Pewit Hall Farm - Track Livery

12/04/2024

Think about it 🤔

Our crew lives outside and seems to thrive as a result. Horses 🐎 living like horses 🐎

03/10/2023

Hay on the hardstanding the past few days due to all of the ☔️ We are on thick Derbyshire clay here so it gets muddy quickly but our hardstanding and barn provides a dry area for the ponies, still ensuring they have freedom of movement at all times 🐎

18/09/2023

💚 Job / Assited Livery Package Opportunity 💚

Our lovely Sunday lady is moving on from us ☹️ therefore we have EITHER Sunday work avaible OR for the right horse / human … an assisted livery package available. Please get in contact for further info!

The individual must be…
🐴 Experienced in horse care
🐴 Must be over 18 and have your own transport
🐴 Self employed role, own public liability is required
🐴 Reliable and trustworthy
🐴 Hard working and committed
🐴 Happy to work on your own
🐴 Flexible start times for AM and PM, extra hours often available

What will you be doing?
✅ AM & PM poo picking
✅ Filling haynets and distributing hay around the track
✅ Making feeds and feeding horses
✅ Refilling water
✅ Changing rugs
✅ Daily checks on horses
✅ Basic medical care (applying creams/ clays/sprays etc)
✅ Previous experience with a quad bike is ideal but training will be given if not

PLEASE NOTE the offer of an assisted livery space is very rare and will only be offered if the right person / horse comes forward, otherwise, we will just entrain the route of a new team member

Based near Tibshelf / Clay Cross, Derbyshire
Many thanks! 💚

08/09/2023

The hay has been cut and it’s lovely and dry - the prefect time for a ride around the farm 🥰🌾

One of the biggest unspoken benefits of the track is the effect it has on our ridden horses! The constant movement keeps them ticking over, keeping their fitness for longer and lovely and loose! Removing the added pressure for them to be ridden everyday because the track does most of it for us! We just get to do it for fun now 💚

07/09/2023

I verdi pascoli lussureggianti, contrariamente all'opinione popolare, sono habitat innaturali per i cavalli, e sono quindi la fonte di una dieta nociva. Come risultato, centinaia di cavalli soccombono ogni anno alla laminite, perché vengono buttati a vivere su campi d'erba e di piante leguminose. I pascoli d'erba non solo non forniscono quella superficie secca ed abrasiva di cui lo zoccolo necessita per conformarsi naturalmente, me l'erba stessa in certi momenti dell'anno è tossica per il sistema digestivo del cavallo. I disordini digestivi stimolano la proliferazione di batteri dannosi che causano catastrofici cambiamenti enzimatici all'interno dello zoccolo.

05/08/2023

Quality Control Manager, Sully making sure Alasdair does a fine job on the barn repair 🤔👨‍🔧

01/08/2023

Just your periodic reminder of all the grass that isn’t growing in the U.S. Great Basin (an adaptive habitat) where horses like this beautiful, healthy, fit, wild and free-roaming stallion lives naturally.

Many horse owners (along with vets, farriers, trainers, breeders and other equine experts) have been brainwashed to believe that lush green pastures are a natural food item for the species. And many pharmaceutical companies bring in large amounts of money selling you concoctions to treat the symptoms of their various conditions resulting from this practice. If they lose their customers, they will go out of business or be forced to forge a different path.

Imagine if they decided to fund a genuine research study on the diet of these horses and actually tried to determine what all, how much, when and why they consume what they do to have bodies appear to be in such perfect condition - at a perfect weight - when we can’t even see all their sources of calories? Imagine if the study resulted in creating a supplement made of the nutrients that healthy horses living naturally actually need? This would be beneficial and profitable if the study was a genuine research project using biologists, botanists, geologists, anthropologists, etc. And there would be no need to sell you pharmaceuticals to treat IR, Cushings, Laminitis, EMS, etc. if you decide to stop doing all the wrong things. Jaime Jackson has been railing about the need to study these animals for years - so much of the ways that domestic horses are managed are based upon guessing. Or based upon research studies of unhealthy horses living in stalls, grazing in green pastures, are shod and fed foods that may or may not benefit them but often. - Jill

Another beautiful and educational photo by @ at

30/07/2023

Immediate availability on our track system based in North Derbyshire.

