Clarkston Farm , livery Lanark ML11 9UN

08/05/2025

What a lovely comment from one of our liveries who moved south to live - thank you Deborah


"The only good part to my stay in Scotland was meeting the people on this yard. Their daily support, the relaxed and positive environment was an escape.

If you’re looking to share your pony time with some lovely people this really is the best place to do it !"

06/05/2025

The Importance of Warming Up Horses

Warming up a horse before exercise is essential for both performance and safety, and it becomes even more critical when a horse has been standing in the stable all day. Prolonged periods of inactivity can cause stiffness in the joints, reduced blood flow to the muscles, and a general lack of mental readiness for work. Just like athletes, horses need time to transition from rest to activity.

A proper warm-up gradually increases the horse's heart rate, stimulates circulation, and warms the muscles, tendons, and ligaments—making them more flexible and less prone to injury. For stabled horses, this process also helps to loosen any stiffness or tension that may have developed during confinement.

Mentally, warming up gives the horse a chance to focus and connect with the rider, helping to avoid behavioral issues that might arise from sudden demands on an underprepared mind and body.

Typically, a good warm-up includes 10–15 minutes of walk work - this is individual to the horse and any existing health issues ( I personally like to do up to 20 minutes of walk in winter especially and sometimes i will do a session just walking, it's the gait most neglected but that's a different post ) progressing into light trot and gentle stretching exercises. This period allows for assessment of the horse’s condition and any signs of discomfort that might not be obvious in the stable.

Neglecting this crucial step not only risks strain or injury but also compromises the quality of the training session. Taking the time to properly warm up a horse is a simple, effective way to protect their long-term soundness and improve performance.

Shared from the balanced horse

04/05/2025

Another great weekend training with Debby Lush

26/04/2025

The truth about exercises for horses!

The reality is that without correct technique an exercise is useless and possibly harmful to the training.
If you are doing the same exercise repetitiously with your horse crooked, above the bit, on the forehand, behind the leg, not having correct bend or flexion then it's a waste of time. The exercise is the test to let you know if the basics are correct. If the exercises are not fairly easy then going back to fundamentals is the way to go. That is the wonderful thing about dressage there's always a step by step process to making things easier for you and the horse to understand!

Dressage Lessons, Clinics and Training. USDF Bronze & Silver Medalist - USDF Bronze & Silver Freestyle Bar - USDF, IDCTA & WDCTA Award Winner - Traveling to Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.

23/04/2025

Here are 15 interesting facts about horses' brain:

1. Horses' brain is relatively small compared to the size of their body and accounts for only about 0.1% of its total weight.
2. Despite their small size, horses have very complex brains, with a highly developed cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for conscious thought, decision-making and memory.
3. Horses can learn and remember complex tasks, such as navigating a jump course or performing a dressage routine, through a process called associate learning.
4. Like humans, horses have a left hemisphere and a right hemisphere in the brain, each with specialized functions.
The left hemisphere is responsible for the processing of logical and analytical information, while the right hemisphere is more involved in emotional processing and creative thinking.
5. Horses have a great memory and can remember specific people, places and experiences for many years.
6. Horses can learn by observation and often they can acquire new behaviors and skills simply by observing other horses or humans.
7. Horses have a very sensitive sense of touch and can detect even the slightest pressure or movement on their skin. This helps them responding to subtle cues from your rider or guide.
8. Horses can process visual information very quickly and accurately, allowing them to avoid potential hazards and navigate their environment with ease.
9. Horses are social animals and rely on nonverbal communication to interact with other horses in their herd.
This communication is facilitated by the horse’s brain, which can interpret subtle changes in body language, facial expressions and vocalizations.
10. Ultimately, like all animals, horses have a unique personality and individual traits that are shaped by their experiences, genetics and environment—all of which is reflected in their brain function and behavior.
11. Horses have a very strong sense of smell and their odor bulb, which processes smells, is relatively large compared to other parts of their brain.
12. The brain, which is responsible for coordinating movement and balance, is also relatively large in horses. This is because horses must be able to move quickly and efficiently to escape predators or navigate through difficult terrain.
13. Horses have a very high pain threshold, which is believed to be related to how their brains process pain signals.
While this can be beneficial in some situations, it can also mean that horses may not show obvious signs of pain, making it harder for their caregivers to detect and treat underlying health issues.
14. The hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in learning and memory, is particularly well developed in horses.
This allows them to remember not only specific experiences, but also general concepts and patterns that they can apply to new situations.
15. Finally, studies have shown that horses, like other animals, are capable of experiencing emotions such as fear, happiness, and anger. These emotions are believed to be mediated by the limbic system, a group of interconnected brain structures that play a key role in regulating mood and behavior.

