Equiheal - Equine Consultant

01/07/2024

What a great topic for a webinar - no matter how hard we try, and how hard the livery yard tries, there's always a compromise and a tricky balance to maintain... thoroughly recommend "Livery Yard Survival Guide" webinar, and the "Bad Girls? Understand Mare Behaviour Problems", which is tomorrow's webinar and a subject close to my heart - mares' communication and behaviour are so often misunderstood.

Understand Horses presents a webinar with social scientist Tamzin Furtado on the human challenges and coping strategies of keeping your horse on an imperfect livery yard (boarding barn/stables).

25/04/2024

This is going to come across as an angry post and for that I must apologise but for the love of god please STOP pinning your baby horse’s head down. It is not taking a contact. Nor is it acceptance of the contact. It is force!

I’m sick to the back teeth of seeing horses with sore polls, stretching of the ligaments between C2-C3 and tension around their TMJ. I’m tired of seeing horses with their mouths strapped shut because discomfort, caused by an ignorant riders hands, is making the horse open his mouth which is then being misconstrued as rudeness. And I’m so,so sad to see young horses having tendon injuries, ligament injuries, sacroiliac injuries and back problems because they haven’t been given time to establish. Time to grow. Time to develop muscle. Time to develop strength.

And what’s scary is this is becoming the norm. Breaking our horses in is literally breaking them. And no one is taking responsibility for this. Horses are being totally written off because we’ve got an awful throw away culture where no one is accountable for their actions. People are so thirsty for the end result that they are forgetting the process.

Please, I beg you, with your shiny new 3 year old that has his whole life ahead of him, invest your time in the saddle and on the ground wisely. Look at his balance, look at his rhythm, look at his relaxation and most of all look at his happiness. I guarantee to you that once you’ve addressed all of these, his back will function properly and you’ll receive the gift of a true contact and therefore a true outline.

You reap what you sew. In every single sense.

31/03/2024

The way horses respond to trauma and the lasting impact of a bad experience in early life have been highlighted by experts

21/03/2024

We aren’t entitled to riding.

Horses don’t owe us anything.

Riding is a gift, it is a privilege.

It’s not something we should be taking for granted. It’s something to be grateful and appreciative of your horse for.

Since we aren’t entitled to riding, we should reframe our thinking when it comes to what equipment we used on horses and how far we are willing to go in training when it comes to physical punishment.

Having the perspective that it’s fair to deliberately cause a horse high discomfort or pain on a repeated basis just so a human can pilot them around a jump course at a show or have their riding lesson is one of clear entitlement.

It’s a mindset where the person feels so entitled to riding their horse that they’re willing to achieve this at any cost, even if it’s at the expense of wellbeing and comfort on the part of the horse.

So, where do we draw the line?

Ask yourself whether or not you truly want your horse to enjoy the work you do with them.

Odds are the answer is yes.

It’s hard for a flight animal to enjoy their “work” when it’s a promise of pain, stress and fear.

Even if they “like” the task at hand, having a harsh bit in their mouth or getting smacked when they make a mistake will feel like a blister, a painful stimulus that takes their mind off of something they may otherwise enjoy and becomes all consuming the more it’s rubbed and irritated.

And if this is the pattern of what riding and training predicts for them — what reason do they have to enjoy it?

There’s nothing in it for them other than pain and stress, if we choose to go about things in a forceful manner and if we choose to select harsh equipment to suppress behavioural issues instead of dealing with the cause of said issues.

We aren’t entitled to riding.

So, it’s probably time to put an end to the culture that feels entitled to using increasingly harsh equipment when the human can’t make their horse do what that want them to.

Because that wreaks of entitlement.

01/03/2024

Lovely post from - a Canadian-based trainer who I highly recommend following if you don’t already.

They say you reap what you sow.

So, I stopped for a moment and took a look around.

In my training of horses, I was sowing seeds of stress, ones that would blossom into entire thickets of chronic anxiety.

And in that moment, I was stunned by the emotions my actions were harvesting in horses.

My goal was to have relaxed and well behaved horses who enjoyed their jobs and I was failing at doing so by pushing them to “work through it.”

