Niki Taylor Equine Bodywork

22/03/2025

So insightful. Let’s all see how similar we are to our beloved animals 💗

Why Anthropomorphising Matters.

I still hear so many horse trainers describing the danger of anthropomorphic thinking in relation to horses. And I understand why - it’s a back lash against all the years of us attributing horses with the capacity to ‘get one over on us’ ‘take the p*ss’ - all that stuff.

However, it is pretty widely recognised now that we’re more similar than we are dissimilar. We share more emotions than we don’t with many other animals. And maybe if we really dared to anthropomorphize that might significantly change how we treat animals - which is probably why we don’t do it.

For instance, I have just ‘bought’ a new horse. Even at that level of possession and ownership of another being I find myself baulking, but it’s the truth.

I believe he has many of the same emotions and needs as I have. Fear, jealousy, curiosity, contentment. The need for safety, the need for comfort, the need to move and to rest.

Last year I went on holiday by mistake, I was going to visit a friend in Spain and en route I spent a few days at what turned out to be a very busy seaside resort on the Med. I have travelled solo a lot in my life but I’ve never really ‘holidayed’. When I realised the numbers of people were much greater than I had experienced in many years , and I was ‘stuck’ here for several days I went into full blown panic. My senses were in absolute overdrive and my choices were taken away. Now, I got over myself, worked things out and had an excellent time - reminding myself that this was actually all my own choice.

The horse I have just arranged to be transported from Portugal had no such choice. He didn’t know why he was leaving his familiar and safe surroundings. He had no sense of why he was in this huge metal box full of other horses. He knew no one, understood nothing about the present or the future. He could not call his friend to be talked down and reminded that everything would be OK.

Ethologists are changing the nature of how we study and understand the more-than-human animal kingdom and are even daring to use words such as ‘love’. Maybe if humans can experience love for each other, then the complex animal communities they observe can also contain love. Maybe?

Possibly the reason your horse is ‘trying to get out of work’ is because the work feels bad. In just the same way you want to go home early if your job is boring or stressful. Maybe the reason your horse is being ‘difficult’ about having their feet picked up is because they’re confused or someone taught them badly - just like you might be ‘difficult’ about doing your accounts.

The new horse who has landed here on Dartmoor is actually doing brilliantly, but the first day he arrived he was really frightened and I felt it in my stomach. Just imagine if you were him….

I’ve taken things really slowly with him, only changing one thing at a time and keeping his world pretty small. He seems to appreciate that and is enjoying some things which are new in his life, like the view and endless armfuls of hay and slow quiet scratches.

If we just for a moment considered that animals are more like us than they are different - well I wonder where that might lead.

Photo shows 4 year old Lusitano Rural learning about delicious herbs on a Devon bank.

06/01/2025

Unwanted behaviour is communication and we need to try to find out what the horse is trying to tell us.

Is Your Horse Difficult to Clip? Understanding the Underlying Physical Connections

As equine therapists, we often hear about the “difficult-to-clip” horse. You know the one—constantly flinching, tossing their head, or outright refusing during clipping sessions. While behaviour is often attributed to sensitivity or temperament, the root cause is frequently physical discomfort, particularly in the neck, shoulders, and surrounding areas. Let’s dive into why this might be happening and how it ties into deeper physiological structures like the phrenic nerve, brachial plexus, and fascia.

The Phrenic Nerve

The phrenic nerve is a critical structure originating from the cervical vertebrae (C3, C4, and C5 sometimes C7). It innervates the diaphragm and plays a key role in respiration. When tension or misalignment exists in the cervical spine or surrounding fascia, the phrenic nerve can become compressed or irritated. This can lead to referred discomfort or hypersensitivity, particularly in areas where the nerve travels.

For a horse, this hypersensitivity can translate into an overreaction to stimuli like the vibration of clippers near the neck or shoulder. If your horse resists clipping around the jugular groove or base of the neck, it might be a sign of tension or restriction involving the phrenic nerve.

