Equipoise Equestrian

08/12/2023

Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) has been shortlisted for Technological or Digital Innovation of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards 2023 due to its use of IoT wearable technology to teach horse riding through scientific methods.

Tracking cameras, saddle pressure mats, biometric jackets, symmetry markers, and rein-pressure sensors provide students at the Rural College with instant feedback on their position and pressure on the horse.

This helps riders understand how their posture, weight distribution, and hand position impact the horse's comfort and performance. By seeing real-time data that reveals if they are riding unbalanced or applying uneven pressure, riders can self-correct and adopt a more centred, secure position.

Over time, this combination of technology promotes muscle memory for a balanced seat and soft hands, which is essential for sympathetic, harmonious riding.

The devices make it easier for all types of riders to develop feel and avoid stiff, ineffective riding that is uncomfortable for horses. By improving rider balance and reducing pressure points, the technology ultimately enhances connection, communication, and better animal welfare.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/get-your-high-horse-using-technology-make-equine-courses-more-inclusive

18/11/2023

Humans can be quite inventive when finding reasons for aberrant horse behaviour but research is gradually digging down into the causes of a large number of the things we used to be taught was "it's just what he does" or "he's always done it and he seems OK".

Closer examination of behaviours such as hanging the tongue out, or getting the tongue over the bit, reveals some unpalatable (forgive the pun) truths, however. https://www.facebook.com/equitationscienceinternational/photos/a.805017562879198/2639402616107341/

// Terminology Tuesday - Tongue hanging or drooping //

When a horse has to deal with inescapable pain, his tongue may persistently hang from the mouth, usually to one side. This is known as a passive coping mechanism. It suggests some degree of learned helplessness where the horse has passed the stage of trying to do something to alleviate the pain of the bit. In the early stages of unresolvable pain (such as when a rider does not release the pressure, maintains the pressure at too high a level or releases at the wrong moment), the horse retracts his tongue and it sits under the bit trying to protect the soft tissues of the lower jaw. However, if the pain continues, the tongue is unable to sustain the retraction and begins to give up its attempts to cushion the lower jaw from the attacks of the bit. The tongue then hangs out to one side. This problem is also associated with a shortened and crooked neck (the result of a rider forcing roundness), because the neck also recoils from inescapable pressure, and in doing so it often becomes crooked. The tongue usually hangs out on the side where the neck is bulged. Tongue hanging is rather like other stereotypies in its resistance to modification once learned, but a program of retraining all the basic responses in-hand and under-saddle and focussing on maintaining a straight neck through the use of indirect turns is often successful.

Please note: This image is a stock image and only for illustration purpose.

(Excerpt from the book 'Academic Horse Training', p. 281)

16/11/2023

I couldn't agree more with post from Brindabella Equine Vets.
Lay dentists, even those who use an accompanying vet to sedate the horse, are not trained to identify a number of conditions that occur in the horse's mouth - for instance, mouth cancers -nor are they permitted to carrying out invasive procedures such as extractions. Most lay vets I know (and I have known quite a few in my lifetime) are absolutely lovely people. But I use a dental-qualified vet every time, now that I know more than I did decades ago.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=827884839133676&set=a.662963555625806

This horse 6 weeks ago had a dental by a “horse dentist in Qld who’s so good they don’t need drugs to do the dental”! 🏆🤠
The presence of this sharp enamel point at the back of the mouth , causing the ulceration to the cheek, must mean that they’re also “so good” that they don’t need to do BASIC dentistry techniques to be able to convince owners they are worthy of employing again and again ! 🤷‍♂️😔
Please do your horse a favour and don’t sell out on its welfare and ability to chew and behave well when ridden or driven, just because you can find someone who keeps the horse calm without sedation while doing the dental, through avoiding addressing the painful parts of the mouth!!! 😩😔

12/11/2023

Pretty good graphic on horse "misbehaviour"!
Note: that beige bit between yellow and pink is about TRAINING!

10/11/2023

How's your training going?

