Animal MAGIC
‘OUR HORSES HELP PEOPLE HEAL MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY’
Emma Hutchison, 54, co-founded Horseback UK, an equine charity based in Aberdeenshire, which uses horses to help people overcome mental and physical issues. She lives in Aboyne with husband and co-founder Jock, 58, and daughters Charlotte, 20, Mimi, 19 and Helena, 16.
The seeds of our charity were sown in December 2008 when my husband – a former Royal Marine – invited some military friends to stay at the farm we had just leased. By day, they played around with the horses and every evening we’d sit out, around a campfire, talking. One night, someone said, ‘This is exactly what the guys should do when they come back from war.’
That comment sparked an idea: we would invite injured or struggling service personnel to stay at our farm and recuperate. Jock approached the commanding officer at 45 Commando in Arbroath. They brought up a group of guys, most of whom had lost at least one limb
