FCN volunteer Alex Cotterill has written an article for the FCN website about the important role the equine sector plays for many in supporting mental health and wellbeing.
Through our charitable activities, FCN plays an important role in supporting farmers and the wider agricultural community through challenges such as mental and physical health, day-to-day farm pressures, and, quite simply, being a steady presence for those who need someone to listen.
While many working with FCN naturally relate to more traditional livestock and arable enterprises, the equine sector also plays a significant role in supporting mental wellbeing. For my Mum and cousin, horses provide confidence, independence and a powerful sense of identity, offering both responsibility and companionship within rural settings.
Just as land, machinery and livestock are passed down through generations, shaping the identity of farming families, that same sense of continuity and belonging can be carried through the ownership and companionship of horses. Here’s how:
Primarily a dairy and arable farm, my great-grandfather’s Woodward Farm (East Markham) was also something of a rural enterprise hub due to its ever-expanding diversification of services. Alongside milk rounds, Jacob sheep and village fêtes, horses became a distinctive part of the farm’s identity. Cyril introduced a colourful and varied equine herd, from chestnuts and blacks to greys and duns, as well as the feisty Shetland ponies: Monty, Poppa and Peggy. It was, however, the competition horses that truly gave the farm its reputation.
My Mum, Catherine Cotterill (née Rayner) and my Aunt, Clare Jackson (née Rayner), regularly competed at local shows, including Silver Horse Shoe Riding Club events and Laxton Village Show. Their most successful and iconic horses were the trio of greys – Mickey, Domino and Legend – who became firm favourites both in and out of the arena. Mickey excelled at showjumping, Domino was a whizz at pony club games, whilst Legend simply just preferred hacking out and putting in the minimal effort possible!
Catherine indicates: “Riding Mickey was a real highlight. Being with him, communicating with him, caring for him and spending time with like-minded showjumpers was a real boost to my confidence and wellbeing.”
Mum attended Brackenhurst/Newark College to study for her BHSAI alongside A’Levels, but unfortunately, had to step away from riding after her first year due to sustaining a severe back injury. Clare continued, keeping Legend at a large arable enterprise, Newton House Farm, near East Bridgford in the early 2000s. After Legend sadly passed away, Clare bought a 15.2hh bay gelding, Joey. First stabled at a livery associated with the dairy farm, W.A. Rowbotham & Son, in Eastwell (near Melton Mowbray), and later kept on her own pastureland after moving to Hingham in Norfolk with her husband, Antony, and two children, Joey quickly became part of everyday family life. He was later joined by Molly – a cheeky Welsh Section A who shared Joey’s enthusiasm for food.
Today, as Clare’s daughter Jessica has grown, horses have remained a constant in her life – providing joy, discipline and ambition in equal measure. Now in her early teens, she is a dedicated showjumping rider, competing regularly at local liveries and riding schools in Norfolk. Most recently, in December 2025, Jessica placed fifth out of twenty competitors at the Forest Edge Arena Christmas Show in the 70cm class, completing her round in under 40 seconds. Earlier in August, she secured first place for both 60cm and 70cm jumps at the Anvil Park Stud Unaffiliated Showjumping Show.
Jessica says: “Showjumping is my favourite discipline. Nothing compares to the feeling of lifting off over a fence. The harmony, adrenaline and sense of freedom make it such a rewarding and exciting sport.”
Alongside riding, our family has always taken pride in supporting equine charities including Bransby Horses, World Horse Welfare, Moorland Mousie Trust and the Shire Horse Society. My visit to Vienna, with my parents, in Spring of 2025 to watch a training session at the Spanische Hofreitschule (Spanish Riding School) only deepened our appreciation for the history and beauty of horsemanship. For three generations now, horses have shaped our routines, our memories and our values. They have taught us responsibility, patience and resilience – and, perhaps, most importantly, they have given us companionship.
“I can’t imagine life without horses,” Jessica states, “the bond between rider and pony is truly unbreakable, built through shared experiences and quiet moments spent together.”
As you can see, while this story is rooted in my own family, I believe it will resonate with many FCN readers and volunteers. Although horses and ponies are the focal point of shared bonds, positivity and wellbeing in this instance, the sentiment is one that extends across all areas of farming life.
That same sense of identity, connection and mental wellbeing may come from your cattle, pigs, machinery, land, friendships or family — the people, animals and routines that make your farm function and, ultimately, shape who you are today.
Photos from L to R:
- Catherine (left) and Clare (right) with horses Mickey, Legend and Domino in Laxton during a showjumping event.
- Young Alex riding Joey with Aunt Clare at the menage in Eastwell.
- Catherine taking a jump with Mickey during Laxton Show (mid 1980s) – original photo taken by the newspaper, Newark Advertiser.
- Jessica with Kiya (October 2023).
