Graveney Equine: Horse Track System

29/07/2024

Incoming alien transmission courtesy of Casper 👽👾

26/07/2024

Horses don't stop pooping for anyone or anything.... poo picking in my pjs tonight because honestly, I feel butt-rough 😵‍💫

Keeping it real with the unicorns though 🦄

25/07/2024

Some of our young trees. I like looking at them 😅

A combination of silver birch, downy birch, beech, (one) copper beech(!), Hawthorne, field maple, hornbeam and lime.

25/07/2024

2 years ago - successfully using this approach for years now. Somehow along the way people have claimed certain approaches as their own but I am honoured to know many barefoot trimmers who do great rehab work.

24/07/2024

Let’s use this inexcusable behaviour to learn and grow…..WE are all the change that needs to happen.

In the quiet moments spent with horses over the years, I learnt that trust and respect form the bedrock of a true partnership. Positive reinforcement training isn't just a technique; it's a way of life that honors the intrinsic spirit of the horse. By fostering a nurturing and supportive environment, we allow our equine partners to flourish and learn without fear. Each gentle touch, kind word, and thoughtfully given reward strengthens our bond, transforming training from a mere task into a shared journey of mutual growth and understanding.

In a world often driven by quick results, immediate gratification and winning, taking the time to make conditions right for horses to learn at their own pace is an act of patience and profound respect. Horses, with their unique personalities and sensitivities, teach us the value of patience, consistency, and empathy (if we are open enough to let the lesson in). Positive reinforcement training is about celebrating small victories and acknowledging the individual progress of each horse, rather than forcing them into rigid molds or expecting instant perfection.

We have spent so much time at Graveney creating an environment all about ‘the horse’. But creating a trusting and respectful environment involves more than just the physical space; it encompasses our attitudes, actions, and intentions. It’s about being present and attuned to the horse’s needs, recognizing their signals, and responding with kindness and clarity. When a horse feels safe and understood, they are more willing to engage, explore, and learn. This leads to a more harmonious and cooperative relationship, where both horse and trainer find joy and satisfaction in their interactions.

The journey of positive reward training is a continuous learning process for both horse and human. It challenges us to be better communicators, to be more observant and adaptive, and to constantly seek ways to improve our methods. It’s a reminder that true horsemanship is not about dominance, but about partnership. It’s about creating a dialogue based on mutual trust, where the horse feels valued and heard. Not one where they are scared, trapped and helpless.

Through this approach, we not only train horses but also enrich our own lives. The principles of patience, respect, and positive reinforcement extend beyond the training arena, influencing how we interact with the world and with each other. Understanding the power of patience and understanding, the true essence of horsemanship.

So lets learn from this. Let’s ALL learn from this. Honour your horses by committing to a path of kindness and respect. Challenge training methods that don’t revolve around respect. Show people there are other ways. Every interaction is an opportunity to deepen our bond, don’t waste those precious moments. Don’t lose sight of what is important and ride rough shod over those moments just to win prizes or be the best because in the end, the true measure of success is not in medals or accolades, but in the trust and partnership you share with your horse.

24/07/2024

Just placed another order with Hedgewitch Essentials

Not only does this work more than most sprays I’ve come across but the actual spray bottle mechanism is ✨ELITE✨

23/07/2024

Some chat about introductions and how I do them here at Graveney

22/07/2024

I’m in my tree era 😅 🌳

We started off 11 years ago with a really boring square of previously agricultural land. Apart from one established hedgerow which had a small row of conifers at one end there was nothing else. No grass, no hedges and no trees.

The first thing we did was sow a mixed species grass and flower seed across the whole plot and then we placed a simple track around the ‘outside’ of the area.

Then we planted hedgerow plants around the eternal fencing. That’s been growing for a good few years now and this winter we are hoping to experiment with hedge laying to consolidate it and make it stronger and thicker.

Then we turned to trees. We have tried lots of different species to hopefully find a range that work in our soil type. Luckily, nearly all of them have taken (apart from copper beech which is really annoying because they are absolutely BEAUTIFUL trees and one of my absolute favourites 😭).

We have let several of the hedgerow specimens grow on into trees rather than cutting them back every year but I also wanted to add some more interest to the land inside the boundary. So we created a copse that covers around 1/5 of our total track area. It is currently protected by fencing but my hope is that when it is fully established we can ‘open’ it up and the horses can use the track around it or go in between the trees for shelter or shade (or for a snack!).

I love being able to add more life to our land but for those of you looking at track system planning applications you will find that biodiversity net gain is now a big part of planning applications. You need to be able to show you can improve biodiversity on your land, which with a track system, can be really easy to do.

