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Shona McLauchlan Equine

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Shona McLauchlan Equine

Shona Mclauchlan is an experienced horse woman available for teaching, schooling, starting youngsters and retraining problem horses.

28/06/2025

🩵 🩵We did a thing 🩵🩵

16 months since our last competition and we ventured back to those white boards 🦄🦄

It’s been a journey and this is only the start of the next stage but it was fab to be out with this special boy.

The first test was very wobbly due to the sprinklers behind the judges box, we had extra canter and at one point I patted him and so nearly raised my hand to retire worrying I was going to upset him. I took a breath and remembered I need to be part of the solution not the problem and show up for him and say we can do this and will be here to hold your hand.

We’ve been working hard over last year to build up his confidence so all those tools I’ve put on place are there to be used not to abandon ship in the moment.

So we carried on and finished nicely, managing to relax in several movements. I will add had he continued to get more concerned I would have left it for another day but he grew in confidence.

We stood and chilled by the other arena then went in for the next test where I didn’t ask too much just nice clear round and we scored 68% 🤩🤩 the day was never about the scores just the start of us getting out again so the score was a bonus. He dropped out of one of the counter canters for a 3 so we easily got more to come.

After we found the ulcers and treated them last summer I was devastated when they came back, so we had to look at everything to find the route cause which after a lot of X-rays we did. Although he had pads behind his HPA was still negative and had caused bone spurs on his hocks. My farrier was brilliant and we kept x-raying after a new set till we got the angles correct.

But that really was the easy bit(I very much did not think that at the time ) …..he’s quite emotional being and he had gone very into himself so the really tough part was slowing bringing him back into work. I’m forever grateful for the training/help/advice of Kate from whose wisdom has got us here today.

Kate teaches classical French riding and I have learnt a whole new way, of riding,thinking and being with my horses.

It’s certainly made my brain work and I love the academic side of it and really understanding why we ask for certain things and how we should be asking them. Why we aren’t taught more like this from a traditional sense is beyond me as there would be a lot more happier horses and their owners.

Personally I feel blessed to have found this and want to continue to better myself for my horses.

Onwards and upwards…..

15/06/2025

Training thoughts on a Luca child…..

After feeling like he was just dumping all his weight on the forehand again we have good progress to better balance 🙌🏻

Until about a year ago Luca spent most of his time on the forehand, coming from physical reasons and me not realising he wasn’t in a great balance and I didn’t have the knowledge of how to change this. Overall we’ve made good progress but a few times last week I had rides and just thought this doesn’t feel great.

So instead of spiralling into a pit of disappear thinking I can’t ride and that he’s broken I actually stopped, thought about how we helped him before to find a better balance and get off his front end.

We’ve spent a few days in walk with lots of counter flexions, neck rein turns and other exercises. We had a ride on the moors where I really worked on asking him to look for better ways to go down hill rather than nose diving which resulted in a calmer walk along the road home. He often bowls down the back of the tor and gets out of balance which of course if not a nice sensation for him.

Yesterday we worked over poles focusing on keeping the poll at the highest point and again reminding him of a better balance.

It’s so easy to not go over the basics or exercises that you used at the start thinking you don’t need them anymore. All exercises are there in your tool box to pull out when needed or when your brain remembers they’re there in the first place!!

I also have to really making sure if I was asking clear questions and instead of getting frustrated if he wasn’t giving the right answer, as quite often I might think I’m being clear but I’m not 🙈 slowing things down and asking for things simply and clearly then having a break for us both to process has been a real game changer this week.

Now I just need to remember that always 🤣🤣

08/06/2025

Lovely day spent up in North Devon ☺️

Starting with some regular faces at Codden Hill who are all doing great work with their horses, typically I forgot to take photos of everyone🙈

Then onto to a client near Torrington to work on her 2 year old and her older ridden mare and daughter’s pony.

A real range of sizes and ages to work with and as always a pleasure to get to help owners build and strengthen their relationship with their horses.

Next Codden Hill date is 27th July, get in touch if you’d like to book on 🦄

01/06/2025

Pole work set ups are endless and I love this as we get to use our imagination to create different layouts, ask our horses different questions.

They can be built to suit all levels of horses and rider combinations, great for more nervous partnerships to grow in confidence. Walk pokes are a great gymnastics work out getting each limb to work independently and should never be underestimated in their benefit.

If you’d like to use poles as part of your horses training programme I offer private sessions and also run a fortnightly clinic Moretonhampstead RC. The next date is this Wednesday 4th June, times from 5pm then 18th June.

Get in touch if you have any questions or would like to book up 🤩

23/05/2025

💫Clinic Dates for June/July 💫

Get in touch for more info or to book on.

I also do private sessions for groundwork and flatwork depending on location/travel. My main focus is always on looking at the relationship between you and your horse and looking at ways to establish good communication skills in and out of the saddle that leads to a happy partnership 🥰

If you loo

21/05/2025

Always a pleasure teaching riders so keen to learn and wanting the best for their horses.

Allowing horse to mature before asking too much will only ever reap you rewards.

My next clinic at Morton RC is Progressive Poles on Wednesday 4th June starting at 5pm. Beginning with walk pole exercises which are great gymnastic workouts for your horse progressing to whatever is suitable for you and your horse. The aim to build confidence in your partnership and both to have fun so don’t worry if your horse hasn’t seen many poles or you have never worked a horse over them. Finding the rider’s happy place on a horse is key to my teaching ☺️

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