The Brachial Plexus

The brachial plexus is a network of nerves originating from the lower cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae (C6-T2). These nerves provide sensory and motor control to the shoulder, forelimb, and parts of the chest. Dysfunction in this area—whether due to muscle tension, poor saddle fit, or fascial restrictions—can result in heightened sensitivity or even pain in the shoulder and surrounding areas.

When clippers approach these regions, the horse may perceive the vibration or pressure as intolerable, not because they are “difficult,” but because it exacerbates an underlying issue. You're literally on his nerves!!

Fascia: The Body’s Connective Web

Fascia is a dense, fibrous connective tissue like a web that envelops muscles, nerves, and organs. It plays a vital role in overall mobility and comfort. When fascia becomes restricted—due to trauma, repetitive strain, or poor posture—it can create widespread discomfort and reduced flexibility.

In horses, fascial restrictions often present as tightness or sensitivity, especially in high-stress areas like the neck and shoulders. Clipping can irritate these restrictions, causing the horse to flinch or resist. Addressing these fascial imbalances through bodywork or therapy can significantly improve comfort and behaviour..

Pain and Tension: The Core of the Problem

The “difficult-to-clip” horse is not necessarily trying to be challenging—it is often their way of communicating discomfort. Pain or tension in the neck and shoulders, whether originating from nerve irritation, muscle strain, or fascial restriction, can make the simple act of clipping unbearable. Recognizing this as a physical issue, rather than purely behavioural, is key.

What Can Be Done?

1. Bodywork and Therapy: Regular osteopath sessions involve myofascial release, adjustments of the parietal system, and cranial sacral and can address tension in the neck, shoulders, and back.

2. Assessment by a Professional: If your horse consistently resists clipping, have them evaluated by a suitable equine therapist to rule out nerve compression or fascial restrictions.

3. Desensitization with Care: Once physical discomfort has been addressed, you can work on gently reintroducing clippers in a calm, patient manner.

4. Check Equipment and Techniques: Ensure your clippers are sharp, quiet, and create minimal vibration. Use light, confident strokes to avoid aggravating sensitive areas.

Understanding the physiological connections in your horse’s body is crucial to addressing what may seem like behavioural issues. The next time your horse resists clipping, consider their neck, shoulders, and fascia—you might uncover a hidden source of pain or discomfort, making life easier for both of you.

❗️Remember: Horses communicate through their reactions. Listening to them and addressing their needs at the root cause will always lead to better results and a happier horse.

✂️

Image: Horse and hound.

11/12/2024

Great guidelines for colic.

*** COLIC MYTH - IT’S ESSENTIAL TO WALK ANY HORSE SHOWING SIGNS OF COLIC ***

I’ve unfortunately seen 5 colics in the past two weeks, so I thought I’d start some colic posts again.

I think one of the main myths surrounding colic, is that you must walk them, even if they don’t want to walk. There are definitely some types of colic when movement is good/essential for the horse, but there are equally many occasions when it’s actually detrimental to keep the horse moving.

Before knowing whether or not you need to keep your horse moving, you need your vet to diagnose what is causing your horse to colic. If your horse has a classic “twisted gut” then no amount of movement will help. In fact, forcing horses to walk if they’ve got intestinal torsion will result in extreme pain. If surgery is an option, then continuing to walk a horse with intestinal torsion (twisted gut) will also wear him out, and potentially cause even more damage to the gut itself, reducing the odds of surgery being a success.

My general rule of thumb for any colicking horse is to allow them to do what they want to do whilst waiting for the vet. If they are standing quietly, then that’s perfect. If they are down in the field then I do normally advise getting them up and to somewhere easily accessible for the vet. If they are thrashing about in a stable and could hurt themselves, then getting them out and into the safety of a lunge pen or arena is a good idea, as long as you don’t risk injuring yourself. If they want to march around, then let them walk. It’s a complete myth that a horse rolling around will result in him twisting his intestine; we’d obviously be seeing hundreds of colic cases daily if this were true.

