Wild Pony - Equine services

19/03/2025

Like most livery yards around here we have to stable the horses at night during the winter. We are lucky that we have daily turnout in a large field no matter the weather, but the long nights in the stables can be hard for horses.
I try and make it bearable by providing enrichment and variety in Jessie's stable. She has 3 haynets in different locations and with varying hole sizes, some hay on the ground with a few treats scattered in, a treat ball to kick around and this little net that I fill up with hedgerow herbs such as cleavers and cowparsley (now this is starting to grow). I also provide branches, toys and scatter herbs like oregano and basil on the ground.
Nevertheless, I'm sure she can't wait to be back out 24/7 living that herd life!

16/03/2025

Spring is fast approaching, so now is a good time to spring clean the tack room and check all the bits and bobs for the warmer season are ready:

✅️ grooming kit cleaned and disinfected
✅️ flymasks washed
✅️ spare fly mask ordered before they sell out
✅️ grazing muzzle cleaned and ready for the move to the summer field

Next on our list is wash and store away winter rugs, check and ensure balancers and supplements are adjusted to different nutritional needs in spring/summer and stock up on fly repellents and sunscreen.

Bring on springtime ☀️🌻

15/03/2025

Did you know I do dog walks and visits too?
This week I had the pleasure of popping in on this cutie pie 😍

27/02/2025

We did some cue transfer training today with the help from Shai. L Horsemanship.
This means I could give Jessie the cues she has been taught from the ground with positive reinforcement, and pair them with ridden tactile cues such as leg and rein aids from her rider.
It was great working with another trainer, even though it was slightly strange seeing someone else on my horse 😅
Shai did a great job and was really calm and reassuring for Jessie.
Afterwards we let her on the podium which is currently her favourite thing to do 😍

04/02/2025

Updated price list 🥳
Please get in touch with any queries!

18/01/2025

Today we started out on our agility journey!
When I was younger I competed in agility with my dogs, so I'm really interested to try horse agility with Jessie (which is actually quite different from dog agility).
She was wary at first of the new "thing" in the school, but soon decided that putting her feet on it is great fun.
We obviously have a very long way to go, we are just starting out getting to know some of the obstacles, but I'm looking forward to the fun and the confidence this will hopefully enable Jessie to gain.
We also used the reverse roundpen for part of the session and she's getting the hang of that too, it's a great way to get her exercising 😊

19/12/2024

Availability update 🥳

Are you looking for a trustworthy groom to look after your horses, or are you keen to learn how to train them in a kind and effective way?

From January I have availability for the following on Thursdays, Fridays and some weekends (east Bristol and surrounding area):

Freelance groom services:
• general yard work, muck out, bring in/turn out etc.

Freelance instructor specialising in positive reinforcement (ABTC-ATI):
• Clicker training, cooperative care, groundwork, preparing youngsters for backing etc.

I also offer bespoke services such as welfare and enrichment visits for horses on box rest, welfare checks for smallholding animals (sheep, goats, chickens etc.) and dog walking.

I'm fully insured, DBS checked (enhanced) and I'm a registered Animal Training Instructor in Equines with the ABTC.

Please get in touch with any queries, I'm looking forward to hearing from you 😊

10/06/2024

Hello! I've once again been quiet here 😬 (will I ever get the hang of social media?) but it's for good reasons! I've been very busy with my new arrival who needed (and still does) a lot of TLC. We're getting to a stage where we can both start to relax a bit, so I'll be giving proper updates soon 😊

22/04/2024

One of the best things in this world is going for walks in the forest with my dog Ella. She absolutely loves the woods, but in the last couple of years her walks have got shorter due to her age, she's going to be 15 this year!
So we're having to adapt our walks while keeping her mentally stimulated. She's very deaf now, so it's even more important to keep her other senses engaged and make sure her brain stays active through scent trails, exploring new areas and low-impact games.
If you have an elderly dog and you're looking for a dog walker in the east Bristol area, I'd love to hear from you! I can provide enriching and age appropriate walks for your older friend 😊

19/04/2024

Hi all, as promised earlier this week, here's a list of my services and availability:

● Freelance groom services:

Over the years I have gained experience working with rescued, young as well as ridden horses and I can help you with general yard chores on a regular basis or if you need a day off every now and then. Jobs covered (but not restricted to):
- mucking out and poo picking
- grooming
- bringing in/turning out
- rug changes, haynets, waters etc.

● One to one training sessions with your horse:

I'm a certified trainer specialising in positive reinforcement, and I can help you start out in your clicker training journey. A few things we can cover are:
- introduction to clicker training
- groundwork
- husbandry tasks (preparing for vet visits, clipping, farrier etc.)
- transferring cues from the ground to ridden cues

● Enrichment visits:

Being on box rest can be challenging for horses and their owners, especially if you have to work and can't be there in the day. I can provide enrichment visits to horses on box rest to break up their day and engage their minds. Things I can offer (depending on why the horse is on box rest and with vet agreement):
- easy clicker training exercises such as targeting and stretches
- scent enrichment such as herbal teas, snufflemats, scent board etc.
- enrichment walks: gentle in-hand walks focusing on mental stimulation

● Dog walking and visits:
I have years of experience walking and training my own dogs (from Jack Russell's to Newfoundlands) as well as walking and looking after other people's dogs.

I currently have availability Thursdays and Fridays, as well as weekend availability.

