IF you head into the yard at 9am in Festina Lente, an Equestrian Learning Centre, based in Bray, Co Wicklow, you will hear the usual noise of a busy yard - the scrape of forks and squeak of wheelbarrows - but you’ll also hear a good bit of banter and some laughter too.

This added chatter is the sound of 10 or so young people, between the ages of 16 and 27, mucking out our horses’ stables and catching up on the craic as they work hard together as a team.