To conclude, walking a horse with colic MAY be advisable, but you need your vet to diagnose the cause of the colic first. If your horse is reluctant to walk, then definitely don’t force them to move.

10/12/2024

Really helpful 🌟

03/12/2024

Yes 🤣

All about owning a horse 😅
credits: Pinterest

30/11/2024

"I have followed your page for some time and now I am worried my horses trim is hurting them - help!"

Horses cost a tremendous amount of resources to care for them. It costs an awful lot more to fix them when theyre hurt, lame and sick. I am talking about the emotional, physical, mental and financial cost - affecting not only the owners, but sometimes entire families and care support teams.

That is why I created a comprehensive online programme designed to teach anyone how to document and map horses hooves and bodies - help owners and professionals objectively assess and track changes in horses over time.

Why? Because early recognition of poor hoof morphology, balance, posture and development can prevent costly rehab, injury, lameness and even premature death in domestic horses.

To answer the question posed - after completion of our course, anyone can tell if a trim, management or intervention is helping a horse by accurately documenting and mapping your horses hooves (and posture), and repeating the photos at a later period in time - this can be weeks, or minutes. Changes can be observed immediately pre and post trim for example, allowing anyone without any prior experience to learn of a trim is promoting health, or not! I often share mark ups on social media demonstrating changes in very short periods of time, and in several weeks.

We have made this course accessible to as many people as possible and have reduced the price to £199 - this is payable over 3 months for around £66/month: https://www.holisticequine.co.uk/pro-active-hoof-mapping-for-lameness-prevention-in-horses

I just added Bonus material #1 comprising a recent webinar recording 2 hours 40 minutes long featuring a case study, plus PDF of resources which accompany the webinar to help you rehab the horses in your care! This alone is worth £30!

This never-seen-before programme includes 28 high quality lessons with 30 videos, around 10 hours in total, including bonus material (with more to come!), all in an easy to understand format designed to super-boost your understanding of the equine hoof like never before.

WHEN WE KNOW BETTER, WE ALL CAN DO BETTER 🥰

https://www.holisticequine.co.uk/pro-active-hoof-mapping-for-lameness-prevention-in-horses

Explore our online academy here: https://www.holisticequine.co.uk/academy and events here: https://www.holisticequine.co.uk/events

If you would like to contribute, pay it forward and support the continued provision of free and subsidised consults and educational resources, and to help us deliver our aims, please donate to our cause. More info and PayPal donate link here: https://www.holisticequine.co.uk/support-us

www.holisticequine.co.uk - supporting and promoting compassionate equestrianism and optimum alignment for structural and functional health in equines, for the benefit of all 💚🙏🐴

11/11/2024

Ooh look another great webinar by Yasmin Stuart Equine Physio 👀

Happening tonight! ❤️✨️

Train Your Eye - Long & Low or No?

There are so many training methods out there which target healthy development. Some express that long & low is the way forward, some believe that long & low is damaging to horse health.

Which is correct? It depends!

In this Train Your Eye webinar, expect to learn:
- When long & low is healthy vs unhealthy
- The neuromuscular synergy involved in maintaining a healthy lengthened or collected frame
- Assessing your horse's movement to determine whether they should be working in a lengthened frame
- How to identify which systems to target with your training.
- Why training aids are unhelpful

& much, much more!

11.11.2024 19:00 GMT

Recording available if you can't make the live.

See you there ❤️✨️

11/11/2024

When I first met Beau(he’s in the middle), he was three and still lived with his dam Blondie(pink lady on the left)and his older half sister Augusta(on his left)and about 10 other horses. All of whom would have been present at his birth.
His start in life was precious, he had safety and security. He knew who he was and where he stood. The ground under his feet was stable. And this is why he is the fantastic horse he is today.
No training can replace a good start in life. Let horses be horses, let horses raise horses.
I’ve never met another horse like Beau. He blows my mind with his openness and willingness. His body lets him down at times but he never blocks me out. I believe his beautiful, natural start in life is the reason he’s so easy to work with, so confident to leave his buddies and happy to go on solo adventures. He’s never got attached to another horse, he’s always happy to spend time alone with me.
I’m eternally grateful to the healthy start my friend received and the stability it’s given him. I wish all horses could be allowed this time to grow and be nurtured by their own kind. It breaks my heart to see babies being over handled by humans. They have a lifetime of humans ahead of them, why not let them be horses for longer.

