Shona McLauchlan Equine

06/03/2025

Such kind words from Soft and Sound on my journey with Pecan🙏🏻

All horse’s teach us more, get us to search for different ways to help them be the best they can. When I started training with Kate I had a very traditional background for riding and training which just wasn’t working for this horse and all I cared was finding a better way for him and helping him rediscover the confidence to enjoy movement in his body.

We’ve had such great progress so far and I can’t wait for what’s to come….

02/03/2025

Lovely day spent in North Devon for the Codden Hill clinic 🥰

I forgot to take photos today so these are from last time.

I feel privileged so have lots of new faces attending and be able to help partnerships grow and become more confident in each other.

Next date is Saturday 5th April if you’d like to join in ☺️

23/02/2025

For any Devon folk …..

More dates will be coming for these venues and venue/dates in the South Devon area.

Any questions please to get in touch or if you know someone in my area that you think would be interested feel free to share ☺️

23/02/2025

Well I was super chuffed with my pony even if the judges didn’t agree 🤣🤣

I realised on the 3 hour drive that this was Luca’s 3rd dressage comp in 18 months! He was so well behaved all day, much more relaxed in the warm up and test which is such a win as this didn’t used to be the case.

I thought he did a sweet test and on reflection probably a bit quiet but was suprised how harshly he was marked for lack of suppleness and balance. I felt he was very similar to my recent test riding clinics where we’ve scored much higher , so will definitely get my trainer to watch the video next time I see her and unpick where we’re loosing marks.

Not going to lie I had a brief self pity moment at the start of driving home before my tunes picked me up. I knew it wasn’t a world beating test but you do get a bit demoralised when you think it was a good few % better than what you got.

Doesn’t take away the fact he was a joy to take out, on a long drive to a venue he’s not been too in 4 years. No spooking and he really tried, 2 judges comment on what a sweet willing horse he was which was not something we’ve EVER had said before so I’ll take that and work on the suppleness at home ready for next time 🩵🩵

17/02/2025

Today I was really proud of myself when I wrote Pecan… now this is not something I think I’ve said very many times about riding any horse.

Last summer I rehabbed Pecan several times from ulcers until we found the real reason for his discomfort because of this I can be quite tentative about how I ride sometimes feeling that he’s fragile his emotional and I’m worried that I’m gonna upset the apple cart and he’s not going to like it.

Sometimes when I ride and he gets distracted, I feel lost in knowing how to say to him please could you listen to me and can we carry on? Interestingly he is now a lot more horse not just in movement but in brain he’s definitely a bit more spicy! He questions things more rather than being the quiet horse that I thought he was, I now have a real powerhouse of a horse. Today was really cold, a good reason to be distracted and I just thought now I have enough tools and knowledge to help him through this and support him better. So when he wanted to be distracted down the spooky end of the arena I went straight into the lateral moves that I know and help support him through his body to show him that he can stay with me. I feel I can say to him you know I’m asking you a question here and it’s okay for me to say hello can you listen to me?

And he was so much better for this. It’s a really hard thing to be so worried about upsetting an emotional horse, but actually when they’re emotional, they need you even more. They need you to be there, they will notice that you notice so when he’s concerned, when he’s distracted if I don’t do something about it then I leave him out there on his own. I need to be there for him I need to say I’m here we can do this……how about we do this and you will feel better in your body, I will give you another option that’s actually nicer than the one you’re choosing and over time he will trust me hopefully in big environments when he is unsure and I can offer him a better way to be.

We always strive to be better for our horses but we also need the courage to have the conviction to believe in ourselves that we can actually do this and today I had be of those moments 🩵

06/02/2025

So if asked Luca to take a selfie while you’re still sitting on him he smiles 🤣

I have one of those lightbulb sessions with Kate on Tuesday where we really helped Luca be in a better balance and stop barrelling into the bridle.

He tends to always be on the forehand and lean on my hand which doesn’t make for a happy schooling session. Today he was a transformed horse, so much better 🙌🏻

He’s such a clever horse that he picks things up really really quickly which has its good side and bad because he’s also super clever and manages to con me out of working correctly pretty much all the time.

I didn’t work for too long today and everything just fell into place. He worked really nicely, and had a lovely balanced canter. I plan to work keep work short and sweet and keeping him happy.