Message me or email me on [email protected] with any enquiries, and I'm looking forward to hearing from you 😊

17/04/2024

Hi hello! You can probably tell from the lack of posts and updates here that I'm not a social media whizz 😞 Is this something I can learn? Can I clicker train myself to be better and more engaged on social media? 😅

Anyway, some exciting things have been happening in the background.. I don't want to say too much yet but I will make sure to post here when I have more updates 🐴

I will also post a new summary and availability of my services soon, so stay tuned! I was going to wait until I have my new website for this, but as that will take a fair amount of time still, I'll just have to go for it.

Hope you're all having a great week, even the sun has poked through a couple of times in Bristol so let's hope spring is finally on the way 🥳

07/02/2024

I know I've been quiet on here but I'm so happy to be able to announce that I'm now a registered Animal Training Instructor with the The Animal Behaviour and Training Council after being assessed following the completion of the Equine Training and Coaching Diploma at the Natural Animal Centre 🥳
Let's keep bringing ethical and evidence-based training to the everyday horse person 🙌
I've also got an exciting year of CPDs ahead, so watch this space 😊

03/01/2024

Happy New Year everybody! 🥳 Looking forward to new adventures this year, starting with this 4 week course on the Equine Discomfort Ethogram. As a trainer it's so important to be able to recognise and distinguish whether a horse is in pain, experiences fear or if we're just not being clear in our training, so we can get the cause investigated by qualified professionals such as a vet and/or behaviourist.
There is no 'bad' behaviour, there is just behaviour with different root causes, and it's up to us to figure them out 😊

Join Trudi Dempsey, an IAABC Certified Horse Behavior Consultant and ABTC Accredited Animal Behaviourist, for an in-depth study of the Equine Discomfort Ethogram. Learn how to recognize and differentiate between horse behaviors triggered by pain, discomfort, environmental stimuli, or confusion in training systems. Don't miss this exciting opportunity to enhance your knowledge of equine behavior!

Register for this 4-week course before February 7th, 2024!

Click the link below.

https://iaabcfoundation.org/courses/equine-discomfort-ethogram/

[ID - Up close left side profile of a dark brown colored horse with view of eye and eyelashes. Text to the left side reads, Equine Discomfort Ethogram: Improving Welfare Through Pain and Discomfort Recognition with Trudi Dempsey, CHBC, AAB. 4 Week Course Begins: February 7th, 2024. This course will help you interpret horse behaviours and postures. You will also learn to distinguish behaviours that might be addressed with behaviour modification from those that suggest the need for further diagnostic procedures. This knowledge can contribute to improved wellbeing in horses.]

27/11/2023

Consent Cues!

We don't often think to ask our horses permission for handling or performing a procedure, but consent cues are incredibly helpful for preparing horses for uncomfortable things such as injections, but even daily handling like picking up feet or tacking up.
Here is Rio, a 4 year old cob I had the privilege of working with, who is learning to give consent for me to lift his hooves. Rio already knew how to lift his feet and he also knew clicker training and targeting.
I started by getting him to touch the rag with his nose and marking the behaviour with a click followed by a treat. Once he got the hang of that, I started lifting his foot after he touched the rag. Once he lifted the foot, click & treat. I then added the verbal cue 'Ready?', which is the stage you can see in the video.
If he doesn't touch the rag, I don't lift the food. So he learns that I will only lift the food if he touches the rag ( = says yes), and then he gets a reward.
This means he can prepare himself mentally and physically for the foot lift, and he knows that if for any reason he doesn't give his consent, the foot doesn't get lifted and he doesn't get punished.
This is a great way to increase a horse's trust in their handler and trainer, and consent cues can be many different things and they can be used for a wide variety of behaviours.

23/11/2023

Hello, and welcome to Wild Pony!

I’m Leo, and I’m an equine trainer and coach!
I currently offer one to one positive reinforcement coaching in groundwork and husbandry, and I’m especially keen to hear from people who are just starting out with clicker training.
I’m very interested in cooperative care and helping young horses learn to navigate the world of tack, equipment and training.
Equine welfare is a top priority for me, so I don’t use harsh methods or equipment, and I avoid punishment based training. I mostly use and teach positive reinforcement, but being realistic in the horse world means non-escalating negative reinforcement is something horses may have to get used to as well, so I can help with the correct application of this too.

I believe that anyone can be a good horse trainer, there is no secret to it! But it does require some effort, patience, and a good understanding of learning theory. So if you would like to improve your training skills, or get help with a specific behaviour you’d like to teach your horse, I’d love to hear from you.
I’d like to provide an inclusive service, so if you have a disability or specific needs, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and I’ll do my very best to accommodate them.

Why Wild Pony?
I chose this name because it’s playful and serious at the same time. Wild because, at their heart, all horses and ponies are somewhat wild, their species specific needs have barely changed from those of their wild ancestors. Wild also sounds dangerous, which of course horses can be if we don’t understand their behaviour. But it’s also playful, like the foals of wild herds exploring their world and running over the fields.
I take training seriously because it is so important to get it right. It is our responsibility to make sure our horses understand what we want from them, and that we understand what they’re telling us. So I will always continue to learn, keep up with new research and grow from experiences.
But once the basics are there, training can be fun! It can be playful and it doesn’t always need to be serious. After all, we want to enjoy the time spent with our horses, and we want our horses to enjoy this time too!