07/11/2024

Lovely post by Jenni Nellist on ‘manners’

Let's have a chat about manners!

Manners is equestrian shorthand for desirable horse behaviour and while it's commonly understood shorthand there can be a lot of variety in interpretation.

Manners doesn't say exactly what the behaviour is. But we might take it to mean, stand still while I brush you/pick out your feet/put your saddle on. Or it could be walk/trot alongside me when asked without pushing into me, stepping on my feet, or pulling away.

When someone asks me for help with their horse's apparent lack of manners, the first thing I am asking is what are they actually doing and what would you like them to do instead?

The other bit that can be lost in translation is this. Manners imply a motivation to please and get along in society. Do we not say please and thank you because we do not wish others to think ill of us?

I swear Black Beauty's mother has a lot to answer for! Duchess wanted her foal to grow up a well mannered c**t, not like the ill-bred c**ts that engaged with the stone hurling boys. That was purposeful of Anna Sewell to endear Beauty to the reader, but aligned with horse people society in thinking of horses as having good manners or being vicious and these being the underlying motivations for behaviour.

Not exactly horse-centric. So after I have learned what bad manners actually looks like in terms of description of behaviour, and what behaviour is desirable, I explore the horse's perspective.

How does the horse feel when they are doing the unwanted behaviour and what their motivation for it is. Quite often unwanted behaviours are intended to help the horse escape or avoid pain or aggressive human handling, like slamming a hoof back down during hoof care to save a sore limb, or moving away from the handler during leading because the horse has previously been driven with a whip in this situation.

Changing the behaviour often involves changing the whole package. Checking for health issues, breaking down re-training into small steps and making sure they get reinforced. Utilising positive reinforcement often helps the horse feel better and become more willing. Especially if the training allows them the space to make their own decisions.

03/11/2024

The pause is such a crucial part of every session! It’s not time for a coffee break or gossip time. It’s a beautiful moment to breathe with your horse and connect while they undergo transformative changes.
I truly cherish witnessing the incredible changes horses can make during a session. It’s so special to be part of their journey!
If you’re curious about how bodywork and energy work can benefit your horse, feel free to reach out. Let’s chat!

31/10/2024

28/10/2024

✨ Meet Mojo the Magic Horse! ✨

A few of my horses have come to me in extraordinary ways, but Mojo truly stands out! Two weeks before I even knew he existed, I suddenly felt this incredible sense that a new horse was on the way into my life. It was such an unusual feeling, something I had never experienced before, especially since I had no plans to add another horse!

A few days later while putting Beau’s bridle on, I had a sudden pang to guide a young horse again. It was interesting, but again I had no plans to get another horse!

Then, while scrolling through Facebook one day, the name “Mojo” jumped out at me! I thought, what a perfect name for a horse, even though I’d never thought that before and I really wasn’t looking for another horse!

And then came the news that a friend of a friend was looking to rehome her Spanish horse, Mojito. My friend immediately thought of me, and when I saw a photo I was blown away by his beauty! We arranged to meet, and I couldn’t believe it. We had arranged to meet Mojito on National Mojito Day!

Could it be anymore obvious?

When we finally met, it wasn’t just his stunning looks that captivated me. It was the incredible feeling I had standing next to him. Words won’t do it justice, the only way I can find to describe it was expansive.

And yes some people may think this is all a bit out there, but that’s okay! I’ve always been a little weird, and weird things have always happened to me. And you know what? I’m okay with that!