💚 24/7 turnout, including open communal barn, hardstanding and track system
💚24/7 ad lib, trickle net fed meadow hay
💚 Mixed herd living
💚 Safe for laminitics, PSSM, EMS etc
💚 Safe Farm hacking during spring / summer
💚 Access to Five Pits Trail
💚 Winter surfaced track in progress
💚 Owners live on site
💚 Small yard of likeminded people who just want the best for their horses and enjoy them!

Full details of our packages available on our website, message for more information 🐴

09/07/2023

Happy happy ponies 😩🥰🥰🥰 a rare photo of my face too 🤣

02/07/2023

Party time last night apparently 🤪 the most satisfying job of the day 🙌🏻

I absolutely love this Aubiose Horse Bedding , it’s super absorbent, easy to handle and work with and lovely and soft the ponies!

08/06/2023

Summer coats finally coming through, along with those lovely dabbles 🤩

06/06/2023

🤩🙌🏻

04/06/2023

I think it’s past time we talk more about the current laminitis risks in the UK, so this post I’m going to talk a little bit about a couple of cases I’ve seen this week, and how you can help prevent the same thing from happening to your horse.

Starting with my own horse, Howie: I keep him, along with three small ponies on a pretty bald grass track. I move the fence to give them a tiny patch of long stemmy grass early in the morning, and its gone in around 10 minutes. A few days ago his crest hardened and his pulses were strong. I should have stopped moving the fence as soon as that happened. But I, in all my wisdom, thinking my laminitis prone minis are doing well, and my Howie-highland has never had laminitis, didn’t read the signs. He’s come in really sore tonight and his pulses are through the roof.

This morning I went out to a cob who has no signs of laminitis but has gained weight. Two other horses on the same yard currently have active laminitis, so the owner of the cob is bringing him in during the day with soaked hay to reduce grazing and see if we can get a little weight off him. Really wise decision 💪🏼

This afternoon I went out to a 4yr old arabian mare who came in a little footy on weds night, and was kept in until thursday night. Evening turnout thursday, and significantly more sore by morning. She’s not overweight, not metabolic, and not on lush grazing.

Yesterday I saw a little miniature horse for the first time, whose owner was not aware that he was high risk for laminitis, and turned him out on ex dairy grazing with her elderly horse. Soaked hay, boots with pads and medication from the vet has helped, but his future is touch and go.

Thursday was my day off, but I went out to a thoroughbred who had loose stools and was rocked back on his heels. He had just been turned out on the summer grazing which looks like standing hay, but is also full of clover.

Wednesday the only laminitis I saw was in a mare recovering from autumn ppid related laminitis. But you get the picture I hope. It is everywhere in all types of horses.

I have spent much of this week slotting sudden onset laminitics in, mostly wb, tb and arab types - so this year it seems, many cases are horses you might never expect to see with laminitis. The truth is, thoroughbreds and finer breeds seem just as vulnerable. The following list is not exhaustive, but these are a few things you might want to consider, as a preventative:

*monitor pulses and if they become strong, or stronger than normal, get the horse off the grass

*monitor weight, and restrict/cut out grazing if your horse is overweight, has fat pads or a cresty neck

*pay attention to how comfortable your horse is. Is he suddenly a bit pottery when turning a circle? Footy on surfaces he’d normally happily stride out on? Banging his heels down when walking? Short in trot? More sensitive to stones/grit?

*consider soaking hay. 30-45 minutes will reduce the potassium by half, and will also reduce sugar/starch.

*supplement your horse with magnesium and salt.

*Consider strip grazing, a grazing muzzle, or night time only turnout (grass stores energy through the day, being at its highest levels in the early evening. This energy is converted into new growth overnight, so the safest time to turnout is early morning hours).

*Use the laminitis risk app or the grasscheckgb website to help avoid periods where risk is elevated.

*consider setting up a temporary track

*find out what kind of grass species are in your field and your forage (rye and/or clover are higher risk than meadow grass species).

*Remind yourself every day that prevention is better than cure, and be as prepared as you can be. Know the signs, check for them daily and act when you see them.

*Do not be afraid to ask for help if you need it

04/06/2023

A summers evening hack around the farm and track😎 perfect for those evenings where we are a little limited on time and don’t want to venture out to the trails or other local bridleways!

