ESP Equine

11/12/2025

Oooooh I’m so stealing this!

AND

We can help you with this too 🙌🏻

The rein pressure gauge gives you really interesting feedback on how much pressure you’re using via your hands via a traffic light system which sits on the headpiece of the bridle 🚥

From what we’ve seen so far, asymmetrical hand pressure is directly correlated to a collapsing shoulder, and weak feet - knee - hips - pelvis biomechanics.

All of this, courtesy of my chiropractic degree, can be assessed, treated and advised on 💪🏻

It would be REALLY great to work alongside your instructors and saddle fitters to make sure all the riding pieces of the puzzle are fitting together 🏇🙌🏻

Make 2026 the year of positive change folks!

Please do message if you’d like any further information 😊

In a relationship with a horse, everything begins not with control
but with feeling.
A rider’s hands are not tools of force —
they are a bridge of trust,
a quiet conversation shared between two hearts.

A touch lighter than breath can tell a horse more than any command.
And when you stop trying to control —
you begin to listen.
To feel every movement, every emotion,
every whisper of the horse’s soul.

Because the true art of riding
is not holding the horse in your hands,
but holding the connection in your heart.

10/12/2025

📣 The website is now LIVE 📣

Please do take a look - it gives you (hopefully) lots of useful information on the services offered at ESP Equine, contact details, location, prices etc.

As always - if in doubt, please do just drop me a message 🙌🏻

09/12/2025

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How can you fix the balance?

✅ Strong core - both you AND the horse
✅ Fast reflexes - both you AND the horse
✅ Quick proprioceptive feedback - guess what, both you AND the horse
✅ Saddle fit
✅ Bodywork
✅ Bridle and bit fit
✅ More Core, core, core…thank you 🌊 water treadmill 🐎
✅ Foot balance - there’s too much research out there now on how important this is to have any excuses 🤷‍♀️

Build your team 🐎 The rest will follow 🙌🏻

Most horses don’t rush because they’re excited.
They rush because they’re unbalanced.

Fix the balance and the rushing disappears—without pulling.

09/12/2025

Well this has made my day 🎉

It turned out that taking some time out didn’t go so well this year. My brain got a bit bored…I went down the equine performance rabbit hole and embarked on a bridle and bit fitting course 🙈

And my goodness am I glad I did. The crossover between bridle and bit fitting and the musculoskeletal problems we see as body workers, or when rehabbing on the water treadmill, are HUGE.

So here’s a “bit” about why Bridle fit is SO IMPORTANT 🙌🏻

There are a plethora of nerves in the face which will be irritated by poorly fitting bridles. These nerves have a role in the cardiovascular/respiratory systems and provide a huge amount of sensory feedback to the brain.

And then there’s the TMJ. An exceptionally important area for balance and proprioceptive feedback. Think about this when you’re asking your horse to collect - it won’t do it to the best of its ability if it can’t balance properly. Simples.

The TMJ is also where several myofascial lines attach. These are involved with top line development and abdominal tone. They run from the TMJ all the way to the back of the hind foot. Interrupting their function because of a tight browband, poorly balanced headpiece or buckles that are in the wrong place WILL AFFECT PERFORMANCE.

Poor performance = compensation = pain syndromes = possible injury = where next….?

I’ve been that person that bought the lovely off the shelf bridle, then scratched my head wondering if I’d fitted it right. I hadn’t. I just didn’t know any better.

You don’t know what you don’t know 🤷‍♀️

So, if you’re planning your 2026 riding goals, PLEASE be sure your bridle is fitting properly 🙏🏻

Your horse really will thank you 🐎

If you would like a bridle fitting, I have lots of lovely bridle pieces for you to try. You may only need a minor tweak to your existing one - and that’s ok too 🙌🏻

Please do PM me if you would like to know more 🤩

06/12/2025

Updates 2026 BD do’s and don’ts for Bits and Bridles 👇🏻

05/12/2025

🔌 She’s plugged in and nearly ready to go 🎉

We’re just finishing off the last bits and then that start button will be pressed back on again 🙌🏻🌊

We will update you over the weekend for when the diary is going to open for bookings📔

The website will be going live shortly which will give more information on all of our services, pricing etc.

Nearly ready to POWER ON!! 🌊🐎

25/11/2025

A little bedtime research reading for you on the effects of the water treadmill on muscle development. (MD = muscle development, WT = Water Treadmill).