Lots more plants and trees mean more bugs, mammals and birds. What’s not to love?! 💚

21/07/2024

What does a years worth of hay look like for us…..?

👀

One of my least favourite weeks of the year done

20/07/2024

600kgs of cob giving the scratch post his all 💪🏼

19/07/2024

Definitely mister weather today 🥵

19/07/2024

It’s so important to be able to fully assess body condition

🐴📏 How to carry out Body Condition Scoring

Evaluating your horse's fat index with the Body Condition Score (BCS) is simple! Here's how you can do it:

🤗 Feel the Fat Layer: Assess 6 areas on your horse: neck, withers, shoulder, back, ribs, and croup.

Score Each Area: Assign a score between 1 and 9 for each area, with half points allowed. 📝

📍 Neck and Withers:
Feel the neck at the mane ridge. Is it wobbly (fat) or firm (muscle)? The withers should not be bony or surrounded by fat.
📍 Shoulder:
Run your hand from the neck to the shoulder. If it glides without resistance, there's fat accumulation.
📍 Back:
Place your hand on the back. Ideally, it forms an arch over the spine. Excess weight flattens your hand due to fatty tissue buildup.
📍 Ribs:
The ribs should be easily felt.
📍 Croup:
Look at the croup from behind. It should have rounded hind cheeks.

Calculate the Average: Add up the six scores and divide by 6 to get the BCS.

💡 Tip: Repeat the scoring three times and take the average for more accuracy. Be honest with your assessment for the best results.

✍️ Note: Consider your horse's individual conformation. 👉 Native ponies and draft horses may store excess fat in "pads" around their shoulders and crest. Also, don't assess weight using the underbelly as horses don't store much fat there.

💙 Find the complete article here: https://ow.ly/F8sp50SAibs

18/07/2024

Tasty bit of willow for Jay this evening 💚

18/07/2024

Our newest recruit Luna having her first proper look around the track- apparently our lot are a bit smelly 🤣

18/07/2024

Re-share of day 3 of our video series. Topic: the barn bedding area

17/07/2024

We all know that saying, opinions are like …..

The horse world is especially known for people being all ‘opiniony’ right…..?

The thing is though, we all have opinions because we use the information we have (or think we have) about a subject and you can’t help but form that into an opinion. It could be something you hold fast to or it could be a bit of a flimsy, half-baked opinion. But it is yours and you are allowed to have it.

Another well know saying is “don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from”. Now that’s definitely a habit thats probably good for us all to get on board with, it helps to filter out a lot of the negativity but if you do it all the time, you are wasting a golden opportunity for self-reflection and growth. Not everyone who supports us is going to have the guts to give us criticism. None of us like being ‘wrong’ or even ‘not quite right’ but sometimes we are. Even some of the great scientific theories have fallen by the wayside and been replaced by newer, shinier ones (er hello Einstein and your special theory of relativity).

If we spend our lives in an echo chamber, only *hearing* the things that support our own beliefs then we don’t grow. At least not in knowledge, but almost definitely in ego. And arrogance is what makes people ignorant.

Track systems have divided opinions ever since people started talking about them. I’ve been a vocal supporter of a (well executed) track since the day I picked up Jaime Jackson’s book. Yet over the last 14 years I’ve been called all sorts of ‘insults’ by people who think track systems are *nonsense/cruel/pointless/only for ‘worthless’ horses/not worthy of consideration (*delete as appropriate) and that’s their opinion. Now if you shout that opinion at me or use your best passive aggressive social media tone, that’s where I draw my line. I don’t share my space with people who aren’t respectful. But if someone tells me about their knowledge or experience with openness and without judgement I’m all ears.

As humans we are allowed to grow and change, yet we are also programmed to hold on tight to our belief system otherwise, what’s it all about?! Change means uncertainty and realising you have potentially been doing something ‘wrong’ is a BITTER pill to swallow. Nobody wants to spend their entire life climbing a ladder only to realise they had it up against the wrong wall!

When I visited Portugal recently I put myself in a place where I had the opportunity to re-evaluate my own working practice and set-up. You see, seeing the horses in their turnout where they had species appropriate grasses growing, access to rivers to drink and bathe made me think back to my own horses on their track system and I started to worry are they too restricted? am I just panicking because it’s so idyllic out here??!! But what it did do was it made me feel UNCOMFORTABLE. But instead of just shutting it out, I’ve started my own process of objectively assessing if I need to make changes and, if so, where…?