Here's a graduated scale to judge progress by - courtesy of equitation science.
I find it really useful - it's easy to keep doing things on a weekly/monthly/even yearly basis and not actually measure the progress.

https://www.facebook.com/idealguyunharnessed/photos/a.1417606095144160/1542134369357998/

02/11/2023

How good are your basics?

If you think about it, every move you execute, in dressage, jumping, working equitation or whatever your sport, is made up of a combination of nine or so basic moves – go, stop, back, turn the shoulders, yield the hindquarters, shorter/slower steps, longer/faster steps, direct turns (bend towards the movement) and indirect turns (bend away from the movement).

Whether it’s leg yield, half pass over a pole, pirouette, galloping over a bridge, jumping into water, collection or simply a square halt, they all rely on correct basics.

So when you go to a new coach who says “let’s start with a look at your basics”, don’t feel as if it’s a bit beneath you. It’s actually polishing up your skills.

Most riders have an aim to go to the top of their stop, or at least become advanced riders in their chosen sport. It’s an admirable goal, but the drawback is that a lot want to get there quickly. It’s relatively rare for a beginner or even an intermediate rider to realize that their progress to the top has to be built on a foundation of solid basics.

And good basics are every bit as necessary for pleasure riders as well as competitors. Good basics embrace rider safety and the welfare of the horse, too.

What do a mean by basics? From the horse? Self carriage. Balance. Light responses. Reliable responses. From the rider, good biomechanics, a stable and secure position – so that aids can be delivered the same way, in the same place, every single time.

And if you are tired of doing the same simple exercises? Change the context – go to a strange arena, on a windy day. You’ll find out then if your basics are really, really securely in place.

I teach basics almost all of the time, especially with new students and new horses. It’s not that I think they can’t ride at a higher level. I just want to be sure that the most elementary principles are really well understood and put into practice. That way lies better horse(wo)manship.

02/11/2023

Even Denny Emerson agrees!

02/11/2023

The perfect seat over a cross country fence....

Lucinda Prior-Palmer-Green was my pin-up for years.
This was her winning Badminton in 1973 on Be Fair.

Between 1973 and 1984, she won Bedminton six times - on six different horses. I don't know that anyone has ever come close to that record.

31/10/2023

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=548512223965220&id=100064193407788

15/10/2023

Can horses smell fear? This research seems to indicate that they certainly react differently to smells from humans experiencing different emotions.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=715824330575561&set=a.411409221017075

CAN HORSES SMELL FEAR?

I have just come across this great study again. The results suggest that horses may be able to smell human fear when presented with their body odour.

Researchers at the University of Wrocław presented twenty-one Thoroughbred and Arab horses with body odour samples collected from humans who were either happy after watching a cartoon, or frightened after watching a horror film.

Before watching the films, the humans had spent a couple of days only washing in unperfumed soap and had not smoked, drunk alcohol, eaten strong-smelling food, or performed any strenuous exercise so that their scent would be as neutral as possible. Whilst watching the cartoon or horror films the human subjects had sterile pads in their armpits to collect their body odour.

The pads were then presented to the horses and their response to the smell of fear, happiness, or a control (without odour) was recorded.

The research team found that horses showed quite different behaviours in response to the odours. They lifted their heads significantly more frequently and for longer in response to the fear odour and the control, compared to the happiness odour.

Similarly, the horses tended to touch a familiar person that was present during the test more frequently and for longer in the fear condition compared to the happiness condition.

The researchers concluded that the presentation of human body odour from humans in different emotional states is enough to induce different behavioural responses in the horse.

Olfactory-based interspecific recognition of human emotions: Horses (Equus ferus caballus) can recognize fear and happiness body odour from humans (Homo sapiens). Agnieszka Sabiniewicza, Karolina Tarnowska, Robert Świątek, Piotr Sorokowski, Matthias Laska. Applied Animal Behaviour Science (2020) vol 230; 105072

06/10/2023

This exercise is good for the brain as well as the body - both horse and rider. It's a great way of consolidating stop and go for the horse, and it's brilliant at making the rider better at counting steps.