Recently I’ve been concerned about the shape of his neck and we all know he likes to bite his rugs and pulled them forward and I’ve always thought this was due to the fact that he was warm or didn’t quite like the fit. He also pulls a lot of faces and lifts a hind leg when rugging. We chatted in my lesson to Kate about it and we actually think it might be more to do with the fit and the fact that he just can’t tolerate the pressure of rugs on his withers, so currently at night he’s naked although it’s a bit chilly I’m just going make sure he has lots of forage and keep an eye on his weight.

He’s already looking a bit of shape but there is definitely a dip in front of his withers that I think is caused from the rugs. So as much as I don’t want to leave him naked I truly believe that this is better for this horse and that’s what I’m gonna do in the future. Next year I will manage him differently and I probably won’t clip him out completely so that I won’t need to rug if I can help it and minimally in the field. I am trying a different style of rugs, I’ve ordered one to see if that helps him but I think this is a really interesting point that a lot of horses struggle and it’s just not something that’s really recognised. I have another horse on the yard who doesn’t like having his rugs taken on and off, he is also naked at night and just to see if that makes a difference. He equally has the same dip in front of his withers so it’ll just be interesting thing to note and observe and see if it makes a difference.

We’re always learning, always trying to hewlp these horses be more comfortable and just remember that the things that we put on them and like to do isn’t always necessarily the best thing for them.

02/02/2025

Rapha’s first long walk on the moors with the gang, he had some time off the lead and was fab. Met several dogs and other people and was really settled. Hard to believe we’ve not had him a month yet and he’s never see terrain like it, even climbed to the top of the tors!

20km starting at the Northmoor Arms and finishing there for a well earned pint. Everyone’s legs feeling tired especially after some off piste walking 😆 2 very sleepy dogs now 🐾🐾

01/02/2025

Absolutely cracking morning running a clinic at West Nymph farm 🥰

Real contrast in horses from an ex-racer whose go to is to be very busy to an endurance pony who can hold a lot of anxiety inside to a young Hanoverian’s first outing from home 🙌🏻🙌🏻

One horse learning the groundwork patterns for the first time and picking it up really quickly. Then watching a young horse that’s very established in the patterns and them being used to help her settle in a new environment away from home and the safety of her herd.

The ex-racer blew us away with her bravery having never seen more than a flag before. All helped by the owner establishing the patterns and confidence together at home which could then be put into place away from home and asking more questions of her.

Thanks to everyone who attended 🙏🏻

Great job done by all horses and humans 🥳

Next clinic at West Nymph (10 mins from Whiddon Down) is Sunday 23rd March. Pm for details or to book ☺️

28/01/2025

𝒲𝐻𝐸𝒩 𝒲𝐼𝒩𝒯𝐸𝑅 𝐼𝒮 𝒲𝐼𝒩𝒯𝐸𝑅𝐼𝒩𝒢 𝐻𝒜𝑅𝒟 𝐵𝐸 𝑀𝒪𝑅𝐸 𝐿𝒰𝒞𝒜 𝒜𝒩𝒟 𝒫𝒰𝐿𝐿 𝒮𝒯𝒰𝒫𝐼𝒟 𝐹𝒜𝒞𝐸𝒮 🤪

It’s definitely one way to get through it 🤣🤣

On a more helpful note I rambled on earlier in my stories about how I’m planning my run up to Petplan qualifiers next month as it’s far from what I’d actually do in an ideal world. I thought it may be useful for even just one person struggling with this time of year.

It may not be a qualifier you’re heading to but the mindset can definitely be applied to whatever your plans maybe….

I have less than a month and ideally I’d like 2 outings to competitions to get us match ready….we’ll be doing none 🙈 the weather is too unpredictable, he’s not great in indoor venues which limits my choices around me and I’d rather put in quality work at home.

My plan is to test ride lots, do online test, ride to a friends to ride the test in a different arena and attend a test riding clinic at a venue he’s not great at (hoping the lack of competition day vibe will settle us both)

I need to remember it’s hard to prep in winter and the day will be more experience and a fun day out the expecting high scores.