So that’s where I’m at. In fact I think I’m always at a point in life where I’m re-evaluating something. I’m not scared to change my opinion based on new information. I’m also not scared to share my opinion based on the reasoned information I have. There is a huge amount of science and experience out there now that backs up herd living, turnout and species appropriate feeding. I urge everyone to look at it. Because at this point in time, that is the best science and evidence I have that we are on the right pathway.

But most of all, always remember that learning is a journey, not the destination. You CAN keep going.

The capacity to learn is a gift.
The ability to learn is a skill.
The willingness to learn is a choice.
~ Brian Herbert

16/07/2024

For those based in the U.K. this is a feed company I’d really suggest having a look into 💚

16/07/2024

Day 2 of 14 days sharing again - comment below with any more questions

15/07/2024

I thought I’d reshare my 14 questions in 14 days posts!

Let me know if you have any more questions 📝

14/07/2024

FYI - if you have thistles, NOW is the time to be cutting them (if you haven’t already in the last week and you are northern hemisphere).

Horses like thistles but at this stage of growth they are unlikely to be eating them much now. They are well into flowering and will be setting seed very soon.

Cutting them back now will stop you being overrun with them next year but also stop the seeds spreading to surrounding fields, particularly arable fields where farmers are fighting a war against trying to cut down on chemical use in the tide of invasive weeds.

We are cutting large sections down today which sadly means losing some of the beautiful meadow flowers surrounding them but in order for those meadow flowers to not be drowned out next year (and for our young trees to flourish) we have to make some sacrifices.

Checking for wildlife and nests etc as we go just in case as even though we are pretty much at the end of ground nesting season, you can’t be too careful 💚

As the saying goes…

“Cut thistles in May, they grow in a day,
Cut them in June, that is too soon,
Cut them in July, then they die!”

11/07/2024

Love her 💚

10/07/2024

Time for Paddy’s daily smooch 💋

10/07/2024

Life is busy.
Work is hard.
I often get so buried in ‘doing’ that I forget the good times won’t force themselves in, I try my best to make some room for them and allow little things to be the joy too (I am much better at this than I was ten years ago!). But I always need to remind myself I am allowed to make emotional space to appreciate the good in life and especially the horse world because otherwise the bad can get far too much air time.

I love this poem, I thought some of you may too 🙂

JOY COMES BACK

When you finally realise that joy is less fireworks, more firefly less orchestra, more birdsong she will come back much more often

for joy will not fight with the fast pace of this life she is not in the shiny or the new

she breathes in the basic, simmers in the simple and dances in the daily to-and-fro

joy has been beckoning you for many a year my friend you were just too busy doing, to see

the very next time joy wraps her quiet warmth around you as the garden embraces your weary body in its wildness

tip her a nod...she doesn't stay long but if you are a gracious host joy comes back.

by Donna Ashworth

09/07/2024

Dentist day for 17 of the Graveney Equine motley crew today with Kelvin (IYKYK!) - all fabulous apart from my youngster Mac who decided that today was not the day to be faffing with teeth apparently 🙈. But that’s ok, we all have bad days ❤️‍🩹 it means I can put my training to use and help desensitise him to having the tools around his mouth before Kelvin comes back for another go though.

I love that the horses get to hang together while they all get their teeth done, it really helps keep them all relaxed and low key.

That’s another day of an epically busy July done ✔️

08/07/2024

I just wanted to share this again as one of the ‘useful products in our arsenal’

We were able to trial this product in its development a few years ago and had really good results with a very advanced verrucous sarcoid. We used it on a 6 year old sarcoid that cleared up completely in around 6 months

(just to confirm this is not a paid for ad of any kind - we don’t do sponsorship so you know when we recommend something it’s because we’ve used it and it worked for us)

Introducing SARCLAY!

We have been working on this in secret for years now and it has already helped a large number of horses owned by people who were kind enough to try the product out. It is safe, easy to apply and in a convenient, hygienic tube.

Sarclay is a paste for application to specific areas of a horses skin. Designed to protect from flies, dirt and hence to support the horses own, naturally healing processes.

A 100ml tube is £35 retail and because we know every horse is different we offer a money back guarantee if you don't find it useful.

https://redhorseproducts.com/shop/skin-care/sarclay/

05/07/2024

Those of you who have followed us for more than a year know that July is the month I moonlight as a Cherry salesperson 🍒😅

Anyone local to us pop down to our PYO for a bit, I’m happy to talk horses or cherries 🤣

04/07/2024

I want you all to know I made a useful informational video earlier…..I just happened to be filming the stones instead of the hoof 🙈😅 better luck next time 🤣

02/07/2024

EEEK!

A massive well done to Lauren Johnson Hetherington of Graveney Equine: Horse Track System for passing her ABTC-ATI registration with us!

Well done Lauren, we are proud to have you on board!