Humber View Track Livery

24/12/2024

Some of our liveries are spreading Christmas cheer round the village today 🎉 🎄

16/12/2024

16/12/2024

New Research Shows Horses Are Far More Intelligent Than We Thought:

Horses are far more intelligent than most people realize, with cognitive abilities that place them among the smartest animals.

They have demonstrated skills in problem-solving, emotional intelligence, memory, and learning that rival those of many other species. For example, horses are known for their cleverness in opening stable doors or untying knots, showcasing their capacity for strategic thinking.

Emotionally, they form deep, empathetic bonds with humans and can sense feelings like pride or shame, often mirroring their human companions' emotions.

Their impressive cognitive skills also allow them to recognize symbols, communicate preferences, and adapt to complex situations, such as responding to commands in therapeutic environments.

One study even revealed that horses can adjust their communication based on whether humans are aware of hidden food, increasing visual and tactile signals like looking or nudging when their caretakers were unaware.

This ability to understand and respond to the knowledge state of others—previously thought to be unique to primates—illustrates the sophistication of horse cognition. Horses actively attempt to communicate with humans in much the same way they would with their herd members, making horse-human communication a true two-way street.

While horses may not match the intellectual capabilities of elephants, they are often considered more intelligent than dogs or cats in some areas, excelling in equine-assisted therapies where their sensitivity to human emotions makes them invaluable in psychological treatments.

19/11/2024

William and Eli looking hopeful for some hay.

They've just watched me drive out as I've just been round and filled it all but they haven't figured that out yet 😅

15/11/2024

We've just received our amazing new hay trailer from Rob Astley Trailers Ltd !
It's made putting out our nets so much easier than doing it with our tractor and the horses seem to appreciate a moving buffet 🤣

15/11/2024

A great article on page 4!!! of Horse and Hound this week 😁
This follows on from the World Horse Welfare conference last week with the theme 'What is a good life for a horse'
The word is getting out! 🎉

05/11/2024

Warrior having a good itch 🥰

27/10/2024

Luna and Steve making the most of their extra hour in bed this morning when I did my rounds with hay 😴

26/10/2024

😱 The dreaded… “Restricted turnout” 😱

🤔 I get it, I do. Honestly…

I get the mud…
I get the damage…
I get the cost of repair…

💪🏻 But there has to be a better way? For our horses sake….

😇 Ive been working with and developing a particular horse all summer. She’s come on leaps and bounds and has really taken to her training like a duck to water. She had become the most attentive, sweet, calm young horse…

😳 BUT, today, she was distracted, tense, reactive, spooky, tight and ABSOLUTELY wired!

❓So what changed?

🤦🏻‍♀️ Well, her turnout has been restricted to Approx 3/4hours per day!

😩 That’s 20+hours a day spent locked in solitary confinement, sorry I mean her warm, comfy stable.

🤔 Now, let’s put it another way…

😔 In this day and age, if people went to a zoo and saw row upon row of caged animals and were told that those animals were only allowed access to their outdoor spaces for 3/4 hours per day there would be uproar!

❓So why is this such normal practise in the horse world?

❓Why, in this day and age and with our love of horses, aren’t we doing things differently.

🥰 There are better alternatives but they are unfortunately few and far between. Our job as horse advocates and consumers is to push for changes. And if possible, to avoid or demand better from these yards who excessively restrict turnout and drive our horses mad.

🤪 Apologies for the Wednesday rant! Hx

(Photo from google images)

21/10/2024

Corey being very cuddly with one of our liveries 🥰
By the way the quad was running at the time and she was trying to drive away! 🤣

01/10/2024

Well it's been a bl**dy awful day yesterday here in Yorkshire! And looks to be the same again today.
Definitely feels like winter's here already 😭
So here's a video one of our fab liveries took of Malik and Billy playing bitey face to give us all a smile 😃

24/09/2024

I think we've got the best view from any tea room🥰

18/09/2024

Bottoms at breakfast 🍑😋 🤣

15/09/2024

A rainy 🌧 day here in Yorkshire.
I hate to say it but it's really starting to feel like autumn 🍂 this week😱
It doesn't seem like summer's been very long this year! 😪

03/09/2024

🥰 Warrior

31/08/2024

The first thing everyone notices when they visit us is how calm our herd is.
I believe this is due to the choices that horses are able to make for themselves when living on a track.

Choice in when they come into the shelter and when they go out.
Choice in who they spend time with, eat with, play with and groom with.
Choice in when they eat, sleep or run around.

We've had one horse that would chase any dog he could see for his whole life, who within 2 weeks of going on the track now ignores them walking past him.
Some that were quite possessive and aggressive around food that now happily share and eat alongside others.
Several that have suffered severe separation anxiety that now don't get stressed when their buddy leaves.
And many that were anxious and jumpy, who are now able to keep calmer and therefore their owners can do more with them than they ever could before.

Witnessesing what effect choice has on all the horses that come here has been so inspiring. It's the thing that keeps me doing this and the thing that makes me striving to do better for them every day.

29/08/2024

I know we're still only August but I'm getting prepped for the dark nights closing in (I know! I don't want to think about it either 🫣)

So I've put some extra lights on our Ranger to make it easier to 💩 pick in the dark as some of our liveries can only do it in an evening.

Winter is hard and seems to be getting longer each year (well last winter seemed to go on for ever!) so anything I can do to make it easier is a bonus.