The Horsewoman

16/06/2024

06/06/2024

Equine Treatments - June Offer

As we find ourselves in June, the 6th month and half way through the year; I wanted to make you an offer you cant refuse.

If you book and pay for a block of 3 monthly treatments, starting in the month of June, you will get another 3 treatments completely free!! Thats a massive 50% off!!! And your horse will have regular monthly treatments for the next 6 months keeping them in tip top condition.

This offer is designed for one horse, so that horse recieves the benefit of regular treatment. This offer of treatments cannot be shared between 2 or more horses.

Equine Treatments cost £50 per session. Please pm me or call/message me on 07825180980 to book in. For more info visit www.thehorsewoman.co.uk

Based Nr Helston, Cornwall.

21/05/2024

So grateful for these fantastic photos by Emily Whelan photography www.emilywhelanphotography.pixieset.com from the inspiration day clinic run by the lovely Senara Equest.Coach . Now I just have to decide which ones are going onto my website.

13/05/2024

Such a great day yesterday meeting and treating such a lovely bunch of people and their horses. Look out for more clinics run by Equest.Coach Senara, she has started something very wonderful by bringing so many aspects of equestrianism together in one day.

What a day! The sun shone, there was lots of learning, new friends made both for horses and humans,and businesses show cased. Lots of yummy cake and sandwiches eaten.

Thank you to all of you that attended. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

A massive shout out and thank you to the professionals that brought their businesses to us for the day. You were all very inspiring.

Thank you
Posturide
Stephanie Smith, Master Saddler, Qualified Saddle fitter.
The Horsewoman
Zenmindpod

Emily for being an amazing photographer for the day. Can't wait to see the pictures . You were a star.

Bon appetite for lunch.

Poldice Valley Equine and Events Arena for the hire and use of the facilities, stables, cafe and arena.

Thank you.
Please comment with any professionals you would like to see attend next year.

29/04/2024

They are always trying to tell us something, so we should probably start listening 😜

25/04/2024

The Army has given an update on the poor horses and riders who were injured when the horses got loose on the streets of London this morning

Read more via link below

06/04/2024

Still a couple days available in April for this offer!
Based in SW Cornwall but happy to cover all of Cornwall.

02/04/2024

🦄🦄🦄 April Multi Horse Discount 🦄🦄🦄

For April I am offering a multi horse discount for owners with multiple horses or for a group of people with horses on the same yard!!!

Here is the discount breakdown
1 Horse = £50 (full price)
2-3 horses =£45 per horse (£5 saving per horse!)
4-5 horses = £40 per horse (£10 saving per horse!!)
6+ horses = £35 per horse (£15 saving per horse!!!)

If you are interested send me a message to book in.

24/03/2024

“Trust me”

That’s what we say to our horses every time we put a headcollar on and ask them to follow us, put tack on and climb onboard or walk them up a ramp onto a horsebox.

“Trust me” we say as we give them a swift kick in the ribs or over zealous “half halt” for not doing what we ask, when the likelihood is we asked the wrong question or asked the question wrong.

“Trust me” we say as we put a bigger, harsher bit in their mouth because we want the greatest control with the least effort, when a bit of time and training could create a far more harmonious relationship with no need for additional metalwork.

“Trust me” we say as we leave them stood in a stable 23 hours a day, not allowing them any time to be a horse, because turn out is “too risky”, admitting that our bank balance is more important than our horse’s happiness.

“Trust me” we say as we refuse to listen to or acknowledge obvious signs of pain or discomfort, we just reach for the spurs, supplements of bigger bit, rather than taking a step back, remembering horses do not choose to misbehave, and investigating the real reason for the behaviour.

It amazes me that day after day, week after week, year after year, these horses STILL believe us when we say “trust me”. They still try and perform for riders that put success and titles far above their horses welfare and happiness.

And we wonder why horses say no. We wonder why we get explosive behaviour that turns unmanageable or “dangerous”.

So next time you ask your horse to trust you, you have to show them why trusting you is the safer and easier option. Working with horses is a privilege, not a right and your actions should always reflect that.

When you say “trust me” to your horse, make sure you give them a reason to.