When they tried to communicate their stress, I would make them work harder until they stopped that communication entirely.

Tired, sweaty, panting and foaming with sweat, their training session would then end.

How was I to expect that they would enjoy such a thing?

It all seems so silly now.

But, in a way, it was a gift that despite the way I tried to silence and extinguish communication when the communication was what I didn’t want to hear, my horses kept trying to communicate.

They hadn’t given up on the hope of me finally listening to them.

And while the persistence of these unwanted behaviours were upsetting my goals as a trainer, it was a sign my horses still believed in my ability to finally hear them.

They hadn’t shut down yet.

So now, I thank them for their perseverance.

For getting louder and refusing to let me drown out their voices.

Because, eventually something did click and I realized that I wasn’t heading to the destination along the route I wanted to.

It was no enjoyable journey of only one half of us was having a good time, while the other was so miserable.

To be honest, I question whether I was even having a good time most of the time.

Frustration, anger and anxiety that were common emotions for me during and after training are no longer ever present.

In helping to heal the damage I had done to my relationship with horses, I was healing myself in the process.

07/01/2024

I'm now taking bookings from mid-February onwards for Equine Behaviour Consultations* (both on-site and online) and Equine Therapeutic Bodywork Sessions.

You can expect:
🐴A professional and ethical approach, using LIMA (Least Invasive, Minimally Aversive) as recommended by the IAABC
🐴A realistic and sustainable bodywork programme or behaviour modification plan
🐴A listening ear and heart - for both you and your horse
🐴An experienced, but open, mind
🐴An improvement in your horse's behavioural, emotional or physical wellbeing - or all three!

In my BEHAVIOURAL CONSULTATIONS I use a positive, empathetic and practical process to achieve sustainable results - I can help you to understand and effectively modify your horse's own particular behavioural problem.

My THERAPEUTIC BODYWORK sessions are a unique blend of massage, energy healing and mind-work. Using these together in one combined therapy session results in a very deep, hugely beneficial treatment that enables healing of body, mind and spirit.

For further information, please visit www.equiheal.co.uk or contact me via phone or WhatsApp on 07880 498522

*A discount is available for behavioural cases that I can use as case studies for IAABC Accreditation.

14/11/2023

07/11/2023

So absolutely true.
And as horses use their hearts as an intelligent and feeling part of their whole being, if we are still and quiet with them we can experience this beautiful sensation as they will tune in to our hearts and show us how it feels. With practice we can continue to do this on our own.
Look at the HeartMath Institute website for further info on horses and hearts 💕.

10/10/2023

Considering the Horse, Mark Rashid hits the spot as always. This is beautifully true.

Have a great weekend!

04/07/2023

Researchers discovered a connection between Chromosome 25 and the presence of kissing spines in horses.

29/06/2023

I am a big believer in the sentiment in the quote below. We expect horses to be able to be worked in circles no matter what their previous experience, and they're simply not built for it - because they have had no reason to evolve to move in circles. Their joints and muscles will need time to adjust to it, and this means slow patient training in short sessions over a long period of time. As the quote says, they always want to please and it is so much more rewarding and productive (and sustainable) to do it this way.

And whilst I'm here(!) we often take a horse straight out of the stable into the school and lunge them to 'warm them up' before riding. However, to try to be balanced on a circle from 'cold' puts unnatural pressure on joints and muscles that are not already warmed up and is more likely to cause injury, not less. The other common reason for lungeing before riding is to 'get the kinks' out. Horses often seem as though they need to be lunged before being ridden because during the lungeing they buck, rear and otherwise try to get away from the person lunging before in the end settling down. However, this could be because they are trying to tell us that they're struggling... Walking them in straight lines at the beginning of a schooling session is far kinder, with or without a rider.

And then there are horse-walkers... but that's for another day! ;-)

"I am a horse. I wasn't designed to bend. I was designed to graze and run (and walk, nap, play and socialize and move as one with the herd) It will take time for me to become supple, loose and flexible, straight and balanced. Please be patient. Please be kind. I am doing my best to please you."

