Bitless & Natural Equestrian Centre

21/09/2025

Why Watching Herds Matters for Training

One of the best things you can do for your horsemanship has nothing to do with riding or training sessions at all.
It is simply watching horses interact with each other.

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🌱 What a healthy herd looks like:

In a balanced herd, communication is subtle and layered. You will see ear flicks, weight shifts, and breath releases. These signals often go unnoticed unless we take the time to watch. Horses also model how to set boundaries without escalation. They negotiate space respectfully, and when communication does rise, it usually happens gradually with many small cues first. Even then, the escalation tends to stay mild.

Horses also co-regulate with one another. Watching them manage tension and return to calm offers lessons we can carry into training, especially when pressure or excitement builds. And perhaps most importantly, a horse whose social needs are met within the herd carries that sense of security into human interactions. Meeting those needs first makes everything we do in training easier.

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What we learn from watching
By observing these interactions, we sharpen our ability to notice the smallest shifts in communication. We learn to see how horses set boundaries without force, how they give each other time to respond, and how they return to calm after tension. These lessons carry directly into training: noticing the try before the resistance, giving space for processing, and creating an environment where the horse feels safe to engage.

When we watch herds, we also see that the majority of interactions are quiet and cooperative. Corrections, when they do occur, are rare and short-lived. For us, the lesson is clear: harmony comes from subtle communication and trust, not from repetition of correction.

Sitting and watching our horses on a continuous basis also allows us to notice changes in behaviour that may not be obvious in day-to-day handling. A horse that withdraws, becomes more reactive, or alters their role in the herd may be showing us early signs of pain, stress, or discomfort. These are things we often miss when our only interactions are during training or care routines.

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⚠️ What an unhealthy herd looks like:

Not all herds provide the above model. When resources or social groupings are out of balance, we may see repeated chasing, frequent biting or kicking, or guarding of hay, water, or shelter. These are signs of conflict, not of health.

The mistake comes when people view this kind of conflict as normal horse behaviour and then use it to justify harsh or forceful training methods. In reality, conflict is usually a symptom of poor management, not a standard we should strive toward.

Research supports this. Long-term observations in equine social behaviour (McDonnell, 2003; Waring, 2003) indicate that stable herds rely heavily on subtle communication and rarely escalate to chronic aggression when resources are adequate. Studies have shown that frequent aggression more often reflects competition over limited resources than daily herd life (Boyd et al., 2016; Christensen et al., 2011). Observations of feral and semi-feral horses further suggest that true stability is marked by calm coexistence, not constant chasing or biting (van Dierendonck & Spruijt, 2012; Feh, 2005).

A horse or herd living in survival mode, constantly guarding resources or fighting for space, should never be the baseline for our training decisions.

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The takeaway:

By taking time to watch rather than do, we learn what relaxation, communication, and consent look like in horse language. Bringing those lessons into training means working with the horse, not against their nature.

Sometimes, the best classroom is the pasture.

13/09/2025

Brown medium (cob, horse) synthetic beta Dr Cook bitless bridle in excellent used condition

A used beta bridle in almost new condition – a real bargain!

22/07/2025

A rare occurrence - genuine English leather, padded Dr Cook bitless bridle - havana - used but in excellent condition; XF Warmblood size

A used English padded leather genuine Dr Cook crossover Bitless Bridle – XF (warmblood) havana

13/06/2025

Woohoo! We've managed to secure a few pairs of Flex-Ride stirrups!

We have managed to secure a few pairs of these amazing stirrups, but the future of the manufacturer is still in doubt, so get some while they’re available…

09/06/2025

Interesting word "relationship," often thought of as only applicable to pony patters and those who allow their horses to do whatever they want. Yet the truth is, everyone has a relationship with their equine; there are as many types of relationships as there are people and horses they share a space with. Yet often we forget to deliberately set out to create the relationship we want with our horses, donkeys and hybrids. Establishing the relationship you want is the key to achieving the enjoyment, safety, and connection you both deserve. Relationship is the foundation of everything else. If you have lost the relationship you had, or it feels like something is missing, or you just want to do the work to make sure you can build a strong, safe relations, then come and join me in this event, Building better equine relationships, on the ground and in the saddle
https://www.hartshorsemanship.com/event-details/building-better-equine-relationships-on-the-ground-and-in-the-saddle

08/06/2025

Understand Horses presents a webinar with equine trainer and behaviour consultant Trudi Dempsey on riding and training using bitless bridles.

