Jenni Nellist - Equine Behaviour

Jenni Nellist - Equine Behaviour Equine Behaviour and Training My 6 Stage Process to Helping You:

1. You can reach me via my contact form, text or WhatsApp message, email, or a phone call.

Contact me to arrange a free, no-obligation 20 minute phone call where we discuss how I can best help you and your horse. If you need to leave a message I will get back to you as soon as I can.​

​My aim for any behavioural case is to improve the quality of life for both horse and owner – through changing behaviour and promoting safety and welfare for horses and humans. This means I'll be helping

you to:

Create and/or improve horse friendly management

Use evidence-based training methods that adhere to the LIMA principle: Least Invasive, Minimally Aversive

I’ll also help you to read and respond to your horse’s body language to communicate better. By promoting you and your horse’s confidence through individually tailored least stress management, clear communication and reward-based training, I will help you avoid causing or increasing stress and fear. Types of cases typically seen:

Handling issues: catching, leading, barging, pulling away, failure to cooperate with clipping, farriery and veterinary procedures. Problems with loading and travelling, fearful or dangerous behaviour at shows and events. Aggressive behaviour to people and/or other horses – biting and kicking. Stress related behaviour, anxious and fearful horses, separation anxiety, and stable vices such as cribbing and weaving/box walking. Ridden problems such as napping, bucking, rearing, bolting, nervous and spooky behaviour. Weaning and socialising issues in foals and young horses. Problems with early training. I also specialise in rescue horses and the problems that these horses can present, such as the results of severe trauma.


2. Get your horse, pony, donkey or mule checked by your vet (if you haven't already done this of course!). We can't train pain and illness and pain affect our dog's emotional lives with consequence for their behaviour. In some cases very stressed and anxious dogs benefit from medication that only your vet can prescribe. Your vet will need to refer you and your dog to me and forward their medical history via the vet referral form. In may cases the vets I work with regularly will have already done this by the time we first speak.


3. Give me some extra detail on your equine's behaviour. Write down in as much detail as you can, an account of all the issues you are having and send it to me via email. You can also send me videos of your equine on WhatsApp (07974 569407), but make sure you don't put you or your equine in harms' way with your filming. I'll believe you if he or she bites or puts you on the floor, you don't need to put you or your horse at risk to show me this.


4. We meet! This will either be in person (subject to Covid 19 regulations) or virtually in a Zoom meeting. Zoom meetings are really useful for getting the ball rolling for me to take your equine's case history, understand how and why they feel, think and behave, and get you started with the behaviour plan. In simpler cases the first meeting takes an hour, where the case is more complex we will spend up to two hours making sure that we leave no stone unturned and that all the important details are understood and accounted for.


5. You receive your behaviour report, action plan and additional informational material, along with your first 4 weeks of FREE WhatsApp and/or email support so we can continuously monitor progress and keep you moving forward. You can purchase additional Whats App and email support for £5.00 per month afterwards if you feel you will need the continued benefit of it.


6. We meet again, online or in person to follow-up on progress and to continue to tailor your plan to make sure it works at its absolute best for you. Like the follow-up on WhatsApp and email, the follow-up appointments can be continued for as long as you need them. In cases which can take some time and carefully staged behaviour modification to help, these follow-up appointments often prove invaluable. Examples are: aggressive behaviour, separation-related behaviours including napping, loading issues, and helping equines over their fears and phobias such as feral ponies, those with fear of handling, being caught and farrier/veterinary treatment. Treatment Plans

Behavioural Consultations

I visit horse and owner (and anyone else involved in the care&/training of the horse who would like to be present) and formalise my assessment of the problem behaviour; by working up as full and accurate a diagnosis of the specific problem as possible. I want to make sure I properly understand the horse’s motivation, predispositions and factors that initiated and maintain the current problem. This way I can tailor the most appropriate and effective behaviour modification plan with you. This may involve management changes and/or specific remedial training depending on the case. Private Training
Some problem behaviours are very easy to diagnose and require a more training-oriented approach. These cases become apparent during the initial assessment phone call. In these circumstances the case history is easily taken over the phone during that initial assessment call, and the first remedial training visit follows with further training visits as needed, as well as access to the other forms of follow-up support described above. Horses and ponies under the age of three years
It's not unusual for owners of young horses to experience problems related to the horse's age, often the result of foalhood and emotional and behavioural development through to puberty and on to maturity. Such problems may be related to unwanted attention seeking and playful behaviour from foals, and nervous or even aggressive or pushy behaviour from yearlings through to three-year-olds. Or you may wish to consult me about best practices surrounding weaning or training and socialising your youngster. Provided there aren't above average complexities to such cases, most owners and their young horses benefit from a specifically designed young horse consultations with the above follow-up services as necessary. The young horse consultation usually takes around 2 hours and covers the behavioural and emotional development of your youngster, as well as bespoke management advice to help them grow up emotionally well balanced and simple training in important life skills as per individual requirements. https://www.jenninellist.co.uk/price-list

I offer behaviour consultations and horse training services across South, West and Mid Wales and the Border Counties.