It’s easy to put too much pressure on ourselves, to see what others are doing and think we need to match it. We can only do our best at any time and winter is a time we definitely need to be kind to ourselves 🥰

Scaling down expectations, remembering to keep things light hearted, remember the chocolate, to ask friends for help, check in with yourself, are your doing things you really want to do not what you think you should do ….. taking a moment to stop and think through what it is you really want can really help.

Spring will be here soon although the current weather may have you thinking otherwise 🙈 …..until then you got this 😘

22/01/2025

My must have grooming products are definitely the hot cloth/washes from 🩵🩵

I discovered the Well Gel range when Jane who owns the company did a live chat with way back in lockdown and since then I’ve always had a selection of the products on the yard.

I love giving the horses a hot cloth all year round bringing and using natural products you now will be kind on their skin is really important. My horses all love the smells and are happy to have them used their body.

The Well Gel original is brilliant as a natural first aid gel and always make sure I carry some on the lorry as well as at home.

🌿 All completely natural
🌎 Sustainable packaging
🛍️ Supporting small business
🧼 Shampoos, warm washes, rinses
🌱Hoof care
🤕 Fist aid care

Simple a great range of products 🩵

Have you got a must have grooming tip or product? Especially in winter I love to hear what people do to keep them clean 🙈

Day 22 of from

22/01/2025

Yesterday was National hug day 🤗 I’m never on time with these things and everyday should be a hug day in my book especially when you get to hug these beautiful gracious creatures that allow us to fulfill our dreams 🦄🤎

Pecan and I showing up in full matchy in the stunning Cognac from the current Eskadron Heritage collection 🤎🤎 gifted very kindly from the team 🙏🏻

I often look at shades they bring out and think how nice they are but this is truly a fav of mine 😍😍 it’s looks amazing on bays, chestnuts and greys 🦄

The zip top I’m wearing is super cosy but not too heavy to wear so perfect in these grey cold days of winter, paired with navy breeches is just 👌🏻 definitely my current outfit of choice 🤎

Why not head over and check out the range and if you want to treat yourself or a friend use SHONA10 at checkout for a discount 🛍️

19/01/2025

Lovely morning running a clinic Codden Hill in North Devon.

Great to see familiar faces and continuing to build up the confidence in each partnership. Using various tools to work on movement and sound to help teach the horses how they can find the relaxation in their body in different situations.

Also working on loading practice with one who’s become anxious about travelling. Working on controlling the moment of each keg individually in the arena and straightness to help keep focus when on the ramp.

Great work done by everybody who came. Next date at Codden Hill is Sunday 2nd March. If you’d like more information or to book please get in touch either by PM or email [email protected]

18/01/2025

We all know that training whether it’s horses or many other things in life is not linear, we improve, we process, we get it wrong, we get tired and we realise there’s a lot of layers to EVERYTHING. We need to think it’ll be easier otherwise the start can seem too difficult at times.

I had the BEST lesson on Thursday and I’m not going to lie my little brain started dreaming of moments like this and that they may well one day happen again. Whilst I’m confident they will, given time and the right training you’re going to look forward to your next schooling session with a fire in your belly to reproduce what you had a few days ago…

But it’s winter 🤣🤣

Which means the glorious sunshine we had only a few days ago is replaced with grey mey particularly very cold grey mey. Add in lots of animal noises coming access the valley my dogs play fighting as I’m tacking up, a crow that seemed to think it was going to give us a lesson and me putting 2 blocks in the corner of the arena meant Pecan was not in a place mentally where he could relax and produce much work.

So you take what you can, you take knowledge of what external factors still affect him and push him towards his threshold and fact find…..what can he deal with today.

This is the part I wanted to share, the reframing we need to be able to do so we don’t come out the arena like su***de on a stick thinking you can’t ride, it’s no use and the horse will never improve.

Everyday is educational

I found the lateral work that normally helps him relax and soften worked a fair bit in walk but was a no in the trot. So I just did figures of 8, so I was still asking for some body bend I was still using my body to change from one rein to the other asking him to take weight into a new outside rein. Did we canter …nope because I know he still mentally finds that hard so today it would not have gone particularly well and built on the lovely work from the other day.