22/03/2024

I recieved the loveliest message this morning from one of my clients instructors. Here is what she said

"Just wanted to say what a fabulous job you've done on Mikey ! Sarah came over this week and his movement was unrecognisable. He's free over the back and really pushing from behind. An absolute joy to see. Well done Ms Wake !! "

This was the first time I had treated this particular horse and im so pleased I was able to help him. Getting this kind of feedback really means alot, especially from a very well respected instructor, and it really made my day!

06/03/2024

10% off all Equine Treatments through March!

My treatments help to release and realign the horses muscular structure, relieve tightness and tension thats causing discomfort to improve their mobility flexibility and overall wellbeing.

PM me to book your horse in today

17/02/2024

I hope you all had a lovely Valentines Day earlier this week. And the winner of my February give away is

Terri Gilbert

Congratulations, I will be in touch soon to book your horse in for their treatment.

07/02/2024

💗💗💗 February Offer 💗💗💗

As it is the month of Love and with Valentines day fast approaching, I am offering one lucky person a FREE TREATMENT for their horse!

However, in the spirit of giving love and showing your appreciation for someone else, I ask you to tag someone you know in the comments below who would be really grateful for a treatment for their horse.

Comment below and share this post, and I will choose the winner by 6pm on Valentines day, 14th February 2024.

www.thehorsewoman.co.uk

28/01/2024

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1555592488600262?s=yWDuG2&fs=e

27/01/2024

Love your horse, not what they can do.

My horse had to retire this year.
It was unexpected and it changed everything.

But for him, nothing changed.

He still goes out in the field, still gets a nice big fluffy bed, cosy rugs and a carrot every night. He still gets remedial shoes, gets his teeth done and regularly sees a physio.

Nothing changed for him, because he’s not a machine and the level of care he gets is not dependant on what he can do. I loved riding him, but that was a privilege, not a right and certainly not a way for him to “earn” good care.

He’s not a car that can be scrapped or sold on because he can’t do what I want to do anymore.

When you take the reins of a horse, you make a commitment.

A commitment to ensure their happiness and welfare always come first; whether they are jumping big tracks, competing at Grand Prix level, hacking or grazing in a field. Level of competition or ability should not dictate the level of care.

Horses are fragile. They break. They get injured. Soemtimes they have to retire. It doesn’t mean they are any less worthy of your care, attention or money.

Stop giving away, “loaning” or selling your broken down horses because they can’t do what you want them to do and if that means you have to change your plans or put them on pause, then so be it.

Love your horse, not what they can do.

09/01/2024

Available dates in January for treating and trainning/teaching

Wednesday 17th
Thursday 18th
Tuesday 23rd
Wednesday 24th
Thursday 25th
Wednesday 31st

PM or WhatsApp or call me on 07825180980 me to book in.

Dont forget January's offer of £10 off all equine treatments.

02/01/2024

This year I would like to help as many horses, and their owners, as I can across Cornwall. So I've decided to run lots of different offers and discounts through out the year.

I am starting off the year offering £10 off all Equine Treatments in January!

Im based near Helston and cover all areas of Cornwall. Send me a message, or call / WhatsApp me on 07825180980 to book in. For more information on what I do visit my website www.thehorsewoman.co.uk

(Please note that my email is currently not working so please contact me through social media, call or message on the number above)

31/12/2023

Happy New Year to all my amazing clients past, present and future. Looking forward to a fantastic 2024!!!

24/12/2023

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and an exciting new year! 🥂🌲☃️

Enjoy your winter rest, take care of yourself and your horses ready for the year ahead 🤍🦄🥰

I am back to work from the 4th January 2024 and have availability for treatments and lessons in January and February. Send me a message to get booked in.

21/12/2023

🦄Happy Winter Solstice 🦄
Take the time to rest and bond with your horses at this time of year. As the light starts to slowly increase dont wish the winter away, enjoy this time before we all jump into action in the spring, it will be here sooner than you think.

12/12/2023

Lovely day yesterday treating some gorgeous horses including my monthly visit to see the wonderful Cruise. It is so amazing being part of his journey, watching him develop into such an incredibly beautiful horse. I love treating him and helping him to release what he needs to, so he can continue to improve with the guidance of his owner and rider Laura Keam , and feel great in himself. He sure looks great too!

If you would like to book your horse in for treatment with me, please send me a message. I'm taking bookings now for the new year and also have gift vouchers available for anyone looking for present ideas.