Need help with your horse? I am available to take on new horse cases in March. I work with a variety of problems, not al...
18/02/2025

Need help with your horse?

I am available to take on new horse cases in March.

I work with a variety of problems, not all listed here!

My approach starts with assessment to understand why your horse does what they do, so that we can build a behaviour care program to help positive change happen.

You can find out more on my website here www.jenninellist.co.uk/horse-behaviour

Saturday gorse eating vibe going on out on the cliff. Did you know horses and ponies can spend up to 18 hours a day eati...
15/02/2025

Saturday gorse eating vibe going on out on the cliff. Did you know horses and ponies can spend up to 18 hours a day eating? This cold snap will have increased their appetites. Gorse has relatively good feed value, but needs bashing with hooves and careful grinding with the teeth.

Why do I want to involve your vet when you ask for help with your horse's behaviour? Very simply, mind and body are as o...
03/02/2025

Why do I want to involve your vet when you ask for help with your horse's behaviour? Very simply, mind and body are as one. Understanding your horse's physical health helps me a great deal in understanding your horse, and a good relationship with your vet makes it easier for us to progress any investigations or treatment that might be needed to help 🙏🏻

Jenni Nellist, BSc (Hons) PGDip CABC MSc CCAB, discusses why it's important for horse owners to first ask their vet to check over their horse for any possibl...

Here I am in a podcast! Eiddwen Skellon was wonderful to chat with and she has taken great care and time in editing my b...
30/01/2025

Here I am in a podcast! Eiddwen Skellon was wonderful to chat with and she has taken great care and time in editing my blether so we can share it with you! What I do as a clinical animal behaviourist for horses, why I do it, and how I got into it 🐴❤️

Episode 13 is finally here, and I am so excited to showcase Jenni Nellist and the amazing work she does to help horses and their owners throughout South Wales.

Jenni is a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist with 20 years experience. She offers consultations in handling issues, loading and travelling problems, aggressive behaviour, stress related behaviour, veterinary care, ridden problems and advise on weaning and socialisation.

I addition Jenni offers general training and coaching and has an online course focused on reducing stress for horses during veterinary treatment.

For more details on the amazing work she does, search Change of Tack on your favourite podcast provider. Or you can follow the link in the comments.

Massive thank you to all who listen and share the podcast, I hope you enjoy the episode.

My passion 🔥 Sharing understanding about how horses: FeelThink&BehaveSupporting people in understanding their horses and...
17/01/2025

My passion 🔥

Sharing understanding about how horses:
Feel
Think
&
Behave

Supporting people in understanding their horses and promote their mental wellness, develop new skills, and nurture relationships.

Behaviour consultations
One to one sessions in positive reinforcement for horses
Online course: Vet Ready Horse
Pop-up clinics and workshops at your yard

Email me for more info [email protected]

Does your gelding want to be in a boy band or is he more of a ladies man?I have a mixed group of 4 geldings and 3 mares ...
12/01/2025

Does your gelding want to be in a boy band or is he more of a ladies man?

I have a mixed group of 4 geldings and 3 mares out conservation grazing. Bryn likes to stick with the ladies and they like to stick with him - he likes to mutually groom and he gives great back massages! He has done so his whole life before as a hill pony.

Meanwhile Folly is delighted that Mish and Ozzie have turned up to help with the gorse effort as he now has lads his own age to hang out with and enjoy rufty tufty play 💙

What have I been up to in these places this week?🐴 Coaching positive reinforcement training for horses🐎 Follow up sessio...
10/01/2025

What have I been up to in these places this week?

🐴 Coaching positive reinforcement training for horses

🐎 Follow up sessions for my behaviour clients to help them keep making progress

🏇🏻 Behaviour consultations and first aid calls to help get to the bottom of problems and find the best direction for improvement

Want help with your horse? Take a look at my website www.jenninellist.co.uk to learn more about how I can help you 😊

Passed on and yet Karen Pryor will remain, woven into the multicoloured, patterned fabric of my work. I thought of her t...
06/01/2025

Passed on and yet Karen Pryor will remain, woven into the multicoloured, patterned fabric of my work. I thought of her today as I shared an introduction to positive reinforcement with a horse and his owner, it will help them be able to move further away from force, and again as I helped another horse owner become even more aware of her cues so she can define and refine them.

