Book a “Horse Body Painting” Session at The Horse Trust this Summer!

The Horse Trust is now accepting bookings for “horse body painting” sessions during the summer holidays at its sanctuary in Speen, Buckinghamshire.

Horse body painting enables children and adults to learn more about a horse’s anatomy. In a horse body painting session, the anatomy of a horse is shown on a printed sheet illustrating where bones and joints are located. People are then able to paint these anatomical structures on the side of the horse’s body.

The horse body painting sessions will be run at 2 and 3pm every Friday during the summer holidays (23 July – 7 September), with the first session taking place on Friday 29 July. The sessions cost £10, which includes the cost of the non-irritant body paints and a small donation to the charity. Each session, which is only suitable for adults or children over the age of 8*, lasts approximately 30 minutes.

“This is a fun activity for people of all ages and will give you the opportunity to learn more about horses, as well as spending time with one of the sanctuary’s residents,” said Liane Crowther, Training Manager at The Horse Trust, who will be running the sessions.

“This is the first time this activity has been run at the sanctuary so we are expecting it to be very popular – we highly recommend booking ahead to avoid disappointment,” said Liane.

As well as horse body painting, the charity will be running various other activities over the summer holidays including demonstrations, “have a go at grooming” sessions and competitions for children. Staff will be demonstrating various aspects of horse care, such as bathing and clipping. Demonstrations from local farrier Jonathan Smith are planned for Thursday 28 July, Thursday 11 August and Thursday 25 August.

Visitors to the sanctuary will also have the opportunity to enjoy the summer weather by having a picnic at the sanctuary, using the charity’s new picnic tables. You can also support the work of the charity by purchasing refreshments at the visitor centre. Ice creams from local firm Beechdean Dairies will be on sale, as well as a variety of hot and cold drinks and snacks.

The Horse Trust’s Home of Rest for Horses will be open between 2pm and 4pm every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday until 30 October. Entrance to the sanctuary is free, but the charity encourages a donation of £5 per car or family to enable it to meet its running costs. With each horse costing around £10 per day to care for at the sanctuary, your donation will make a big contribution to their lifelong retirement.

To book a horse body painting session, contact The Horse Trust office on 01494 488 464. To guarantee your booking you will need to pay by credit or debit card over the phone, or via The Horse Trust’s website.

*Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult