Sally Mitchell Equestrian

10/11/2024

If you and your horse have been involved in an incident which involves fireworks, then please report it to the BHS. 🎆🎇

Whilst we are not able to take direct action for each incident, our power is in being able to use the data that you provide to lobby for change.

Earlier this week, Des Payne from our Safety team, joined fireworks campaigner Julie Doorne at No.10 Downing Street for the handover of a petition of over a million signatures, calling for an urgent review of legislation to prevent animals from suffering.

We were pleased to be standing next to other members of the Fireworks Working Group, including representatives from Redwings Horse Sanctuary, Dogs Trust, RSPCA and Assistance Dogs UK.

Our new statistics show there were 1,468 fireworks-related incidents involving horses between 1st November 2010 and 29th February 2024 –

49 horses died, 317 were injured and 84 people were hurt. We need change. 🙏

Reporting to us can make a difference. 🐴❤️

To find out more about how to report:
https://www.bhs.org.uk/go-riding/record-an-incident/

10/11/2024

Challenge Tradition with Science

We all know horses can show behaviours for various reasons.... be that reacting out of fear, pain, or confusion which often results in an undesirable behaviour, just as much as they can show compliance with a kindly cued behaviour if they are relaxed and in a positive state of mind.

Current science shows us that punishment (like whipping after a refusal) doesn’t build understanding—if anything, it reinforces fear. Why, then, do we continue with old habits?

Let’s rethink our approach to training with compassion and evidence-based methods. 🧠💙

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06/11/2024

Before training any horse, it can be very useful to gather a training history, informally or formally.

It might take the form of a simple question and answer or a written document.

This may reveal that one or some of the horse's hard-wired needs are not being fulfilled.

Isolated, confined or under/over fed horses are likely to be compromised in their ability to engage in training.

Another often unconsidered or 'unseen' factor may be that the routinely isolated horses will not be properly rested as they are lacking companions to stand sentry while they sleep, and the security that group housing provides.

Recent research into sleep in horses shows that they will have less REM sleep if they cannot see other horses. Further evidence shows that REM sleep is important for learning and laying down long term memories.

Therefore, it is an advantage to trainers to provide optimal sleep conditions for horses, including social housing.

This is a sneak preview from MODERN HORSE TRAINING, Equitation Science - In Practice, Volume 2, Training In-Hand and Under-Saddle, by Andrew N McLean which will be available at Equitana later this month.

05/11/2024

Bruce trying to tell Harriet, “No that’s the wrong spot” 😂. She got it right eventually though 👌😄

03/11/2024

Little Treacle watching the fireworks last night 💥. We were very lucky as most of them were pretty far away, although I guess there’s still time yet for more 😕

26/10/2024

Little Treacle pony has had her first clip by Armitage Animal Assist Horse Transport and Equestrian Services, so now looking extra cute 🐴😍. She was good as gold too, not that we would have expected anything else from the little superstar pony 🤩. Although she did wonder where her feathers had gone when we put her back out, bless her.

Then a lesson for her and her owner, Sarah, in the fog yesterday and a lovely hack out in the sunshine this morning with me and little Brucey 🐴☀️😎

25/10/2024

Rein tension is commonly used to manipulate head and neck posture in many horse sports.

It is common to see the horse’s neck either extremely flexed or extended in a wide range of activities, including (but not limited to) cross country, dressage, driving, reining and showjumping.

Although over-bending does occur in nature, it lasts for only brief periods. Sustained over-bending, however, is becoming increasingly common for the ridden horse.

A so-called broken neck is not a reference to a fractured vertebral column but a description of how horses with their necks flexed artificially by force appear to show the greatest amount of flexion at the junction of cervical vertebrae 4 and 5.

An abrupt change in the flexion of the crest can be seen in horses undergoing this intervention.

A horse is said to be over-bent when it carries (or is forced to carry) its nasal plane behind the vertical. At this point, minimal further flexion is possible.

If the horse has been forced to show this flexion by rein tension or resistance in the rider’s hands when it attempts to extend its neck, it can do nothing more to get relief from the pressure in its mouth.

This leads to shortcomings in training (i.e., the quality of the slow/stop/step-back responses declines) and subsequent conflict behaviours result from the confusion.

This technique may be carried out because riders are unaware of the correct neck outline that is required by the sport of dressage (nasal plane at or just in front of the vertical line).

The correct posture is an emergent property of the correct shaping of both the operant rein tension and leg pressure responses. Instead, many contemporary riders use increasingly strong rein tension until the horse brings its mouth towards the rider’s hands and thus shortens its neck in an attempt to relieve bit pressure.

This neck-shortening is believed by many to be an acceptable practice to achieve the required head and neck outline.

Equitation Science, 2nd Edition - Andrew McLean, Paul McGreevy, Janne Whinther Christensen & Uta König von Borstel

23/10/2024

Poor little Snow Po is lame at the moment, so it’s his turn to make friends with Ronnie 🐴🥰. I’ve had to move him into Bruce’s shelter on a night, as I don’t want him being chased around by Bruce while he’s lame 🙄

18/10/2024

Well we couldn’t have asked for a better day for Treacle’s first little outing 🌞😎. We took her to Bretton with Adrienne and Harriet and she also got to have her first canter out in the open too. In true Treacle style she was good as gold and just got on with it. Little star pony 🐴🌟

It’s been a long time since I’ve been up to Bretton and, although it was lovely to be back, I did feel a little bit sad too, as I used to take Snowy up there regularly to do his canter work, I miss our little trips up there 😌. Although I must admit, it was a lot less hair raising taking Treacle than it used to be taking Snowy 😂. Snowy knew exactly what we went there for so you had to sit tight, little giddy kipper he was 🐎💨🤣.

18/10/2024

Absolutely this 👇. If a horse is wearing a saddle this narrow, I’m afraid it does not have a healthy back ☹️

Answers on a postcard...

What kind of horse would this saddle fit on?...

In my humble opinion, NO HORSE!!

Fits nice on the stable door though!
😅🙈

Let's develop healthy ROUND backs please! 💜
LM Saddles Ltd Horse-friendly Saddles, Holistic & Remedial Saddle-fitting

lmsaddles.com
jemmaaigner.com

17/10/2024

When Bruce met Ronnie 🐴🥰. Bruce gets to meet all the newbies. Not a mare this time so no squealing and playing hard to get 😂

15/10/2024

Ha ha, can’t take us anywhere 🤣.

13/10/2024

Some more pics of the lovely Thoroughbred, Ronnie, who has been here for schooling / holiday livery, just to keep him ticking over while his owner was away on holiday. He’s a bit bigger than I’m used to so did feel a bit like trying to manoeuvre a ship 🤣, he’s so long 😮. He’s such a sweet, chilled out guy though, been an absolute pleasure to have around🐴🥰