Do it in sets of three good attempts, and make sure there's enough down-time for the horse's brain to take it all in and replenish its glucose reserves.

When you and the horse have got it down pat, the exercise can move up a level or two to trot-canter-trot transitions and walk-canter-walk.
https://www.facebook.com/HorsesInsideOut/photos/a.151541921527093/5061605117187391/

Tuesday Tip...

Riding trot-walk-trot transitions are great for improving engagement of the hindquarters and the quality of the trot. They are also beneficial for calming and slowing an over-enthusiastic horse.

Try riding the transitions in the corners of your arena and gradually decrease the number of walk steps in each corner – as shown in the picture below.

02/10/2023

The researchers didn't get it quite right if they thought that saddle fitting was simple done on a standing horse. I think the reporter from MorningAgClips got a bit too excited by the claims! Nevertheless, this is an interesting piece of research that deserves further refinement.

LANCASTER, United Kingdom -- Equine back pain is prevalent in at least 35% of ridden horses and often attributed to poor saddle fit. A new...

26/09/2023

Saddle Central is a great business for those looking for good, used saddles. One of the best things about this business is that they allow you to trial a saddle before committing to buying it. That's where I come in - while it's on trial with you, I can assess the fit for both your horse and you. I'm happy to recommend them.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=714397830702414&set=a.640932908048907

Quality used saddles wanted.
We buy outright or sell on your behalf.
Dressage, Jumping, GP, Half breed or Stock.
Must be less than 20 years old and in great condition.

For more details & to submit details of your saddle see:
https://www.saddlecentral.com.au/sell-your-saddle

Please do not send details via comments or messages, use the form via the above link.

Local customers that would like to drop their saddle in for an assessment can book a time here:
https://calendly.com/saddlecentral/drop-off-a-saddle-to-sell

08/09/2023

The biggest issue for some riders is finding the places to do your gallop training. Gone are the days when we could find safe bush tracks. Now it's necessary to have good friends with large paddocks. Or a safe, local, public cross country course (with no off leash dogs or hang gliders planning to land!)

08/09/2023

02/09/2023

03/08/2023

Another successful training outing for our riders preparing their horses for competition.
Special thanks to Anna Marsden from Equipoise Equestrian for hosting our riders in her arena which has lots of mirrors - great for training. Theo was totally delighted to see himself and was sure he could find himself behind the mirror!🦄👏😍

11/07/2023

"Horses are completely vulnerable and powerless to escape what humans make them do."

A lot of people will disagree with this statement, but personally I think Denny Emerson is on the money. As ever, he provides a perspective from his immense experience and thoughtfulness.

I just got back from about an 8 day stint in the hospital, and since I was dealing with pain and was watching any number of others dealing with pain, it got me thinking about the difference between the way humans are able to express discomfort compared to the more stoic way that injured horses have to endure it.

Horses have all kinds of issues that are not created by humans, but they have ever so many which are.

It is so easy to assume that because horses are unable to verbally express discomfort and anxiety that they are not feeling those emotions and feelings.

Which leads me to these thoughts: we need to ask ourselves, since we all profess to love horses, whether what we are doing or failing to do Is causing pain that if it were happening to us would leave us begging for relief.

If we wouldn't want it done to ourselves we shouldn't ask it of our horses. In our daily riding are we demanding performances that our horses are not fit enough to accomplish without fatigue and stress? Are we doing sports or activities that take horses too far toward the outer limits of their abilities making it more likely that they will be injured? If we are, and we know it, are we getting involved in making positive changes to those sports or are we simply going along with the crowd and letting the horses take the hits?

Horses are completely vulnerable and powerless to escape what humans make them do. More and more I feel that the true definition of a good horseman, a good horse woman, is someone who puts the best interest of the horse as a number one priority. Competitive success is not a measure of being a good horse person. What is that measure is doing right by our horses.

Being in pain ourselves for a while lets us better appreciate how important it becomes to avoid doing it to creatures with limited abilities to let us know what they are feeling.

08/07/2023

Does your horse have a lovely deep bed of straw?