26/11/2023

Great morning teaching polework to the lovely riders of Cury Pony Club and their wonderful ponies 🥰🦄

21/11/2023

Thought for today ❤🦄

11/11/2023

I spoke to you in whispers
As shells made the ground beneath us quake
We both trembled in that crater
A toxic muddy bloody lake
I spoke to you and pulled your ears
To try and quell your fearful eye
As bullets whizzed through the raindrops
And we watched the men around us die
I spoke to you in stable tones
A quiet tranquil voice
At least I volunteered to fight
You didn't get to make the choice
I spoke to you of old times
Perhaps you went before the plough
And pulled the haycart from the meadow
Far from where we're dying now
I spoke to you of grooming
Of when the ploughman made you shine
Not the shrapnel wounds and bleeding flanks
Mane filled with mud and wire and grime
I spoke to you of courage
As gas filled the Flanders air
Watched you struggle in the mud
Harness acting like a snare
I spoke to you of peaceful fields
Grazing beneath a setting sun
Time to rest your torn and tired body
Your working day is done
I spoke to you of promises
If from this maelstrom I survive
By pen and prose and poetry
I'll keep your sacrifice alive
I spoke to you of legacy
For when this hellish time is through
All those who hauled or charged or carried
Will be regarded heroes too
I spoke to you in dulcet tones
Your eye told me you understood
As I squeezed my trigger to bring you peace
The the only way I could
And I spoke to you in whispers......

- Neil Andrew

08/11/2023

This breaks my heart because this is the sad reality for so many horses. We MUST do better by them. Since when did horses become a commodity and not a valued member of the family like a dog or a cat is. Treat them with the love respect compassion and kindness that they show us every single day.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗢𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲

My beginning months are rather stable
Nurtured and loved, my dam at my side
Through her, my comfort is able
But all too abruptly, things change
Torn from her side — alone for the first time
Weaning, they call it, must be arranged
At the age of 6 months,it’s time to grow up

I call and I call for her
Pace back and forth
But it’s no use, she never comes
So, I give in and let life take its course
Befriended by other foals,
Who like me are bewildered and scared
Taken from their moms by force

As I finally settle into my new life,
The memory of my dam fading into past
Life once again changed — all too fast
I’m grown up, they say, it’s time to start training
Once again my bonds are severed
Without goodbye, a recurring nightmare
My young life already so draining
And so find myself truly alone
For the very first time
Not a friend to be known

With a barrier between us, I see other horses
So close, but never near enough to touch
I yearn for closeness, a horse companion
To be an anxiety crutch
But, I’m too expensive they say, can’t risk injury
A nip or a bite — that would just be unsightly
For this spotless coat, the price is my misery
Buffed and cleaned like a shiny new vehicle
I am moved from small space to small space
Just a machine of flesh, trying to put on a brave face
My stall my garage, to keep me clean and safe
But really, it’s a prison of unfulfilled existence
And the start of my life’s stressful barrage

20 hours a day, within the same 4 walls
Is enough to make one crazy
Pacing back and forth, swaying to the music
Of my internal panic, the lack of fulfilment
An attempt to make my reality feel
A little more hazy and dampen the mental toll
Quirks to cope with a lifestyle that
Like a disease, eats away at my soul

From barn to barn I move
The expectations always different
Always having something to prove
I constantly break unspoken rules
The humans respond with anger
Thinking that I view them as fools
Walk on eggshells I try, but it’s never enough
I am often crossing boundaries
That I didn’t even know were there
They all expect different from me
But never have the time to teach with care

I am naughty, I am rude, I am rank
There is no shortage of bad labels
To describe how these people see me
My wins are seldom noticed
To the extent of my every mistake
They don’t understand
I’m not trying to be bad
I’m just trying to shout out my frustration
In a way they might understand

But try as I might, I am never heard
My life is a soundproof room
Where my needs are deferred
In preference of the goals and ambitions
Of humans —who love me in their own way
They don’t even realize how they’ve been
Led completely astray
Viewing stress as non-compliance,
As defiance
Instead of a plea to be listened to
An expression of pain,
Be it emotional or physical
But it’s all just in vain

Like a puppet, I must move
When my strings are pulled
For while some homes are patient,
In many, tolerance has been culled
And my lack of performance
Could be seen as a plot
A horse with a villainous attitude
Is never treated with gratitude
And so, the show must go on
Through stress and strain
I push on, willing myself to stay sane