06/06/2025

Unpacking the Impact of Early Weaning on Horse Behaviour

Did you know that many of the behavioural challenges we see in adult horses can often be traced back to the experience of forced and early weaning?

Panic, anxiety, spooking, being herd-bound, fence running, not listening, and a lack of trust in humans, along with being shut down and experiencing catatonia, are just some of the signs. Additionally, many displacement behaviours - including pawing, cribbing/wind sucking, weaving, lip popping, self harm/self-mutilation, learned helplessness and more - can all indicate trauma, which may be triggered by separating a young horse from their dam too soon.

This startling realisation underscores the crucial need to understand these formative moments in a horse’s life.

Research reveals that the emotional turmoil caused by separating foals from their mothers too early can leave a lasting impact. In the wild, weaning is a gentle, gradual transition that occurs naturally over several months, typically beginning between 9 and 11 months of age. However, when foals are abruptly taken from their dams before this natural process unfolds, the emotional and psychological toll can be profound and may cause lasting issues throughout their lives.

While it’s true that by the 3rd or 4th month of lactation, a foal's nutritional needs exceed the mare’s milk supply, maintaining that bond for longer has immense benefits for the young horse.

You need only imagine being torn away from your own mother as a small child; the confusion and trauma that could result is something that’s easy to empathise with. This connection drives home the importance of timing and environment during such a pivotal stage in a horse's development.

Before deciding to wean a foal or purchase a horse that has already experienced early weaning, it worth reflecting on these potential consequences.

Therefore, it is essential to encourage breeders to keep foals with their mothers for a longer period, allowing for a later and more gradual weaning experience to minimise trauma from early weaning, and when weaning does occur, ensuring that a companion horse is nearby can significantly ease the transition.

These simple yet powerful steps can create a world of difference for our horses' early development, helping to prevent a myriad of behavioural issues down the line and assisting in having calmer and more emotionally well-rounded animals.

For those keen on learning more about this important topic, I have compiled a list of references in the comments that delve into the impacts of early weaning. Together, by raising awareness and sharing knowledge, we can help curb the abrupt weaning practices that sadly affect so many young horses. This cause is close to my heart, as I often work with horses in rehab who have been impacted by such traumatic experiences.

I hope this information is useful so we can work together to create a better future for our equine companions.

Tracy @ Natural Horse NZ

05/06/2025

Horses have never and nor will be ever designed to have beneficial effects from riding

So quite the bold statement and as I watch droves of followers maybe leave because of that statement, but try and stay to read on we must know that there is no beneficial advance to a horse having a rider on its back, evolution has not prepared them for this job it’s the fact that they were probably faster and more willing than other species when we were thinking of a work animal or a battle animal (and when we look back at the horses then some horses today are so far away from what we would consider an animal best equipped for the job)

So, don't leave yet because if you start at this base line then you either don't ride or you make damn sure that your horse is at the peak of health and fitness to be able to do what we want (yes what we want not what they choose)

We need more realists in the equine world who are going to tell you how it is not sugar coat things if we take our rose-tinted glasses off as to why our horses may not be able to perform the task that we ask of it then we might just get longevity and quality to their lives, rather than the fast turnover of horses continually breaking down

Balance ...you cannot ask a horse even to consider balancing another moving force without it or the moving force placed upon it being fit, healthy and balanced and if this means a long time on the ground before you get on then so be it.

Strength... A weak structure and foundation will lead to failure, if your horses haven't the strength to carry itself correctly again add another moving force and the foundation will become even more unstable and weak

Feed...internal health is so important, what we feed on the inside will show on the outside and that doesn't mean fancy smanchy expensive feeds it means you need to meet your horses Nutrional needs and feed it according to the work its doing remember the bacteria in the hind gut will start dying off at around 6 hours without anything passing through so especially in winter where our horses are stabled for long periods of time that amount of hours can be the realism for some horses (don't shoot me if that may different now i was taught that over 30 years ago things may have moved on lol)
Often it can not be what you eat but how your mental state is while you eat it, stressed horses do not utilise the nutrients correctly however good the feed is, environmental, physical and mental health all comes into play when we are considering the diet of the horse.

