Bootleg Equine

05/06/2023

You can put the girl in the city but she’ll probably turn up in a car that looks like this 🤷🏻‍♀️

There’s been a few big changes over the last two months but one thing certainly hasn’t… DIRT!

It’s been a couple of months since I swapped my boots for heels, hung up my hat as a trainer and became a Financial Adviser in the big wide world of insurance and KiwiSaver!

For the first time in 6 years I’ve only got my own horses to focus on, and thanks to the wonderful start under saddle for Louis by Haig Dressage we have been chipping away at the small stuff, even if we’re doing it 20 million feet above the ground 😂 and catching the sunrises with Summa 🥰

It’s been awesome hearing from you guys, hearing your progress and keeping me in the loop, keep the updates coming! 🥰

29/03/2023

I have a few spaces open for lessons tomorrow (Thursday 30th March) in the afternoon throughout the Selwyn area.
Please message through :)

16/03/2023

ATTENTION! As I have a few days to myself the week starting 27th March, I will be opening up 2 DAYS of teaching Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th in and around the Selwyn area!

Please get in touch if you would like to book a lesson! 😎

08/03/2023

Some of you will already know that I am heading off to start a new career in financial advisory in just a few weeks time!
I’ve been studying whilst working and teaching over the last two or so years and am finally about to begin the next step!
What this means is, I will be unable to take on any new clients for the foreseeable future.
I will however still be running clinics/demonstrations/private lesson days throughout the year (on weekends) so keep your eyes out 👀

For now here is a picture of me and all my study notes and assignments 🤪 I will still be posting horsey content, sharing my knowledge and thoughts from time to time and you may start to see a lot more personal posts relating to my own horses!
Alongside starting a new career, my youngster Louis is currently starting his ridden career under the exceptional training of and I cannot wait to get going with him … watch this space 😍

But for now, a huge thank you to all my clients, friends and family for the support and encouragement over the years and to my special horses along the way who have always been my best escape after a day of having my nose buried in study💗

04/03/2023

As trainers, the thing that fills us with the most joy is seeing our students, horse and riders, succeed.
I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of a few journeys so far but this ones really been the cherry on top and I’m so grateful for this trio (horse, mother and daughter), these photos show a horse who has loaded on the float and headed out for a lesson somewhere outside of home (the last photo was from our 3rd session with him self loading) Sounds pretty standard right?
Rewind back a few months ago, I received a call from my lovely client (at the time we’d never met) in desperate need of getting help with teaching their horse to load. As the situation was explained I mentioned I am not a float trainer but I am a groundwork trainer so would do my best to come and assess what was going on and make a referral should that be the case. It was pretty quickly obvious this horse wasn’t scared of the float and rather didn’t have the trust or the means of communication to load confidently, he worried with pressure behind and that’s such a large part of being in a float! We worked closely together and had this guy self loading onto the straight loader! Fast forward and these three are doing it all on their own, with a very cool upgrade to an angle loader which he also self loads into! This was our first scheduled lesson that wasn’t a floating lesson out in a new place and I think we all left with huge smiles!
What a privilege to be a part of 💗

15/02/2023

I have a few lesson spaces available around Selwyn area tomorrow (Friday). Please contact for availability 😎

09/02/2023

Due to unforeseen circumstances (🤦🏻‍♀️) the training day and clinic in conjunction with Haig Dressage will be postponed!

We are hoping to work a new date out however this will be subject to facility availability and the lead up to the finish of the 22/23 competition season!

03/02/2023

Absolutely love this 🥰

Everything is edible until proven otherwise.