I am grateful for all I learned about crookedness from the late Dr Kerry Ridgway.

Here as some recommendations for useful information because when you know better, you can train better.

𝐴𝑢𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑟: 𝐶𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝐿𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑖𝑙ℎ, 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑑𝐻𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠

Online:

www.drkerryridgway.com

Crookedness and fascia:

https://ivcjournal.com/fascia-and-why-its-so-important/

Low Heel/High Heel Syndrome:

http://www.endurance.net/blogger/RidgewayLowHeel.pdf

The Crooked Horse Syndrome:

https://cms.arr.de/uploads/pdf/DrRidgway_Laterality.pdf

Streaming Videos

𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲’𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗿. 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗴𝘄𝗮𝘆 & 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/improvedhorseperformance

𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 & 𝗥𝗲𝗵𝗮𝗯 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 – 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗿. 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗴𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘇

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/equinewellnesscourse2013

𝗜𝗻-𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝘇: 𝗔𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻-𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱

https://vimeo.com/ondemand/inhandlessonswithmanolo

𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗦𝗶𝘅 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗮 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲

https://learn.kathleenaspenns.com/courses/TrustedPartners

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲: 𝗛𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝘅𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹? 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆

https://learn.kathleenaspenns.com/courses/the-nervous-horse

𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿/𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

27/06/2023

I love the way that work with horses evolves. I have had a huge interest in equine behaviour for a long time now, and have incorporated it into my consultations when I go to see horses to give massage and energy healing treatments. I have learned a lot - both from horses and from fantastic people who have shared their knowledge, either in person or through teaching and writing.

Now, having completed an equine behaviour consulting mentorship with Justine Harrison - Equine Behaviourist, I'm ready to begin consulting specifically on equine behavioural issues - either on-site at your yard or remotely.

My website has been redesigned accordingly - if your horse has a behavioural issue that you would like help to resolve please do take a look and get in touch (or, of course, if you would like to treat him/her to a massage or energy healing treat!).
https://www.equiheal.co.uk

Thank you.

(I'm also offering a discounted fee to anyone willing to let me use their horse's case as a case study for my IAABC accreditation submission.)

Equine Behaviour, Massage and Energy Healing (Reiki). Kate Chandler is based in the UK and offers on-site and remote sessions. Listening to you and your horse to achieve total wellbeing.

18/06/2023

HAVE YOU EVER PAID FOR A TRAINER, RIDER OR ‘PRODUCER’ TO ABUSE YOUR HORSE?

This may seem like a weird question, but every day I receive emails from distraught horse owners who have employed a professional and their horse has either ended up injured or with behavioural problems they didn’t have previously. This week I have been asked to see a horse with a broken nasal bone as a very popular ‘behaviourist’ (clearly without any knowledge of horse behaviour!) used a pressure halter to try and force a horse to load.

Part of my job as a behaviour consultant is to help owners address behaviour and training problems. The number of requests I receive to help undo problems caused by professionals seems to be increasing all the time.

Some of these problems are very serious – horses who previously didn't have any issues have become terrified of people or they have started bolting, bucking, napping or rearing. Some have become anxious generally and are now more difficult to handle than previously, some have become depressed and withdrawn. Some have been forced to do more than they can cope with physically and end up struggling to accept the bit, are overbent and carry themselves incorrectly, and some have even been physically injured. These problems can be very difficult to undo and may affect the horse for their lifetime. Some horses will never be physically sound again. Some horses are euthanised.

Owners will have spent thousands of pounds on a young horse, then expect them to be trained in 4–8 weeks as this is the ‘norm’. Trainers want to achieve results as quickly as possible, so they use all sorts of techniques to speed up the process. They use pressure halters, gadgets, excessive pressure and force the horse to do things they are not physically or mentally ready for. They either don’t recognise or they ignore the body language cues the horse exhibits to say they are anxious, and they suppress any behaviour the horse may perform to try and avoid what is happening.