Words source: Megan Bolentini Equine Bodywork

20/04/2025

We’ve all started somewhere,
We’ve all started with that one horse that we will never forget..and we are thankful to that one horse.

That one horse taught you to be kind and gentle.
That one horse taught you to trust and love.
That one horse taught you that it is okay to be afraid.
That one horse showed you courage and determination.
That one horse taught you to let go, even when you felt like you were not ready. But that horse knew you was.

That one horse gave you confidence that you needed today and that horse gave you a boost of confidence that you never thought you had.

That one horse showed you what team work was. And what you were capable of doing together.
That one horse had faith in you when you had doubt. And that one horse knew how to turn a frown upside down.

That one horse, will never be forgotten and we will forever be thankful to that one horse that showed us what it is like to have a true partnership. ❤️

18/04/2025

🌱🌱⚠️⚠️SPRING GRASS WARNING⚠️⚠️🌱🌱

The impending flush of Spring grass can cause many issues to your horse. Not only colic and laminitis but lots of other issues that will affect their wellbeing and performance. It can even cause lameness, headshaking, bucking plus many more problems!!!
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We've been really spoiled with a dry Spring this year in England. Last year was a complete washout. It has been lovely for everyone to enjoy time outside to blow the cobwebs off from Winter.
However, looking at the countryside as I travel up and down the country, you can see that all vegetation is poised and waiting for that first proper drop of rain to come to start a big Spring bloom or flush.

THE FLUSH OF GRASS:
Fresh quick growth of grass through a combination of rain and sunshine will come with an increased sugar content as well as other factors such as increased water content and other substances within the grass that can upset the horse's digestive system.
Horse's are more designed for poorer fibrous forage not this high sugar grass we have in the most of the country. It would be just like us, eating lots and lots of sweets...our digestive system would not be happy. In horses, they get a lot more issues than that too!

PROBLEMS
We already know that this flush of grass can incite laminitis as well as colic. However, there are so many more issues that this flush can cause.........

▪️Upset hind gut
▪️Bloating
▪️Faecal Water Syndrome
▪️Kidney and Liver issues
▪️Hindlimb and forelimb lameness (often right hind and left fore)
▪️Tension in the lumbar region causing bucking
▪️Headshaking
▪️Wither tension
▪️Girthing issues
▪️Sensitivity to being brushed
▪️Swelling of udder and sheath
▪️Filling of hind legs
▪️Reluctance to canter (often on left rein)
▪️Disunited in canter
▪️Breathing issues
▪️Becoming anxious, sharp, even aggressive
▪️Strong seasons in mares

WHAT LINKS ALL THIS TOGETHER?
All of these issues occur predominantly due to the grass upsetting the internal organs. Yes, some of the lameness issues and performance problems can indeed be created by the internal organs!!

THE ORGANS
Most of the organs sit within the abdominal cavity (ie stomach, liver, kidneys, spleen, small intestine and part of the hindgut). They get some of their nerves from the thoraco-lumbar spine (under the saddle and after it into the lumbar region). In fact, some organs share nerve regions which adds another layer of issues in that organs can annoy each other...(see the mares later)

When the organs are upset by the grass changes (particularly the digestive and detox organs such as stomach, liver, kidneys, small intestine and hindgut) they cause the area of the spine that they get their nerves from to be upset too. In particular, the lower back.

Depending on the location of the organ you will get certain areas of the body tighter than others...stomach often links to left fore, liver can restrict mainly right fore, left kidney will restrict left hind and hind gut, the right hind.

THE HIND GUT
Since the hind gut has the largest volume it can often cause a lot of severe issues. Obviously colic, but also due to it's position on the right flank (caecum) it can really upset the right hind limb motion as well as cause the lower back to bend to the right.

PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS DUE TO THE HINDGUT
The tension in the right hind often involves the hip but can also cause SI and hock tension as well as some stifle issues. These can be mis-interpreted as genuine limb lameness's when really it is the guts causing issues.

Due to the diagonal biomechanical relationship, when the hind gut is upset it can also cause intermittent lameness in the left fore. Again this can often be misinterpreted as a genuine limb lameness and lots of time can be spent nerve blocking and imaging the limb when in fact it is coming from the other end of the body and actually from the insides!
Also, the left fore can be put under further pressure by the involvement of the stomach too.

