The treatment sometimes includes riding but largely focuses on learning and other support with horses on the ground in search of a holistic result.
She also offers Horse Powered Reading sessions, which can help children who struggle with the pressures of reading in a classroom and can benefit from having a powerful animal as their support.
“It’s completely experiential and every session is different depending on the client,” said Jane.
“It goes both ways too – just as people need to express themselves and crave connection, safe spaces and support, so too do horses who need their mental, emotional and physical requirements met.”
The journey to Unbridled Freedom started when Jane was a young girl growing up in Johannesburg.
Her father bought a smallholding with horses and she says spending time with them brought her solace and stability.
“I was around 12 when I met Hawa, who was an Arabian. It was a difficult time in my life and we developed such a deep bond.
“I don’t think it was until I was older that I quite understood how our relationship supported me. He was unfortunately euthanised unexpectedly and I shied away from horses for a while because it felt like this huge loss of my dearest friend.”
It was not until 2008 when Jane began working with horses again after watching a documentary on equine therapy.
She later began her training with Kim Kidson, a senior psychologist who offered Equine Assisted Psychology.
Jane said Kidson was instrumental in helping her to find the field of horses helping humans.
Her family moved to KwaZulu-Natal in 2011 and later to Salt Rock in 2017.
In that time she worked in many roles, with and without horses, including as the co-ordinator for The North Coast Courier Orphan Fund before founding Unbridled Freedom in 2022.
“It feels like a full circle moment, to be able to offer the help that I had from Hawa is wonderful.”
Jane will be moving to more permanent premises soon. Look out for that and further information on the Unbridled Freedom Facebook page.
Contact: +27 83 778 0190
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