Time out...we need to let our horses just be horses for the majority of the day we owe them that much, a horse must be able to have room to move and i mean if they want to gallop they have enough room to build up speed as if a horse is frightened by something yet never has the means to escape then what will it be doing to their nervous system are they forever trapped in flight mode without the ability to reach a peak to then come back down

Time...the last growth plates to fuse at the most important part and usually the most common areas we see dysfunction throughout the horse's life the last growth plate can close as late as 8 years old in some horses, yet we are overdoing things at 2,3 and mostly 4 yrs. old, how many horses do we see with lower neck and lower back issues in later years when coincidentally these are the last areas where the growth plate closes

Teeth and feet. The effect of imbalance or pain in these areas will have ripple effects throughout the body and no amount of bodywork will compensate for continual pain in these areas. In fact, I will say more feet than teeth as i see way more foot pain and dysfunction than I do incorrect dental structures, just pick your horses foot up have a look at the heels are they nice and plump or flat and hard and that is just one area I often see

Pain....changing tack, injections etc will only let us know the area no longer has pain the horse will still think the area may hurt again we go back to time for the horse to process that an area will no longer be in pain, how long I don't know we cannot ask the horse....and with that you may have removed or changed the offending object but do you think that it only affects one area remember one lame leg means the whole body will move differently

We are so lucky in these times we have so much information on ways to help our horses, but we need to listen to our horses after all we are supposed to have a partnership. And f we start at the basis of I am going to help my horse be as fit and healthy for the job I ask it to do then it’s a good starting point. Be a realist if your horse keeps saying no then listen, sometimes we cannot help them all, sometimes you may have got as far as you can and even sometimes, we have to make hard decisions, but we must always have the horses best interests we must never lose sight of the fact we must come second in our dreams the horse must always come first.

A healthy well balanced and confident horse can be more challenging as they may always ask the question why, but much better than a sore, unbalanced horse that may do the job while slowly breaking down

Are you still here it wasn't so bad lol my rants are always rubbish lol

04/06/2025

Yay! Bitless all the way

Donald in his bitless bridle during his lessons. He is amazing and there is no change in how he is ridden. World Bitless Association World Horse Welfare we must all try to improve our horses welfare and lives with us. Riding bitless enables us as humans to use our correct aids of riding and be aware of how we ask horses to do a task. As a riding school we are very keen to teach empathy and kindness. We think bitless is a way forward especially when people are learning to ride and heavy with their hands. Look at his relaxed bottom lip!

12/05/2025

Understand Horses presents a free webinar with welfare trailblazer Amanda Stoddart-West and social scientist Dr Tamzin Furtado on the role of equine welfare stewards and how you can optimise horse wellbeing at equine events.

10/05/2025

Naughty horses...

There is no such thing as naughty horse.

I know that long-time followers must think my record is stuck, but this bares some repeating.

Firstly, because even the converted choir slip back into this thinking regularly.

Secondly, a number of the 'whip and discipline" crew are claiming that new studies show horses CAN be naughty.

Horses are physiologically unable to engage in planned misbehavior.

Please note: this does not mean they are less intelligent than us. The mere fact that I have to clarify that indicates they are probably of a higher level of intelligence than us.

They have a less developed frontal lobe than us.
The frontal lobe is where we think about lies, our five- year plan, and where to bury the body of our boss.
Horses HAVE a frontal lobe, but it's lack of development means they are capable of thinking about 6 steps ahead, and around two minutes into the future. You know that ' in he moment' state we all work as hard at achieving? That's what it's like being a horse.

The only time horses run around in a state of stress, about things that may never happen, is when they are kept in domestic situations where humans don't consider their species appropriate needs. Even in these cases they aren't thinking a day in advance. They have an immediate need not being met. All day, and all night.
Why does this matter?
Why should we be debating this?
Isn't it cute to call them naughty, but in a cute way?
No, because naughtiness is cute until it needs correction. Then out comes the discipline.

When we write off behavior as naughty, we stop finding the motivation behind the behavior, whether it be pain, fear,, lack of understanding, or needs not being met.

Every single behavior we find undesirable with horses is the results of one of these motivations.

A well-known equestrian magazine recently published an article claiming that NEW studies now show that horses CAN Plan in advance. They posted no links to the study, but after some searching I found the study, and found nothing new. We already knew that horses can process few functions ahead, and a few minutes ahead.
They cannot, according to any peer reviewed science, sit in their stable overnight and plan where to pretend to be scared, so they can throw you off.
This matters. It isn't 'just having fun'.