I’d love to hear if anyone else has had magic horse connections. Please do share ✨

26/10/2024

Some really good points for anyone travelling their horses

I thought it might be quite useful to share the things I learnt breaking down on the motorway last night.
1. It’s fine to phone 999 for police assistance. To unload horses on the side of a motorway all traffic in both directions is held to prevent further accidents
2. ⁠Have your emergency horse & horses lorry recovery service number and membership number saved in your phone - I didn’t and couldn’t find the emergency number on their website either - fortunately I was very close to home and the folk who look after my lorry are based 10 mins from where I broke down and I have their number in my phone.
3. ⁠Have your emergency kit (hi vis / road flares / red triangle easily accessible in the cab of the lorry (mine was in the back and it’s not fun climbing in and out when cars and lorry’s zoom past at 70mph)
4. ⁠work on loading your horses in every situation, load in the dark, load in strange places, take them out of one vehicle and put them in another, etc etc. Marty hasn’t travelled in a trailer before, but I had loaded him in one previously at home just to see what would happen. Last night we had the horses swapped over transport in under 3 minutes. I don’t know we would have done if one had been tricky, Marty hesitated but because we had practiced at home he loaded quickly.
5. have a plan, think about what you are going to do in that situation

The police were very grateful that we were all set to move the horses when they arrived and everything was under control

And my last point is important and probably one we don’t really think about. BE RANDOM. If we only load in one place or do things in a set order and set way, in situations where that can’t happen the horses are out of their comfort zones as it isn’t what they expect, which results in a negative spiral of stress. If they are used to doing whatever is asked wherever and whenever they will be much more relaxed when asked to do things out of the norm.

22/10/2024

Really looking forward to this!

🙌CAN YOU RECOGNISE A HEALTHY HOOF? AND SHOULD YOU?🙌

And therefore can you recognise the signs your horse is at risk of developing pathology, pain and lameness?

Join me in a live webinar on 28th October at 7pm for a deep dive into signs your horse may be at risk of developing hind limb lameness. Tickets and full description here: https://www.holisticequine.co.uk/event-details/recognising-signs-your-horse-may-be-at-risk-of-hind-limb-lameness-how-to-prevent-it

Lets play "spot the difference" between these two drawings representing two radiographs highlighting the phalangeal alignment, hoof-pastern axis and base proportions around the centre of rotation of the coffin joint. Also highlighted is the capsule outline and deep digital flexor tendon.

By modern podiatry and farriery standards, studying hoof morphology (form and function), as well as the relationship this holds to the rest of the limb and body, the hoof on the left is considered ‘ideal’ or healthy. In a nutshell, there is bony column alignment, with space for healthy development of the caudal hoof, sole and the tendons and ligaments in and above the digit too.

Long toes and low heels = lack of ideal phalangeal (bony column) alignment. The science, and my own studies (and gut instincts) tell me this is directly related to pathological posture and development as well as pathology in the hoof, limb and body. So why do so many horses have hooves like the one on the right?

My post (BSc Equine Technology) graduate career with horses started with teaching riding, then training horses, then rehabilitation of horses. After realising this was not working, I studied the healing arts including body work and shortly after this, advanced podiatry, while observing our own herd of 8 on a track and equicentral system we created (before these were popular).

I documented both body and hooves before and after hoof care, biody work and changes in stimulus, and noticing how different trimming approaches or interventions would lend itself with different resting posture, and development, as well as the incidence of other diseases. I tested many trimming techniques, and realised helping horse find neutral posture through bony column alignment was key to helping horses find healthy posture and symmetry.

In January 2023, I met a compassionate equine healer and educator Yasmin Stuart Equine Physio, and this resulted in me studying with Celeste-Leilani Lazaris to become a Lazaris nerve release practitioner, and alongside the human well-being coherence techniques I learned and practice, this evolved my work greatly and my integrative approach is successful in helping horses find safety and comfort in a world where bracing, tension, and pathology has become the norm.

I want you to know what I know so you dont have to study and sacrifice for decades to help horses find safety in their own bodies.

Harm is being done to horses through practices which create the very diseases we all fight so hard to treat. So let’s prevent them, and start working towards healing in horses already compromised, usually by mans intervention.