Working through warning signs
My body telling me to stop
For if I go on, I may just drop
But saying no is not an option, you see
Because unruliness is only ever seen
As my attempt to disagree…
So I go and I go,
Until I simply cannot anymore
My body gives out —
No longer up for the chore

Unable to be ridden,
My value is lost
My patient personality, my willful attitude
Not enough to justify my cost
And so, I am discarded
“Free to good home”
To be someone else’s problem
My only hope to be given a pasture to roam

My years of faithful service
Not enough to earn me
A soft place to land, and live for eternity
My life is comprised of broken bonds
Of missed friendships, a lack of autonomy
Punishment for rules never spoken

Yet through it all I remained gentle and kind
My true nature only appreciated
Within a child’s mind
Perhaps in my brokenness
My value was finally seen
For a home did step forward
A family, looking for a safe horse
For their daughter — so keen

All she wanted was to braid ribbons in my hair
To feed me cookies, brush my soft coat
And treat me with the utmost care
This family offered me sanctuary —
A herd to live with, acres to roam
The unconditional love of a child
Finally, I was home

In my old age, my soul becomes freed
For I am to live in peace
Without expectation
Until Death comes to make me his steed

— Shelby Dennis // Milestone Equestrian

(Please do not take and repost without credit)

Shareable video link for the poem: https://youtu.be/EgertIfDNCg?si=6CtObiD3_Yhbrjvg

Also as a footnote — since I know people will inevitably sensitive about this — obviously this isn’t the life of every horse but it does happen enough that we should talk about how discardable horses can be viewed as.

19/10/2023

Love this.
This is why we must treat every horse as an individual, and take into consideration all aspects of the horse when we decide on a discipline we would like the horse to learn.

🎢🎢The Reality is: You’re taking a Downhill, upside down horse and asking/training towards and uphill ‘pushing’ horse…… 🎢🎢

Can you now see where/why the time is required?

Put to one side the idea of ‘dressage’ or even ‘advanced dressage’, ‘put aside your eventing/showjumping requirements or needs, this is true of every single ex racehorse, whether its for a specific discipline, or as a general riding horse. Even in a ‘riding horse’ capacity, you will inevitably want your ex racehorse;
🔹more off the forehand’
🔹not pulling down’
🔹have them in a better balance’
🔹wanting to be able to perform good, quality transitions
🔹Feel balanced in the saddle
🔹Feel in control in all three paces

ALL of these require for your ex racehorse to be in a better balance and better posture to according to where the rider is positioned, what the communication between the rein and the rider is ‘meant to be’

Ultimately we are trying to get our ex racehorses to become;
🔹More symmetrical
🔹More balanced
🔹Develop a better posture to allow them to balance themselves across all four hooves better
🔹To feel comfortable, happy and able to have the rider positioned across, and around their middle, as opposed to ‘onto ‘ and ‘above’

It is through varying forms of exercises, YEARS of training, development and care (physio, saddler, diet, farrier, vet etc etc) that we can slowly make this change, but its NOT a case of; change the bit, change the trainer, ‘lift them up’ or ‘push them through it.’

So what do we have to consider to be able to make all the development from ‘upside down and downhill’ to ‘uphill and pushing’? The main thing is the conformation of the horse that you are working with/developing. Understanding how your ex racehorse is put together is KEY. You have to train the horse you have, NOT the horse you want. Understanding; how they move, why they balance themselves the way that they do and how they find comfort in what they consider to be ‘their own balance’ and how to develop that in your training will lead to a horse that can be ‘uphill’ in their ‘new balance’ regardless of how their natural stance (downhill) states (it also highlights JUST how awesome they are as a breed-but I don’t need to tell you that😉😉)

These two images are of Saint Gregoire-Greg stood up and Greg 4 years into his dressage training in an uphill, balanced canter. The fact that he isnt continually falling over his as he is so croup high is a bit of a miracle. His hindleg is placed, naturally, out behind him, EVERYTHING says to fall ‘down’ (Check out the size of his shoulder…😳😳😳) YET through years of training, development and having an awesome trainable attitude, we have a canter that has the hindleg under, croup lower than that of the wither and his not falling over (quite the contrary in fact 😉) shows that Downhill and upside down, can become uphill and pushing, BUT we have worked with Greg not ‘the dressage horse’

Equine Exceed HorseQuest Glaze & Gordon Retraining of Racehorses Dengie Horse Feeds