03/06/2023

The barn is lovely and cool today, a nice shade away from flies too - although I think the horses are enjoying the sunshine 🤣

Side note - I am absolutely loving the Aubiose bedding! So absorbent and aesthetically pleasing 🙌🏻🤩

01/06/2023

The subtle signs of laminitis. Get to know what is “normal” for your horse so you have a baseline to note any changes - laminitis can be fatal if not caught, and managed in time 💔

01/06/2023

We are really happy with how Jester is looking at the moment - he’s an older chap with a few health challenges but with constant access to appropriate forage and correct management he’s looking great!

We’ve actually been able to help him gain a little bit of weight since he arrived and has a lovely new shine to his coat 🥰

Tracks aren’t just for the equines needing to lose some weight! 🤣

29/05/2023

Friends, forage, freedom of movement and choice 💚

26/05/2023

We have plenty of suncream at the yard for hot sunny days but this stuff is purely for the humans of PB ☀️

It's truly fascinating how much forage impacts our horses, specifically the type of grass we have readily available to us in the UK. We personally haven't had a case of mud fever, sweet itch or any burnt noses since going completely grass free many years ago👃

For those interested in why this is the case, check out Calm Healthy Horses website 💙

25/05/2023

Do you ever find yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place - wanting to take advantage of the 24/7 turnout in the warmer months but worried about your horse getting laminitis? Gaining weight? Colic risk? Heightened symptoms of PSSM or other grass sensitivities?

Did you know there is an option out there for you to have you horse out 24/7, 365 days a year with access to an open barn, in a mixed herd setting, grass free and safe?

Check out our website for further information on our livery packages 💚

16/05/2023

07/05/2023

We cannot make a horse more supple…

A huge majority of new clients want me to assist them in improving the suppleness of their horses. Conversely, most of them actually need help with stability and alignment, but the perception is that their horse lacks suppleness.

The thing is though, I can’t make your horse more supple. Neither can you.

What we can do is foster trust.

The horse must trust that the rider’s hand will not surprise him; that the leg is stable and consistent in how it communicates with the horse and that the rider’s mind is clear and focussed.

Most importantly, the horse must trust that the rider is listening every stride, so that the horse can communicate, “This is a little too difficult, can you make it easier?”, if needed.

You see, no matter what discipline you ride, your horse will always be a horse. A prey animal.

Dressage horse = flashy prey animal
ShowJumper = prey animal that jumps
Reining horse = compact and agile prey animal
All-rounder horse = prey animal with many jobs!

The first question that a prey animal asks itself in any given situation is, “Am I safe?”

If he feels the answer is no, then we have already got a roadblock on our path to ‘suppleness’.

Suppleness starts in the mind. When we stretch our bodies, the first sensation is of mild discomfort which quickly melts into relief, so long as we breathe and relax into it. We do not start to affect change on the soft tissue structures until a short while after.

I believe the same is true of horses. The first barrier we meet will be the horse’s nervous system. Only once we have passed through this ‘barrier’ do we start to affect the body of the horse.
Be aware that the ‘barrier’ can come back down and block you at any given moment. For example, following a change to the environment in the stable or arena.

An exercise cannot make a horse more supple.

A training method cannot make a horse more supple.

Only the horse, flowing through subtle transitions between postures, tempo’s and gaits with a relaxed mind, can make himself more supple.

My advice: start by only doing what you can do well. Gently. With relaxation. Next, build on it. Make subtle changes to it. When you make changes, try not to lose too many of the things you liked about the work. It’s OK to lose a little for a short time, but if you lose too much, go back to doing something that you could do well. Gather all of the components which you liked about your work and start from there.

Work within the comfort zone of the horse, with only moments of working at the edge of the comfort zone.

The nervous system is the first gateway to suppleness. Relaxation and quiet dialogue are the keys.

04/05/2023

We often hear that removing equines from grass is unnatural, but the problem is that unlike the meadow pictured here, which is full of a huge variety of grasses and other plants/ vegetation, most pastures/ meadows are very monocultured or at best containing just five modern species of grasses, all of which have been cultivated for the use of putting on weight or milk production, the incidence of laminitis and foot rot in modern farming livestock is appalling and it is absolutely rife now in the equine industry.
With meadows that are full of variety of flora you have a huge range of root systems that go to different levels in the substrates and give a wider variety of bit/ minerals.
So if you want grazing for your equine then make sure that you are not subjecting them to modern limited species grazing which will make them ill.
If you have no choice then you have to make sure that they move enough, which means generally far more movement than you think, so that they use up the excess energy gained from the grazing they are exposed to.