I regularly meet horses who have been drugged when they were backed, or hear from grooms who work at trainer’s yards saying the trainer’s routine is to withhold food or water for the first few days so the horses are less likely to 'put up a fight'. Some horses are put in side reins and left in the stable for hours on end, some are chased around round pens until they are exhausted and give up, or lunged so they are too tired to object. Sadly trainers use all sorts of flowery language to describe how they work and often it is to hide some very aversive techniques.

Please do your research before employing someone to work with your horse. Don't feel intimidated to find out as much as you can, your horse's mental and physical wellbeing depends on this. Ask them what approach they will take, how long training sessions are, what their qualifications are, what they do when the horse doesn't do as asked (do they just increase the pressure and force the horse to do as asked?) and whether they will use gadgets, whips and spurs or swing ropes at your horse.

Speak to people who have had horses trained by them previously, ask if they have training films you can see. Ask if you can watch the trainer working with different horses in person. Watch the horses and see how they are reacting – are they abnormally quiet and shut down, are they very reactive and tense or do they look relaxed and happy in their work? Does what the trainer says they are doing correspond with how the horse is reacting?

At the moment I can only recommend a handful of trainers in the UK. If you are looking for help with your horse and need advice or local help I may be able to recommend someone that can help.

31/05/2023

🐎If your horse is "Grumpy" - You need to Investigate Why!

Dismantling some of the myths about horses is challenging as they are still very culturally ingrained in the horse world.

Horses "pretending" to be lame
Horses need to be "shown who's boss"
Horses being grumpy
Horses needing a "strong" rider
Horses deliberately trying to annoy their rider/handler
Horses "warming out of" gait abnormalities
The list goes on..........................

🛑If we stop to think about these myths, there is no supporting evidence to indicate that any of these things have even a shred of evidence to support them.

Horses communicate through their behavior - there is more than enough research on this subject at this point, that is cannot be ignored!

😢If your horse is exhibiting behavior that you don't like or want, then it is up to us, as owners and equine professionals, to figure out what we have missed or don't understand about their behavior and underlying causes.

🌠🌠In this mind blowing course by Internationally renowned lameness Vet and Researcher, Dr. Sue Dyson, you will gain an amazing insight into how the industry can get ahead of these issues.

Early detection can prevent smaller issues from becoming chronic, avoid performance and behavior issues, and keep your horse healthy and pain free - surely the goal of all equestrians.

With 50% off, this course, for less than the price of a lesson, can potentially save you thousands of dollars trying to unravel an issue that has gone on for too long and is complicated.

Learn how to get ahead of lameness and pain - it is our responsibility to care for our horses from their perspective:)

https://www.equitopiacenter.com/shop/ethogram-may23/ref/1



https://www.equitopiacenter.com/shop/ethogram-may23/ref/1

29/03/2023

So, here's a question I'd be really interested in hearing your responses to... If you were to consult an equine behaviourist about your horse's unwanted behaviour, what would that unwanted behaviour or problem behaviour most likely be? Separation anxiety, not wanting to load, cribbing, napping, aggression (to people or horses), etc. Thanks in advance.

19/03/2023

This looks like an amazing event! Sharing in case of interest. Starts 10th April.

"Horses were never wrong. They always did what they did for a reason, and it was up to you to figure it out." - Jeannette Walls, Half Broke Horses.

Join Bonny Mealand and Dr Emily Kieson at Knepp Estate and find out what we can learn from horses and how to unlock that learning. 🐎

www.touchingwild.com/learning-wild-knepp

10/03/2023

This is a fantastic resource from World Horse Welfare in collaboration with Sue Dyson: "In this heavily illustrated and easy-to-navigate ‘myth busting’ guide, Dr Sue Dyson brings her decades of experience as a rider, trainer, and veterinary orthopaedic clinician to bear on a question that is likely to be relevant to many of us at some stage: Could my ridden horse’s behaviour be due to pain?"
https://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/advice/health/ridden-issues-troubleshooting-unwanted-behaviours?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=advice&utm_content=myth_buster_26&fbclid=IwAR3ZQGQs2sA2PCym5qw1-jcZq4jB9b8uyFPcxYrlEgOmrfqHXMGe4Fp5OEc

Is your horse being a pain or are they in pain? Download our myth-busting guide to ridden horse issues.

