The Silverhills stable's operations have developed over the years, as has the entrepreneur Elina Hopeavuoren studies, with the help of resources added to the space with the support of Liiver.
In 2016, Elina Hopeavuori bought a horse stable in Mäki-Pohto, Ylistaro, with the help of Liiver's investment support.
The Silverhills stable offers equestrian therapy and equine-assisted social rehabilitation for child welfare, social care and healthcare clients. The stable also offers riding instruction for small groups.
Hopeavuori says that the stable's operations have been developed every year. More horses and people have come to the farm. Partners have also been brought on board.
He has also extensively developed his own expertise through his studies.
– When I bought this stable, I was working as a nurse in the somatic department. In 2018, I moved to Familar Oy, a company that provides child welfare services, to do horse-assisted social rehabilitation, i.e. social pedagogical equine activities.
After leaving to work entirely in his own stable, working on horse-assisted rehabilitation, Hopeavuori studied to become a solution-focused neuropsychiatric coach.
Over the past three years, she has studied to become an equestrian therapist, which has helped her to expand her range of equine-assisted rehabilitation services to include psychosocial and psychiatric equestrian therapy.
– In this way, our own approach to work has developed and at the same time, our clientele can also be directed to us from the healthcare side.
Child protection work is carried out at Silverhills Stables through Familar Oy with a total of three instructors.
Not just riding
The equine services provided by Hopeavuori sometimes surprise the buyer of the service. Horses are easily associated with riding and riding schools, but Silverhills is not just about them.
– There is a huge difference between coming to a riding lesson and coming to equine-assisted rehabilitation or equestrian therapy.
The services differ from each other based on the level of education. Riding lessons teach how to ride, while equine-assisted rehabilitation focuses on being human and addressing psychiatric challenges in a different way.
– We practice things related to humanity and being with horses, interaction skills and things that come from the person themselves, such as ways to regulate anxiety and emotional skills.
Those who practice equine-assisted rehabilitation have a university of applied sciences degree in social and health care and additional training as a social pedagogical equine activity instructor. In addition, they have other additional training that complements the social and health care and rehabilitation fields, not to mention extensive experience in rehabilitation work.
At Silverhills Stables, we also ride horses and take care of daily chores related to horses, but everything we do is always guided by guidance, a focus on solutions, and modeling interaction.
– There is always a goal from the perspective of the person undergoing rehabilitation for why we do things here.
A new mane in my dreams
Over the past year, riding lessons have increased significantly at the stable, so Hopeavuori has hired a separate riding instructor to help.
– He gives lessons on my property and with my horses as an outsider. In the future, the plan is to invest in riding lessons.
In the near future, there are also plans to invest in building a new riding stable.
– The riding arena was renovated three years ago and now it has been a year of dreaming, planning, researching and making calculations for the manege.
With the manege, Silverhills Stables would have the opportunity to offer riding, equine therapy, and equine-assisted rehabilitation year-round.
– The winters are so bad that you can't imagine being able to work outside all the time because of the snow and ice.
Dreams come true with the support of Liiver
The manege project is currently in the building permit application phase. The building is planned to be completed this year and has received support from Liiver.
– Liiver's support is a big part of making our dream of a riding stable come true. At the same time, we will also have a hobby place in our area where people other than our stablemates can also be.
According to Hopeavuori, Liiver's support was also a big help when he purchased a stable building in 2016.
– Without Liiver, the dream might not have come true or at least it would have dragged on longer.
Support for brainstorming ideas and belief in one's own idea from an external source also played an important role.
– It's absolutely the best thing that can happen, Hopeavuori laughs.