HEADSHAKING
From an osteopathic perspective, the right hind (particularly the pelvis, hip and SI) is strongly related to the right side of the head (poll and TMJ's). The tension that the right hind can get from the upset hind guts can cause huge poll and TMJ tension, which can upset the nerves in the head and create headshaking issues.

WHAT CAN BE DONE???

GRASS MANAGEMENT
Well the first thing to do if you have any of the obvious signs of grass-related issues is to reduce the time at grass! This can be difficult if you do not own your own land and have stabling facilities but it is really important to limit the grass intake during the flush of grass.
Grass itself is a very complex plant and there are a lot of arguments about how long the grass should be, when is the best time to graze and types of grasses to grow etc. Unfortunately, it can be a very individual thing with each horse. There are many physical factors that have to be considered when deciding on how the grass needs to be managed.

DIGESTIVE SUPPLEMENTATION
There are plenty of digestive supplements that can help assist the hind gut and other digestive/detox organs through this period. HOWEVER, please remember that supplements are supplementary to good grass/dietary management and also being aware that there are quite often other factors in play that are making that particular horse more sensitive to the grass....... So, supplements are useful but only in addition to correct management through a thorough understanding of your horse's issues.

THE OTHER FACTORS
This is the part that everyone severely overlooks. It seems to be in our nature that we would rather reach for a bag of supplements than try to understand why our horse is like it is. I think wholeheartedly that supplements are useful but I strongly advise you to understand the other factors as it will have a greater affect on your horse's long term wellbeing and performance.

These other factors relate to what state the rest of the body is in. For example, if there is already tension in the thoraco-lumbar region, your horse could well be on the "IBS spectrum" and therefore the internal organs are far more sensitive to any dietary changes, including the grass. If you don't get on top of the overall tension problem, there will be no amount of supplement that will help you!!!
These things include kissing spine, arthritic changes to the lumbars. It also includes head and neck issues are they can create excessive body tension and slide the horse onto the "IBS spectrum".

The lower back tension can also be affected by posture, foot balance, dental balance, saddle fit to name a few. These can all increase the lower back tension and make the organs more sensitive to other changes.

Mares with ovarian issues can cause the digestive system to be more sensitive too. This is as a result of the ovaries sharing a similar nerve area in the back as the digestive system. It is why a mare that comes into a strong season can colic....

Finally, there are the multitude of metabolic issues that can cause greater sensitivity to changes in the grass.

SUMMARY
1) please be vigilant with the grass over the next month or so!
2) get ready to bring your horse off the grass at least some of the day to reduce grass intake. Bring them in onto good bland forage such as hay.
3) use an appropriate supplement to help the guts
4) please, please, please make sure that you get your WHOLE horse checked over properly if you have any of those symptoms listed at the top of the article. There is a good chance there are deeper issues at play that need to be addressed.

Take care and enjoy the Spring....but please be careful!!!

09/04/2025

06/04/2025

Day 2 of our Debby Lush clinic about to start, if you would like to join us for the 3rd & May 4th drop me a pm

28/01/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BteWjdnrj/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) can occur in horses and ponies of all ages, breeds and types.

It isn’t a disease itself, but the name given to a collection of risk factors that increases a horse or pony’s likelihood of developing laminitis.

Most horses with equine metabolic syndrome are obese, like the grey pictured below, and have regions of abnormal fat deposition.

However, some lean horses may also have EMS. These equines tend to have regions of abnormal fat deposition despite their ribs being visible or easily palpable.

Sadly, a diagnosis of EMS is frequently made when a horse or pony has already come down with laminitis.

Therefore, if your equine is a good-doer, struggles to lose weight, or has areas of abnormal fat deposition, then you should discuss equine metabolic syndrome with your vet and be pro-active rather than reactive.

This is particularly important as we head towards spring in the UK, when some equines may not have lost as much condition over the winter as nature intended.

Read the full veterinary advice via the link below:

https://www.yourhorse.co.uk/horse-care/vet-advice/equine-metabolic-syndrome/

📸 Image by Shutterstock

31/12/2024

Great finish to 2024
Six horses lunged and now tucked up for the night
I hope 2025 brings you much joy with all your beautiful horses and ponies

10/12/2024

Getting my 5 a day
polework Monday , thanks for setting it up for us all to enjoy