I have clients telling me instructors are still telling then to use their whips, because the horse is ' just being naughty' or ' he is just taking advantage of you" or " he is just testing you'.
These are all cases of other motivators being missed in favor of punishment. Then we wonder why those horses are "spooky amd unpredictable". They are being punished for things they don't understand. They live in constant fear of what the bald monkeys might do to them next.
This is why we need to drop the term naughty from our vocabulary.. Even in jokes and memes.

09/05/2025

Wise words

Not Cold. Not Cruel. Just Boundaried.🤓

By Dr Shelley Appleton — featuring Satire, Logic, and the Occasional Smackdown on Bad Advice 💥

So, I read a post.
(It began innocently enough, as these things often do.)
It claimed that a horse can only form a genuine relationship with a human if it’s allowed to slobber on your jacket, sniff your armpits, nuzzle your hair, and loiter in your personal space like an uninvited Tinder date. 🚩

Apparently, saying “no” to your horse’s investigatory advances means you’re emotionally unavailable.
Which is a bit like saying that if you don’t let a toddler shove peas up your nose, you clearly hate children. 🫛👃

Now, let me unpack this suitcase of wrongness. 🧳

First, it gave me the ick.
The same kind of ick women got in the 1950s when told they should smile through unsolicited shoulder rubs from Harold in Accounts—because it was just his way of “being friendly.” 🤢
And second—and I really cannot stress this enough—it’s utter codswallop.

A good relationship with your horse doesn’t require physical contact that would warrant an HR complaint in any other workplace. 📝🙅‍♀️

Horses don’t need to lick your face to know your soul.
They’ve got nostrils nearly as sharp as a drug-sniffing beagle 🐶 and can detect your self-doubt before you’ve even touched the halter.
They observe.
They assess.
They know—without sticking their nose in your cleavage—that you’ve had a hard week.

So why are we still peddling the idea that setting boundaries makes you cold, closed off, or cruel?

Actually—let’s pause on that word: boundaries.
If the term makes your hackles rise, swap it out. Try rules for engagement.
Same idea, less therapy-room 🛋️, more clarity.
It’s not about being distant. It’s about being discerning. 🧠

And here’s the real kicker: boundaries don’t block connection—they protect it. 🛡️
They create trust.
They reduce conflict.
They prevent resentment.
They are the very opposite of the submission-as-love nonsense women have been force-fed for centuries.
Being a good partner—human or horse—isn’t about disappearing your needs.
It’s about showing up clearly, consistently, and with a spine. 🧍‍♀️

Because letting a horse mug you for snacks while calling it “connection” isn’t enlightened.
It’s just permission for chaos. 🍿

Guess what? Horses aren’t only curious… they’re strategic. ♟️
They’re also testing whether they can influence you—and taking notice of the outcome.

This is where it all kicks off:
Horse leans in.
Human thinks, how sweet.
Horse leans harder.
Human leans back.
Horse takes a step.
Human compromises.
And before you know it, the horse is running over Aunt Cheryl and you’re on Facebook asking why Barney charges you at feed time. 🐎🧍‍♀️💥

Boundaries aren’t rejection—they’re clarity.
They tell your horse: “This is how we engage.”

Let’s stop romanticising disempowerment and start celebrating boundaried, mutually respectful relationships—where horses are curious, humans are wise, and nobody is getting stood on in the name of “connection.” 🙃

You’re not cold for having boundaries.
You’re just being sensible.
When a worried horse barrels into your space, your instincts tell you to block, not hug. 🧱🫂
It’s like a scared child running for comfort and colliding with someone who panics and shoves them back.
See how this bad idea falls apart?

Disclaimer 🧐
This post—and its satirical style, cheeky analogies, and metaphors—has been written as a thinking tool. It’s designed to challenge flawed narratives with a smile. 😏
If it made you laugh, great. If it made you think, even better. 💡

And if it tickled your fancy, please hit the share button (you know, that one down there 🔁), and avoid copy-pasting like a content kleptomaniac. 🦹‍♂️
Let’s keep satire honest, ideas sharp, and authors credited.

PS. Oh—and just in case it needs saying:
“Rules of engagement” doesn’t mean whack your horse if they come too close.
It means you teach them how to engage.
Calmly. Clearly. Consistently.
Because training is how relationships are built—not through punishment, but through communication.