27/04/2023

No spring grass worries here 🌱🍀 Jester having his morning snooze with the gang 🐴

We will finally be going back to our waiting list in the coming week to look at opening some spaces up again soon now we have almost finished the upgrades we wanted to do for spring. The wet weather has meant we are a bit behind schedule but that’s fine, we are in no rush and everything has to be right ☺️

If you are not already on our waiting list but would like to apply for the next few spaces that come up, then please head to our website and fill out our livery application form and we will be in touch to invite you for a viewing should we see our track being an appropriate fit! 💚

*please note we do not operate on a first come, first served basis, we review all applications fairly once a space becomes available to allow the best fitting horse in at that time*

www.pewithallfarm.co.uk

14/04/2023

There is an overwhelming amount of horse owners who aren’t aware of the signs for sub-clinical Laminitis, and yet if left untreated without a change of diet or management, can easily turn into a full blown Laminitic attack.

Many owners associate Laminitis with the classic slipper toe, a huge EMS crest and the typical Laminitis stance. In reality, there is a huge amount of horses showing subtle signs of inflammation that continues to go un-noticed. Each owner is responsible for their horse’s overall wellbeing, which should include the ability to recognise the signs of Laminitis, particularly in the early stages when an acute attack can be prevented.

Some signs to look out for:

❌️ Footiness or soreness over various terrain.

This is one of the biggest reasons owners continue to shoe their horses. Once the shoes are removed, any footiness caused by inappropriate diet and management shows (sub-clinical Laminitis) which is typically interpreted as the horse cannot cope without shoes.

It’s super important that if your unshod horse is footy over stones, roads or anything but grass, that you re-assess their diet or management and make the necessary changes. Please do not shoe your horse to ‘fix’ this issue – your horse will still have Laminitis and it will worsen regardless of applying shoes.

❌️ Event lines on the outer hoof wall.

Event lines are lines that form on the outer hoof wall that represent an event in a horse's life that caused an inflammatory response. In an uncompromised horse and hoof, a singular event line doesn’t always necessarily mean any issues will arise from whatever caused the line but it is important to take notice and reflect on why this happened.

If your horse has numerous, reoccurring event lines, then there is something off with their diet or management that is consistently causing ongoing inflammation. An event line is one of the more readily observable symptoms of sub-clinical Laminitis but they do become more prominent in the later stages of Laminitis too. It’s crucial to your horses health that if they do have multiple event lines, that the trigger is identified and removed as soon as possible.

❌️ Blood in the white line.

Catching signs of blood in the white line (they look like bruises) can be particularly difficult to identify if you’re not very familiar with the hoof or have a horse with dark feet. It’s really important to be able to trust your horse’s Hoof Care Practitioner or Farrier so you know with confidence that should they find signs of blood or widening, that you’ll be informed straight away.

Every single horse owner needs to know the signs of sub-clinical Laminitis so should your horse become symptomatic, you can do something about it before their health is further compromised.

Below is our own diagram of the different stages of Laminitis inspired by Jaime Jackson’s ‘Laminitis’ book.

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Please note that this is a generalisation of the most common symptoms at each stage and that different symptoms can appear for different horses at different stages.

05/04/2023

Flicky Toes Pat 💃

A few days of sunshine and the track is dry - all that winter churn up means we have no spring grass worries here 🫣🌾

This winter has been one of the wettest on record and I won’t lie, it’s been a little relentless. The clay here is extraordinarily wet and becomes very slippy when subjected to the amount of rain we’ve had 🥴 which has resulted on us closing the track for a lot of winter to avoid injuries. The ponies have had access to the barn and a hardstanding and they’ve all been quite happy but it wasn’t the first winter I had imagined! On a positive note, it dries out lovely after a couple of days of wind and sun and we have virtually no grass making it ultra safe for our grass sensitive ponies ❤️‍🩹

We’ve got a lot of work to be doing over the next few weeks and months to improve the drainage of the land and make winter next year that little bit easier.. we shall keep you posted on any updates 💚

03/04/2023

So lucky to have the Five Pits Trail so close by… perfect when the farm so too wet to ride on 🫣