09/03/2023

You're likely to see quite a few behaviour-related posts in the next few weeks as I complete my mentorship with Justine Harrison of Understanding Horses.

This is a great video that I've just come across from Epona.tv - the great Lucy Rees talking about stereotypies and what causes them.

Cribbing, weaving and other so-called vicesEthologist Lucy Rees talks about how stereotypic behaviours develop out of stress, how addiction can be prevented ...

03/03/2023

Between the covers of April's issue of Your Horse (out now) is a great article about Reiki and how it can help horses and their owners. I am really pleased to be featured in it alongside some other well-respected practitioners, and there is even a photo of my Belle illustrating the location of the chakras (energy centres)! It's not often that Reiki gets the coverage it deserves and this is a lovely 4 page feature, so thank you to Your Horse!

The latest issue of Your Horse Magazine is on sale now🥳 Find out what's inside here👇

https://www.yourhorse.co.uk/magazine/april-2023/

28/02/2023

I love this:
“I know my horses understand me through my emotions and body language” he explains. “I should be able to do the same”.

French showjumper Grégory Cottard, 44, has been enjoying a winning streak recently, most notably winning the five-star grand prix at Bordeaux, France, with the striking mare Co***ne Du Val

22/02/2023

Love this post from The Horse Feed Guru - your horse depends on you to be their voice and fight their corner when necessary. For all their half-ton of weight, they are patiently relying on us to do this for them and it is our responsibility not to let them down.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 🐴💙

Probably one of the hardest parts of my job is when I am providing solutions to support people with their horses and every single thing I suggest is met with:-

❌ “I’m not allowed to do this”
❌ “I can’t do that”
❌ “I haven’t got the time”
❌ The list goes on…

This is going to sound really strong but it is truthful; I can only achieve what I do with your support and if every suggestion I give is pushed back I just can’t help. That is beyond frustrating for me because I know there is a solution that can work and the horse is trapped in a situation that he can’t sort himself.

I know sometimes it can be irritating when there are yard rules that could be causing the issues, but it really is your job to try to liaise with your yard owner to find a potential solution; explaining why it would really help you with your horse or if there is any compromise you could both come to rather than just shrug the issue off. If failing that there is no way around it, and the management regime of that yard isn’t working for your horse, particularly if you have followed all other suggestions without excuse, then it really is time to look for another yard. If I have run out of solutions (of which I often give many) I can’t just wave a magic wand… Trust me when I say I really wish I could!!

𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗺, 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘆. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲!!

17/02/2023

Love this - I don't know where it is, but every manege should have one!

👌👌👌👌👌👌

08/02/2023

I absolutely love this, from Ben Hart.

"Intuition,
The more I hear and see in the horse world, the more I am convinced that the best way for caring horse owners to do the right thing for their horses is to listen to themselves. Become still, be quiet and in the moment, and listen to what you already know about the situation. You know your horse better than anyone, so you must learn to trust yourself. Listen to the deep clear, still voice that knows the truth and does not have to convince you of its validity. Breathe gently and feel the horse. You already know what to do, so now dare to live your truth," Ben Hart.

07/02/2023

What a great quote. As well as making sure this is the case for our horses we should try to apply this to our own lives, too.

27/01/2023

Fabulous post by Jessie Sams - so much to take into account if we want to travel our horses.

🐴🐴🐴LOADING AND TRAVELLING PROBLEMS 🐴🐴🐴

From an ethological perspective loading is incredibly unnatural for horses they would not deliberately seek out or go into small , dark spaces or confined areas that may also have a strange odour. A lorry or trailer is a very alien environment for a horse .They will naturally be much safer from danger or attack and feel less vulnerable in a wide open space with their herd. Safety in numbers equals more eyes, ears and alarm systems (amygdalas) to detect signs of threat and to take appropriate action to avoid danger or potential threat should they become apparent.

As a result they will not automatically feel safe, secure and calm in this type of space or environment. This is something they need to learn through the facilitation of repeated positive and safe experiences. This may also include addressing root cause alongside . It is vital to remember horses do not all have difficulties with loading for the same reason so different approaches may be required or additional elements such as separation distress, claustrophobia or even pain which should be addressed by your vet.

