Merlin, Galahad and Lancelot may look like just a trio of scruffy sheep but their role in life is very important. They work as therapy sheep with their handler Grace Olson, helping humans to feel better. But how did it all begin? Let’s rewind 16 years….
Following an emergency caesarean, during which the anaesthetic wore off halfway through, Grace was plunged into postnatal depression and ptsd. After a few years of soldiering on, as mums do, she finally realised that she needed something in her life that would make her feel happy again.
“As a child, my favourite toys had been my farm set and riding school. So it dawned on me that I needed to be outside with animals. I had ridden as a child so I had a few refresher lessons and then I got a horse on loan. The horse lived on a smallholding with various animals so it was just perfect.”
After a year of riding, Grace booked herself a weekend in Wales at a mountain farm that specialised in animal therapy.
“It was life-changing. That was the piece of the jigsaw that I needed to get myself well again and it was the most beautiful farm. There were alpacas, goats and horses. It was such a mind-blowing experience that I came away a different person. All the years of guilt and sadness melted away and from then on I became a much better mother and I valued myself more.”
So how did Grace go from that experience to becoming a therapist working with sheep?
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2023 من The Country Smallholder.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2023 من The Country Smallholder.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
How to Buy a Smallholding in France- Long-time smallholder Lorraine Turnbull looks at the practicalities of moving to rural France
Aspiring smallholders are continually thwarted by the prices of smallholdings and property with land located within the UK. Even the humblest croft in Scotland comes with a substantial price tag and conditions which would make even an adventurous wannabee consider carefully. But all is not lost. For those willing to take the adventure of a lifetime, there is always Europe, and one of the most popular places is France.
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