I found what he was happy with then settled with that and praised him, he was trying all the time just because it wasn’t what I had envisaged is irrelevant.
He finished relaxed and every day is a new day 🩵

18/01/2025

Great post from Soft and Sound about training with the future in mind……
Well worth a read ☺️

Creating horses for the eventuality of being a klutz.

Over in the membership group I am running a series of videos called 'Starting with the end in mind'. This is based on Stephen Covey's principle of looking at where you would like to end up, and working backwards from there.

I have a young horse and I have to start him entirely solo. No one to walk out with, no one to be there on the ground, no one at home to check I have returned from first hacks. This means I have to try from the very outset to fill in every gap I can possibly imagine. I need to look to the future and imagine the very best, most rock solid, most 'I've got this covered' horse I can dream of, and work back from there. What skills is my older horse going to need to have this nailed, and how can I start to educate my young horse in relation to this - right now.

One thing I want him to be at rock star level about is mounting. So many accidents happen at the point of someone getting on. This means I have tried to cross every t and dot every i. And I actively don't use treats - I understand why people use them, but I have many reasons based on years of observation which mean I see they get in the way of what the horse really needs. Which is to be totally balanced over this feet, with his brain on the job in hand, with all the many skills required to draw straight up to a mounting block, slidey rock, wobbly gate, scratchy hedge, and then stand there. Simple but not easy.

I see treats detract from this ultimately as they mess with a horses balance while you mount. And they can steal from their focus. Instead I have taken a long time to teach him all aspects of mounting and most importantly how to balance himself when I get on - this is a not something most of us ever get taught, I just got lucky I had access to a teacher who showed me this many years ago. But it's not standard operating procedure to get shown this.

Because the other thing I am preparing my horse for is my lack of capability. I am a human and as such I make mistakes. The other day, on what was still a very virgin like hack for me and this little guy, I went to get on from a very slippery bank (and this is standard procedure on Dartmoor in winter) and as I went to swing my leg over I slipped. I fell over backwards down the bank with my foot caught in the stirrup. My young horse, still so new to riding, (but not new to mounting) knew what to do - stabilize himself in relation to my unexpected pull on his side, fix his feet on the ground, and look down at me with raised eyebrows.

I may not be perfect, so instead I can teach my horse to know what to do when klutz mode kicks in.

16/01/2025

I had just the best lesson yesterday with it was like Pecan had read the memo and said hold my beer 🩵🩵🩵

Definitely not a photo from yesterday it’s been sunny on Dartmoor but not that sunny 🤣

He’s been progressing well but it felt like everything was falling into place with him. I’m getting stronger and learning how I need to ride him, he cannot tolerate any backwards pressure on his mouth so I have to be forward/soft and giving with my hands and carry no tension in my lower back, shoulder blades and have giving elbows. This I cannot not do and talk which we found out when Kate was asking me questions 🤣🤣 no multi tasking here 😆

We got straight into the lateral work in walk which he was moving through really nicely and the trot work was so much more relaxed.

He gets worried by small things so I’m always worried at asking more but he just felt so up for it. There were times he was crunching on the bit when we were asking harder questions or something he wasn’t sure of but he came out of them so well, I was so so proud of him.

For the first time in ages I feel like we have a real plan of where we’re heading and what we’ll get to achieve. I have no set time line to that as it’ll be at his pace, he has a brilliant brain and so much talent that although we’re now on a very different path it’s one that I am so up for. 🩵

15/01/2025

My favourite riding outfits….. day 14 of with

I’m a Pikeur gal through and through, nearly all my breeches are from this brand and I’ve sworn by them for over 15 years. Through the winter the softshell style are a life saver keeping me warm and preventing chilblains on my thighs. The quality is amazing and I feel a real investment, they get worn all day everyday and my current winter breeches are going into their 4th year and still look super smart. My go to styles are the Lugana’s and Gia Athleisure so far and I’ve got my eye on the Candela’s 😍

I’m lucky enough to be a BA for so over the years I’ve been gift several items of clothing as well as many that I’ve bought myself with a discount but I would happily pay full price if this weren’t the case.

The breeches have so many styles and colours to choose from meaning everyone can find they’re perfect match and the team will be happy to help pair you up 🥰

Whether it’s riding at home, at a clinic or competing you can garantee I’m wearing something