Broadly speaking loading problems can be divided into two types of issue :

1. Problems with loading .
2. Problems with travelling.

Loading and travelling problems are not all created equal and there are many different reasons why they occur. It is vital to address root cause and not just focus on the main symptom of the problem the loading or travelling issue.

Some reasons why a horse may not load or travel well are:

🐴 Lack of previous experience.
🐴 Negative/traumatic experience such as an accident or bad journey
🐴 Separation distress/anxiety
🐴Fear /neophobia
🐴 Claustrophobia
🐴Anxiety about the destination ie vets, show venue etc
🐴 Aversive training
🐴Poor handler/caregiver relationship
🐴Handler/caregiver anxiety
🐴 Bad driving
🐴Issues with the vehicle such as too low, too narrow, ramp depth etc
🐴Musculoskeletal problems
🐴 Neurological problems ie stringhalt or shivers
🐴 Vestibular disease
🐴Sensory deficit (blindness/deafness)
🐴 Mild laminitis
🐴 Ulcers
🐴 Generic pain
🐴 Illness
🐴Motion sickness

Help my horse loads leaving to go out but won’t load coming home ?

This is an INCREDIBLY common issue facing horse caregivers and their horses. It also often seems counterintuitive as leaving home is one thing but surely they should want to go home to their friends? As stated above loading is VERY unnatural and extremely stressful for horses. It is one of the scariest tasks we ask of them . Shows, clinic environments and vets are in addition extremely challenging environments for a horse to be in even if they are seasoned at it or the horse enjoys them such as a long hack with equine friends . This means that your horse may be more stressed and over-aroused than they were leaving home the same might also be true for you too especially if you had a difficult day. Horses encounter various stressors and novelty when away from home such as unfamiliar horses, sights , sounds, smells, even tastes such as different drinking water in addition to undertaking activities that increase arousal such as showjumping , eventing or a dressage test. All of this means their levels of tension may be heightened , when you add the cumulative stressful experience of loading this enough to take them outside of their window of tolerance as a result of stimulus/trigger stacking . As a consequence loading is more challenging for them and us . Your horse is also has no idea where they are going.

Treating a loading problem involves addressing root cause alongside creating safe experiences , managing the environment and offering choice and control to the horse. It is possible to accomplish this without the use of aversive equipment using trauma informed principles.

References

Butterfield, C., Grumpelt, B., Kimmel, D., Patterson, R., Jones, K., Scott, S. L., & Schaefer, A. (2018). The pretransport management of stress in performance horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 69, 145-148.

Houpt, K. A., & Wickens, C. L. (2014). Handling and transport of horses. Livestock handling and transport, 315-341.

Padalino, B. (2015). Effects of the different transport phases on equine health status, behavior, and welfare: A review. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 10(3), 272-282.
Chicago

Padalino, B., Henshall, C., Raidal, S. L., Knight, P., Celi, P., Jeffcott, L., & Muscatello, G. (2017). Investigations into equine transport-related problem behaviors: survey results. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 48, 166-173.

Padalino, B., Rogers, C. W., Guiver, D., Bridges, J. P., & Riley, C. B. (2018). Risk factors for transport-related problem behaviors in horses: a New Zealand survey. Animals, 8(8), 134.

©️Jessie Sams(2022) Beeching Horse Behaviour and Animal Behaviour and Trauma Recovery Service

25/01/2023

I recently attended this World Horse Welfare webinar, which, excuse the pun, was real food for thought. The effect of diet on equine behaviour is a topic very close to my heart and Rosa Verwijs and Justine Harrison had lots of interesting information to share. WHW record and upload all of their educational webinars to YouTube, so it's definitely worth taking a look.

We welcomed equine behaviourist Rosa Verwijs back to talk to us about how good feeding practices can promote positive behaviour in our horses.Rosa explains w...

13/12/2022

This looks as though it will be very interesting indeed - sharing in case anyone else fancies some learning for the new year :-)