It's not all that common in this part of the world, as straw is harder to come by than wood shavings, but some choose straw as a bedding because some research has shown that horses are more likely to sleep flat out (thereby getting their REM sleep) if they are bedded on straw.

This research on cyathastomins (small strongyles) demonstrated that they can develop to infective larvae on moist straw bedding. Dry straw isn't a problem, according to these findings, but this is just another factor to consider when choosing bedding for stabled horses.

https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13071-016-1757-1?fbclid=IwAR0UKQyfrnrZSdNZr5MoH_uHW3v7F_fzTZpU5ubEWYhaILte8_g5ju4hT6s

Background Domesticated grazing animals including horses and donkeys are frequently housed using deep litter bedding systems, where it is commonly presumed that there is no risk of infection from the nematodes that are associated with grazing at pasture. We use two different approaches to test wheth...

03/07/2023

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=655882889880107&set=a.496817889119942
"Normal horses stand squarre and have good topline musculature, they are calm and willing."

Remember this always!

The most important question I ask when I encounter a newly injured performance horse is:
Why did this happen?
Regardless of the story that is given, I’m looking for the back story, whats been going on the last few months. If I don’t know the horse, the first thing I’m trying to figure out is whether this is an acute injury OR an acute representation of a chronic problem. Most of the time with performance horses it’s the latter. They have been compensating until they have become injured.
Sometimes there is a back story of folks complicit on keeping a horse in the ring putting out little fires to keep the horse sound enough to keep going. Other times the lack of attention or knowledge allows compensation to be looked at as normal ‘that horse always struggles with his changes …’ Sometimes it’s sheer cruelty that has allowed a horse to compensate to its breaking point.
Most of the time hindsight will show you there was a previous struggle if you find your newly injured horse a ‘surprise’
Maybe he was recently diagnosed with ulcers and this was a sign that he was dealing with some new pain in his body
Maybe at the last show she refused when you put her in a bad spot which was way out of character
Maybe they flexed poorly behind at the last vet check and you elected to just inject the hocks when it was really the suspensory that was sore and now you masked the problem and it’s so much worse
Maybe you felt something was off but you were told it was fine
Maybe someone told you your horse looked weird so you rested a few days and then everything seemed okay but it never got checked

Staying on top of horses can be so hard.
Horses are meant to heal in motion which is why they are so good at compensating making it harder.

Remember just because you can, doesn’t mean you should !!!!
Normal horses stand square and have good topline musculature, they are calm and willing.

I ALWAYS look at rehab as a chance to treat the horse underneath the injury so they come back better and more resilient. If your horse is injured don’t forget about the the rest of their body!!!

Holistic means we look at the whole horse because that’s how you build resilience and prevent re injury.

25/06/2023

This study is likely to shed valuable light on recognizing the welfare implications of conflict behaviour in horses. In plain English, if we can reliably determine why a horse is behaving "badly", we can improve things for the horse and, as part of the package, make things safer for the rider or handler. Win/win.
https://anivet.au.dk/en/current-news/news/show/artikel/conflict-behaviour-in-horses-to-be-scrutinised?fbclid=IwAR2C5mrjTOMFmJIiQKetgK0T0hX4A-cFQEWurJ5wdk4bqQg3QqYBrI6GSS4

When the horse tosses its head, swishes its tail, or opens its mouth during riding, it can be a sign of discomfort, pain, or frustration. A new project at Aarhus University will pave the way for those who work with riding horses to become better at recognising conflict behaviour and thereby improve....

02/06/2023

I am unable to reliably see or respond to messages on Chat/FB Messenger at the moment.
It loads once in a while, but I am finding that people aren't getting messages I've sent, nor am I seeing messages that people have sent to me.
Best idea if you need to talk to me is to send me an email at
[email protected]

23/05/2023

https://www.facebook.com/equitationscienceinternational/photos/a.805017562879198/3066956386685293/

// Friday Fact - Dealing with baulking //

First and foremost, if the horse baulks at obstacles, it should never be punished. The horse is simply showing you that its training is not consolidated at this level and the horse is experiencing fear or confusion.

