Cornwall offering walks with wild ponies to help with mental health
Natural England has been hosting wellbeing walks across Goss Moor
Last updated 18th Mar 2022
A long walk in the countryside and a treasure hunt to find wild ponies is being prescribed to people in Cornwall to help their mental wellbeing.
Natural England have set up events in Goss Moor to help with mental health, offering long walks on muddy terrain, meeting wild ponies and enjoying a pasty and a hot drink in unpredictable Cornish weather.
Janine Sargent, the Natural England visitor warden who ran the events, said: "Green Social Prescribing events like this are wonderful for connecting people with nature, which is great for mental health and wellbeing.
"Goss Moor can be a very wild and windy place with tricky terrain, but our guests have had a great time during these walks, with free pasties being offered to participants to keep everyone sustained and fuelled.
She told us: "People have really enjoyed them, they've really enjoyed finding out more about the nature reserve, they've enjoyed meeting the ponies. They've really felt they've come away and achieved something. It's a bit of comradery when the weather is bad".
Already, the site at Goss Moor has seen people across the Duchy enjoying the countryside benefits to mental health over a series of winter events, with youth groups and adults of all ages joining.
The 26 wild Dartmoor and Shetland ponies are first found on the day via a GPS tracking system, then a location is sent to those involved so a meeting place on the moors is decided before reaching the ponies with the easiest walking route.
Those attending can either self-refer themselves to the free event or be referred by a social prescribing link worker.
Our reporter, Megan Price, went along to a walk to see what it's all about...
The project comes as part of the Green social prescribing with the G7 legacy project which involves 30 other events across the Duchy.
Its aim is to engage people of all ages in nature-based activities including walking, cycling, community gardening and food-growing projects, as well as practical conservation tasks such as tree planting.
Chloe, Project Advisor for G7 Legacy project with Natural England, told us: "Everyone's left saying they felt happier, just their mood improved in some way or another. You never know how someone starts their day. The fresh air, especially the Cornish fresh air, does everybody a bit of good".
Feedback from the four events held between December and March have been positive, with attendees saying they left feeling ‘informed, healthier, happier’ and would visit Goss Moor NNR again.
The group at Natural England hope to continue similar events through the year and see huge potential for the Summer months when the terrain is more accessible and there's less need for wellies and waterproofs.
You can find out more about the Goss Moor social prescribing walks and future mindfulness events on the official Facebook page.