As a newbie trainer over 20 years ago, Karen's work inspired me as I developed my animal observation and training skills. I still draw on it today and everyday as I shared above.

It shows up in many ways, to support horses and their owners, always in a manner tailored to them.

Karen's writing is a joy to read, peppered with lively anecdotes. If you don't know where to begin, I recommend Don't Shoot The Dog as your starting point and I hope that what you learn from it can be woven into the fabric of your horsemanship 💜

https://karenpryoracademy.com/remembering-karen-pryor-the-legacy-of-a-trailblazer-who-ignited-a-global-training-revolution/?fbclid=IwY2xjawHpLthleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQENkrBzu3GTdISJ7nHzttF5oQlmz34u05xW5hKV_h2FYHbUuw9gg6Ex3g_aem_WB92691jXaQWV5y8f8YlzQ

Remembering Karen Pryor: The Legacy of a Trailblazer Who Ignited a Global Training RevolutionWith profound sadness and immense gratitude, we honor the life and legacy of Karen Pryor, a true pioneer in the fields of animal behavior and positive reinforcement training. Karen’s groundbreaking work re...

Where have I been this week? 👀📍I cover a large area to come and help you with your horses. That's right, I will come to ...
29/11/2024

Where have I been this week? 👀📍

I cover a large area to come and help you with your horses.

That's right, I will come to you to help you with your problem horses and also to help you build your horsemanship skills too - no problems necessarily required!

This week has seen me mostly in West Wales, but as there is never usually a week that goes by without a trip to Cardiff, I did go there too.

If you would like to know about how I can help you, you can book a free 15 minute discovery call here www.calendly.com/jenninellistccab

IS YOUR HORSE A DANGER TO YOU OR YOUR VET? 💉🚩A vet ready horse, in the nicest possible way rather than in the flightiest...
28/11/2024

IS YOUR HORSE A DANGER TO YOU OR YOUR VET? 💉🚩

A vet ready horse, in the nicest possible way rather than in the flightiest or fightiest possible way is easier than you think.

I have an online course to help you navigate your way from a frightened or difficult horse to cooperative care.

It's video based, you can watch them in your own time and if you are local to South Wales, I can come out in person to help you make progress if you are still struggling.

You have six months from the point of purchase to watch all the lessons.

https://www.jenninellist.co.uk/vet-ready-horse

Foal facts: from birth to weaningFoals have 4 stages of development before natural weaning: Dependent period (first mont...
19/11/2024

Foal facts: from birth to weaning

Foals have 4 stages of development before natural weaning:

Dependent period (first month)
The mare stays close to the foal, there is frequent suckling both day and night, energetic bursts of solo play, exploratory foraging behaviour and resting.

Socialisation period (2nd and 3rd month)
Rapid increases in social behaviour towards other herd members, mostly other foals. And increasingly selective grazing similar to the dam’s diet.

Stabilising period (4th to 7th-9th month)
Preweaning period (8th-10th month)

These two overlap a little and are more individual. During the pre-weaning period the foal's "time budget" becomes more like a yearling's with increased foraging, less resting and less spontaneous play which characterises the earlier stages of development.

It is important to provide access to pasture and a suitable social group to optimise the foal’s development.

Foals can be safely trained from three to four weeks of age alongside their dam utilising the
training principles of the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) unless specific veterinary needs require earlier intervention, in which learning theory principles should still be adhered to.

Natural weaning happens spontaneously at around 9 to 10 months of age.

No artificial weaning method has ever been found to be stress free.

Foals weaned at the traditional time of around 5 to 6 months of age are at significant risk of gastric ulceration and of developing crib biting.

Stress caused by weaning can be eliminated or reduced by:

• Allowing natural weaning to occur

• Delaying weaning to past 9 months of age and using a progressive method where mares and foals are gradually familiarised with short separations where they can still see, smell and touch each other in the month leading up to weaning.

• By weaning foals into a familiar environment in the company of familiar adult horses.

• Feeding a high fibre diet and adding oil where additional energy is required before, during and after weaning.

What's involved in a horse behaviour consultation?I will listen to what your goals are, identify where your horse is com...
18/11/2024

What's involved in a horse behaviour consultation?

I will listen to what your goals are, identify where your horse is coming from, evaluate how easily your goals and your horse's behaviour can be aligned, and what kind of plan we need to get there if that is possible.

I won't sugar coat things, if there is a large mismatch between what you want and what can realistically be achieved, I will be straight with you.