It's important to rule out any physical problems such as pain before attempting to re-train the horse. Re-training should begin at home over low, non-threatening obstacles (even poles on the ground if the horse shows the behaviour there). When the horse starts to slow/baulk on approach, its head should be maintained facing the obstacle; any turning away steps should be corrected with an opposite turn step signal. The horse must never be turned in the direction in which it veered.

The signal for 'go' should be applied until the horse steps forwards (even one step at this point). The outcome is that the horse goes over the pole/obstacle, but remember that it is simply the 'go' response that is being trained - the pole is incidental - so every correct step must be reinforced with release/reward.

It is important not to let the horse turn away from the obstacle because as this removes the obstacle from the horse's visual field and puts distance between the horse and the obstacle, the horse remembers the turn away as successfully solving the problems. This is classic 'escape learning'.

Don't forget that you are likely dealing with fear, so train slowly and gradually, start at a distance if needed, and reward often. Do not increase the challenge until the horse feels confident and comfortable with the previous level.

**This is a stock photo for attention purposes only.

15/05/2023

Excellent ideas here to protect teeth from the damage caused by wind sucking. Those of us with off the track horses will have seen a lot of this damage, and while we can't reverse this damage, we can help prevent further harm.

If you own a horse/pony that wind sucks PLEASE give them something soft to wind suck on. This photo is of 2 horses of the same age. Both are quite severe wind suckers. The top does so on a metal door. The bottom is my own horse and I give him rope (his choice) to wind suck on.

I know the temptation is to cover the door or surfaces in metal to prevent damage. However you can replace doors, and wooden posts, you can not replace the horses front teeth. Once they are gone, they are gone.

Some of my clients have come up with fantastic ways to save their horses teeth. One gets out of date carpet samples from her local carpet supplier and puts these over the door. When the horse wears through, she just replaces it. Another takes old tatty rugs that are beyond repair and simply hangs them over the door. Readjusting as the horse wears through until the rug is no longer fit for the purpose and she replaces it. Other clients use rubber matting, and others like myself use rope. The possibilities are endless. It just takes a little imagination.

Obviously some horses avoid this issue altogether by wind sucking in mid air but these are unusual.

Please do not comment recommendations of forcing a horse to stop wind sucking. You will find a post on this further down my page if you are interested in the science behind wind sucking.

Remember, dentistry is basic care, not a luxury!

12/05/2023

I'm looking forward to reading the outcome of this study!
https://news.csu.edu.au/in-brief/charles-sturt-leads-international-collaboration-exploring-positive-emotion-in-thoroughbred-horses?fbclid=IwAR2UmPOBppFr8jFIRtKK70SMnhSySeE7GA7rwbPZA2hSihAxlEdiCn0fe_o

Charles Sturt is part of international research that is investigating how racehorses express positive emotions in their interaction with humans, aimed at improving equine welfare.

04/05/2023

Interesting article.
https://www.horsejournals.com/riding-training/general/ground-work-handling/may-i-role-consent-and-permission-horses?fbclid=IwAR1EfbqdULjhg68loMTb1R0zu0Z4fU8tkzGy0lbF2p39d6xjdo-X1n2jtPU

In an effort to narrow down the conversation, as the topic of consent applies to countless aspects of our horse-human relationship, I decided to focus on consent around touch, because horses are one of our most-touched domesticated animals. This is a fascinating thing, given that in a feral or wild....

30/03/2023

This is one of several reasons why I dislike sticky bum breeches and jodphurs. But try buying them without the dreaded silicon! It's like looking for a unicorn.