Conclusions
The findings of this study indicate that using WT exercise as part of a sport horse training programme increases MD compared to overground training only, particularly for musculature that supports movement patterns seen during WT exercise. This suggests that WT exercise may be beneficial for development of the hindlimb and thoracolumbosacral epaxial musculature.

Water treadmill (WT) exercise has become a popular tool for equine training and rehabilitation. However, few studies describe the long-term effects of WT exercise in low water on muscle development (MD). This study’s objectives were to compare MD changes over a 40-week period in sport horses that ...

23/11/2025

A little reminder whilst we’re all waiting for the water treadmill to reopen (not long now, honest!) that Emma is also a qualified animal chiropractor and trained human chiropractor.

“I started my journey way back in 2000 when I went to the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic to gain my human chiropractic qualifications. I then studied with the International Academy of Veterinary Chiropractic for my post graduate animal certification.

Since then I have embarked on hours of extra study in topics such as rider biomechanics, saddle fit, bit and bridle fitting, rehab, myofascial techniques and obviously the water treadmill.

I’m passionate about looking at the bigger picture of the horse and rider combination and the effect that so many different factors can have on this partnership.

I’m also a big believer in team work, so if I think another professional needs to be brought in to help everyone achieve their best, then that’s what we’ll do.”

So, if you want to start unravelling the pieces of the puzzle and get going towards achieving your full potential with your horse, please do PM me and we can chat through your concerns and hopefully make a plan!! 🏇🙏🏻

14/11/2025

🧐DO YOU DO POLE WORK EXERCISE?🧐

Are you a horse owner, rider, trainer, or therapist who uses polework in training, riding or rehab?

Dr Vicki Walker, Dr Russell MacKechnie-Guire, Professor Hilary Clayton, Dr Jo Winfield, Professor Jane Williams and Dr Rachel Murray
are studying international polework practices — and your experience advance our understanding on pole work exercise.

SURVEY ➡️ https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5i05P0WNAvWtEeq

🕒 Takes less than 10 minutes

🐴 Focuses on just one horse

🔒 No personal data required

Your contributions will help advance evidence-based horse training!

Thank you 🙏 for supporting equine science!

05/11/2025

This 👇🏻

04/11/2025

🤩 The next chapter toolbox is coming along nicely 😀

The work Santa came early today, delivering a fabulous selection of bridles and accessories. Just one more tiny assignment to go and we’re all set to help you make sure your bridle is fitting correctly 🎉

I can’t wait to tell you just how important bridle fit is. Wearing a pair of tight sunglasses or a hat that’s too small is enough to make me reach for the headache pills 💊 I’m quite sure any horse with a tight bridle will feel the same.

There are SO MANY important nerves, fascial connections and balance mechanisms which can all be affected by poor bridle fit 🤕

Having your bridle assessed might just be a case of needing a different brow band. It doesn’t necessarily mean a whole new bridle is needed. But correcting things that might be too big or too small will make the world of difference to your horse’s comfort and subsequently their performance 🐎 It’s all very well doing the ground work (or hopefully the water treadmill work 😂) but if the kit is compromising something then….🤔

In between setting up the yard in West Buckland 🌊 I’ve also been playing with the rein tension gauge with a few willing volunteers.

What a fascinating piece of kit this is turning out to be. And, so far, asymmetrical rein tension is seemingly affected by asymmetrical rider foot, knee, hip and pelvis mechanics….makes sense really 🤓 The aim of the game is to improve the seat and the rest will follow 🙏🏻

Asymmetrical rein tension will affect how the horse responds to the bit….we’re getting that “bit” covered too in January (my middle aged brain can only cope with so much at once 🤣)

Keep an eye out on developments 👀 it’s all coming together 🤞🏻

And to finish - a note for my para professional colleagues 📚

I only have one set of hands. I REALLY welcome discussions, team work and inspiring thoughts to help our horse and rider clients achieve their best 🏇 Let’s do this 🙏🏻

29/07/2025

So this is an American charity that I’ve been following for a while. They go to the slaughterhouse holding facility to rescue horses who are being held before being shipped to Canada or Mexico to meet a very gruesome end.

I know they’re not uk based, and I know that this happens (sadly) worldwide all the time.

But goodness me these two women have such guts and determination. I couldn’t do what they do.

Making donations to their cause couldn’t be easier.

Please have a look and consider helping if you can.

Thank you 🙏🏻