The consultation process starts with an enquiry. You tell me what problem you are having by emailing me, using the contact form on my website, and if you were referred by your vet I will contact you to make an introduction. If you haven't had a vet referral you will need to contact your vet to arrange one. We can also have a free 15 minute discovery call before you commit to an appointment.

We then meet. Normally I will ask you to leave your horse wherever they usually are at the time of day I come to visit so I can observe them while I also ask you loads of questions about their history, current management and about the problem itself. This way I have a good, holistic picture of your horse to start creating a plan.

I will then ask to see you interacting with your horse so I can see how this presents and at this stage I often show you how to start implementing the behaviour plan I have in mind for you both. This is the stage where I tailor activities that are going to be the best fit for you both that you can then practice on your own.

After the visit I will write up a behaviour report and action plan for you to refer to, a summary of which will be sent to your vet as part of the referral process, and of course I am available to answer your on-going questions by email or WhatsApp in between our follow up sessions. Follow up sessions themselves are set at intervals that are the best for your individual situation and you can have as many or as few as you need to make progress.

*Why do I work on vet referral? The vet referral provides me with an additional layer of information about your horse. In some cases there is a clear interaction between health and behaviour. Understanding this helps me to safeguard your horse's welfare.

How is your horse's mood so far this winter?Mood is the sum of the horse's daily emotional experiences and is a good mea...
17/11/2024

How is your horse's mood so far this winter?

Mood is the sum of the horse's daily emotional experiences and is a good measure of the horse's quality of life. The more positive versus negative emotional experiences through better the horse's mood, and quality of life 🥰

This will have a strong knock on effect for the horse's trainability, rideability and ease of handling, because a horse who has more positive than negative expectations will be less likely to behave defensively or get frustrated.

How the horse is spending the other 23 hours a day has a massive impact on this. Horses who were stabled in boxes with solid walls and who could only see others when looking out over the half door, and never touch, had much higher levels of the stress hormones, cortisol, than others who could see and touch neighbours through the partitions or kept in groups.

Keeping horses in contact with each other, while protecting them from the worst of the wet ground or weather is clearly important for keeping their experience and mood sweet.

I have made sure where possible to keep my own horses in groups, even when housing them. But make sure there is enough room for everyone if you do! In the second picture Penny and Khatani could have used a greater area to lie down without annoying each other. In the third picture there is much more space for the whole herd - numbering 8 when at its largest and 5 at the time of the photo.

If you can't house together, stables with half partitions that allow horses to touch is best. At The Horse Trust they have recently studied this, and even when horses stabled for just an hour, they coped best when they could touch a friend. So this is something that they will do their best to take forward at this forward thinking welfare charity.

So be careful to house your horse with or next to his friends, and place hay and water where your horse can happily settle to eat. Watching on camera if you can is a great way to learn preferences.

What do I do and where do I do it 👀🐴 Putting behaviour into practice 🐴 Problem solving 🐴 Teaching horsemanship skills🐴 O...
16/11/2024

What do I do and where do I do it 👀

🐴 Putting behaviour into practice
🐴 Problem solving
🐴 Teaching horsemanship skills
🐴 Optimising horse environments for less stress and more enjoyment

Literally any kind of horse behaviour problem, reading horse body language, band applying learning theory (equitation science) for lighter responses, bitless riding, liberty and positive reinforcement.

Fully insured, registered as a Clinical Animal Behaviourist with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council. I freelance across South and West Wales and some parts of Mid Wales.

You can check out my website for more www.jenninellist.co.uk

Have you heard of the International Society for Equitation Science and their 10 principles for horse training?I do embed...
12/11/2024

Have you heard of the International Society for Equitation Science and their 10 principles for horse training?

I do embed them in my work with horses and I have written a blog on how I do that within my work as a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist for horses where I prioritise improved horse experience (aka horse welfare), safety for all and effectiveness as not just being desirable behaviour, but a desirable emotional experience too ❤️

https://www.jenninellist.co.uk/post/exploring-the-ises-first-principles-of-horse-training-a-comprehensive-guide

Spot the ponies! A lovely sunny pony check this morning before work 🌞
12/11/2024

Spot the ponies! A lovely sunny pony check this morning before work 🌞

Spot the ponies! It was a lovely sunny morning to go pony checking 🌞
12/11/2024

Spot the ponies! It was a lovely sunny morning to go pony checking 🌞

Address

Swansea
SA31AY

Opening Hours

Monday 1am - 5pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 7pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 6pm
Thursday 9:30am - 7pm
Friday 9:30am - 12:30pm

Telephone

+447974569407

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