24/03/2023

"Tactile perception is another area that has received almost no attention in animal psychophysics. Possibly this is because it is a ``contact sense'' and, therefore, would seem to yield less information to forming an animal's "Umwelt". However, there are several reasons that understanding tactile perception is important for persons concerned with horse behavior.
Tactile stimulation is the principal way riders or drivers communicate with their animals. Tactile stimulation is also important in most mammalian species in providing relaxation and forming mutual bonds. Protection against external parasites involves feeling their presence and taking appropriate action. Finally, tactile exploration may be used in the identification of objects and, therefore, valuable to an animal that has relatively poor vision. In a study of tactile sensitivity, we found it was possible to measure the variation in touch sensitivity thresholds for different locations along the barrel of the horse (Saslow, submitted for publication). Using stimuli developed for gauging human tactile sensitivity, we were surprised to find that horse sensitivity on the parts of the body which would be in contact with the rider's legs is greater than what has been found for the adult human calf or even the more sensitive human fingertip.
Horses can react to pressures that are too light for the human to feel. This raises the possibility that human instability in the saddle results in inadvertent delivery of irrelevant tactile signals to the horse and a consequent failure in teaching the horse which signals are meaningful. Horses deemed insensitive to the leg (``dead-sided'') may simply have never had the chance to respond to consistent, light, meaningful signals. Similarly, the seeming ability of a well-trained horse to ``have ESP'' for its rider's intentions, may be instead its response to slight movements or tightenings of muscles that the rider makes without awareness."

Carol A. Saslow "Understanding the perceptual world of horses", Applied Animal Behaviour Science 78 (2002) 209±224

12/03/2023

What do you get for your money??

Good question. When I come to you to do a saddle fit assessment, one of the three things that are assessed initially is the safety and soundness of your saddle.

So what kinds of things get inspected and assessed? Here's a few of the 35 things that I check:
Tree
• Soundness
• Straightness
• Screws in correct place
• Gullet bar correct for saddle
• Gullet points - inside gullet pocket. Cracked, loosened, come off.
Stirrup bars
• Symmetry
• Attachment – secure, no loose rivets
Girth points
• Leather/synthetic
• Soundness of leather and holes – cracked/ torn /split
• Stitching attachment/ loop attachment
• Evenness of holes
Stirrups and leathers
• Stitching on buckles
• Wear points on leathers
• Safety stirrups on correctly

Then there's the panel, condition of the leather overall, stitching in the hidden places, the girth, and the saddle cloth. Each of these has four or five points to be examined.

All are important for your safety and comfort and especially for the comfort of your horse.

24/02/2023

If you saw a post like this, saying how wonderful this pony looked in its new, jade sheepskin saddle cloth with matchy matchy boots, what would you say about? How sad to see this nice horse with its head tied down? Or just "what a fabulously cute Barbie doll horse!!" Guess which one got repeated over and over on the FB page where it featured?

24/02/2023

Here's a question - who really likes riding in breeches/tights with a silicone gel seat?
I've decided being stuck to the saddle makes me ride worse. I don't have any freedom to move my pelvis to signal a turn, and my legs are difficult to move or relax because they are stuck to the saddle. Anyone else feel the same?

20/02/2023

Such a great initiative, Pony Club WA! (I'm a little biased, of course, having spent so many years as a member and then a stint as Chief Instructor of Horsemen's Pony Club when I returned to WA for a while.)
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-18/wa-pony-club-on-zoom-for-remote-young-riders-on-stations/101986648?fbclid=IwAR06RZ-jmrJ5_xJSKfCssxpbbN_alRm9AQOokJaHH6gFwCNn1O61GM90YJo

Carnarvon Pony Club will soon offer virtual lessons to young riders on remote stations, enhancing the child's safety and their horse's welfare.

15/02/2023

The part of the animal that your gear is made from makes a huge difference. The best is butt leather - it thick and stiff, because it used to protect the animal from preditors. Saddles are made from this portion because of its relative stiffness and thickness.

Bridles and other strapping don't need to be so thick and stiff; however, you'll notice the really top-class stuff (for instance, the really lovely show bridles) are relatively stiff - if you put a strap end into a keeper or runner (runners are the slidey ones) they slide in easily.

If the bridle is made from the lesser quality leather which comes from the lower portions of the hide, towards the belly, the strap can squish up and not easily slip through the keeper/runner. I find this annoying and frustrating to use on a daily basis.

13/02/2023

Free to good home - may be suitable for making ribbon browbands in club colours. The top one is 40 cm, the other three are 37 cm.