Join me in a live webinar on 28th October at 7pm for a deep dive into signs your horse may be at risk of developing hind limb lameness. Info on how to purchase the 2 hour recording here: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1077914097645418&id=100062805141815

www.holisticequine.co.uk - promoting and supporting compassionate equestrianism for the benefit of all 🙏💚🐴

19/10/2024

How can I help your horse?

I offer a blend of bodywork and energy work designed to promote relaxation and re-regulate their nervous system.

By encouraging this holistic healing process, we can support your horse’s body in its natural ability to self-heal, reduce pain, and enhance their overall performance and happiness.

Let’s work together to help your horse feel their best and thrive! ✨

18/10/2024

Happy, healthy horses like to move.

Lazy or struggling? 🐴

It it so common to see horses described as lazy, stubborn or low-energy as if its just some sort of personality trait and we have no choice but to ride them with high pressure. While I don’t deny that some horses are naturally quieter in their temperament than others, it is not normal for a horse to find forward movement so difficult.

Often these horses are actually dealing with physical discomfort, have poor posture, poor balance and have become shut down as its the only way they’ve learned to cope with the high pressure they are being trained with. It is also common that these horses are described as bargy and rude on the ground. Horses that find it difficult to go also find it difficult to stop and are usually so defensive and ready to brace against any pressure to protect themselves that it can be misconstrued as “bad manners”. What we really have is a horse that is struggling and trying their best to cope with life.

When we oversimplify training a horse like this by just adding as much pressure as you need to get the horse to move forwards, we are totally overlooking the reasons why the horse won’t, or can’t, move forwards easily. This is the perfect way to create a bracey, shut down horse who hates training with you.

It is so accepted to hurt horses to get them to do what we want that we don’t even recognise it for what it is. Kicking horses hurts them, whipping horses hurts them, spurring horses hurts them. I remember years ago watching a clinic with a list 1 dressage judge and she told the rider to use the leg once, and if the horse didn’t respond quickly enough to take their whole leg off the saddle and give him 3 hard “pony club” kicks. Lovely. Ethics aside, this is counter-productive if we want a relaxed, flowing horse, a horse that is expecting pain will brace to protect themselves. Watching horses tense up and grunt when they feel the leg move is very telling. Maybe people would think differently if we could see bruising easily on horses.

I have a lovely client who reached out to me as she was feeling so uncomfortable with what she was being told to do in her lessons. She has a really safe, quiet cob who she enjoys hacking on but really wanted to try some low level dressage. She was told they had to use increasing pressure as “he was so stubborn” and he was just “taking the mick out of her” to get out of working properly. This resulted in her riding with 2 schooling whips and spurs for months on end, weekly lessons and no improvement in his willingness to go forward. When she questioned this and expressed her discomfort she was told that it was fine and this is just how you have to be with some horses. That is was kinder to ride with 2 whips and spurs as then she didn’t need to use as much pressure to make him move, that less pressure actually being the threat of pain if he didn’t comply.

We started working together on completely changing her lovely cob’s associations with people, training and the arena, using enrichment and the environment to encourage him to choose movement as something positive. With the support of a good physio we also started to gently work on improving his posture and show him that we were no longer going to push him to do things he wasn’t physically capable of doing without discomfort. By the time it was appropriate to ask him to trot under saddle again going forwards was absolutely no issue and she is now preparing for their first intro dressage test, no whips or spurs required and she no longer feels like her horse hates being ridden.

We really need to change how we have been conditioned to think about horses. It is so normalised to kick and pull horses around, I remember being at the riding school and being encouraged to kick, kick, kick while I was chased around on a pony with a lunge whip. We use terms like “encouragement” and “reminder” to justify what we’re doing, but it is what it is.

If your horse really struggles to go forward, it is likely that you have more than just a training issue. Instead of thinking that he won’t respond to your aids, think that maybe he can’t. If we take the pressure off and make sure our horses are comfortable and balanced, both physically and emotionally, on the ground without a rider, we can often start to see the issues run much deeper and unravel them from there. 🐴

www.lshorsemanship.co.uk