29/01/2023

It’s funny, over the last few days both of my parents have sent me old photos of me with horses. It definitely has me nostalgic, and thankful for the horses I’ve had over the years.
I’ve been privileged to sit behind many ears, whether that was for a ‘joy ride’ or to help in their education. But I have had 6 horses to be very thankful for, and one of them wasn’t even mine… the horse I learnt to ride on 19 years ago 💗
It’s amazing to look back over the years, see photos where I knew my confidence peaked and photos where it plummeted, all of it training me along the way. Of course I have one mare in particular to be the most thankful for and that’s miss Summa, my superstar. So here is a selection of the wonderful horses that I’ve owned and have each in their own way fine tuned the horse woman I am today, oh and a photo of the lovely mare it all started on!
I’m sure Louis will make it into my little list of greats soon enough 🙈
📸: Bella Maitland Photography photos 1,3,4

23/01/2023

CLINIC/TRAINING DAY 🐴

Haig Dressage and I are teaming up to bring you an exciting day covering from on the ground through to in the competition arena!
Here’s the details 🙌🏻

Saturday 18th February,
9am start - Clinic
10.30am start - Dressage training
Harrs Road Arena (corner of South Eyre Road and Harrs Road, Eyreton).

Bootleg Equine Groundwork Clinic/Demonstration - understanding and learning the horses body language

This clinic is designed to educate you on what body cues and language your horse gives you on the ground and in the groundwork. Why is this important? When you can understand how to read your horse, you soon learn how much pressure is not enough and how much is too much. Being able to read the horse gives you the ability work as a team, with a clear understanding of one another. When you can achieve this on the ground, you will also begin to achieve so much more in the saddle! This is a great opportunity for people to attend who missed out on the Selwyn area clinics previously run!
This is a spectator only demo/clinic and is pay on the day. Please bring yourself a chair!
Please message Bootleg Equine to register your interest in attending.
Jess will require 2-3 demonstration horses of varying personalities so please message Bootleg Equine if you can assist.

9am start (1hr running time)
$25 per person.

Haig Dressage Training and Tuition Day!

An amazing opportunity to practise your competition training in a laid back environment with the addition of feedback and instruction/tuition from Lauren Haig.
Lauren has ridden and self trained up to GP level under the eye of some of NZs best riders and coaches, and has a calm effective approach to enable success in the ring, producing a variety of horses through the grades.

Option of either group or individual sessions.
30 min group session, running through test accuracy, arena craft and establishing the flatwork basics/improving rider position. Groups of 3 - ideal for building confidence riding around other horses and acclimatising young horses. $35 per rider.

25 minute individual session - either run through a test of your choice and receive feedback/mini lesson on areas how you can easily pick up more marks. Or use the entirety of this time on a private session on arena craft, while also focusing on rider position and establishing the flatwork basics. Ideal for building confidence in a quiet environment with other horses around. $50 per rider.

To secure a space for the training day please email or txt:
[email protected]
021435233

18/01/2023

I want to talk about something I briefly touched on at my last clinic, and open a discussion up
“Pick a trainer that’s right for you and your horse”.
See how that trainer treats the horses in their care, how they speak to you as a rider and a pupil at the same time, how they talk about the horse you’re on or the horse they’re on.
And above all else, if something doesn’t feel right or you simply don’t like their way of training after working with them a couple of times, be honest say ‘hey, thank you for your help, but I think our personalities/philosophies clash and your time would be better allocated to someone who will thrive with your training.’
BELIEVE ME, WE WILL NOT BE OFFENDED! We have all been in the same position, students AND coaches alike!

On a note of sending your horse away (rather than lessons/instruction) trainers should always be happy for you to come and view their place, watch them work other horses and talk you through their philosophies and training approach. This is OWED to you AND your horse that may be heading to them. Granted, great trainers often have a tighter schedule but they should be willing to even let you sit on the sidelines of part of their day at any stage.
Heres an example; if you are a looking to send your horse away to a trainer to establish some good ground manners and horsemanship, don’t send him to a trainer that just smacks him if he is pushy or in your space.
Do your research, meet a trainer who will teach the horse softness and to be successful in those teachings, not told off! If you are looking to send your horse to develop more refined buttons in his flatwork, a trainer that comes highly recommended because they took your friends horse from 50cm to 1m may not be the exact fit you’re looking for.

Recommendations are a great place to start, but if you take anything away from this, take the knowledge that not every trainer and rider/horse go together and that’s ok, there are so many moving parts to picking the right match, and you ALWAYS have a say in your pick!

16/01/2023

As I mentioned in a previous post, I will be pairing up with a good friend of mine to bring you an exciting diverse day of learning! Once full details are finalised, these will be shared with all of you, so keep your eyes peeled!

From my end, I will be running another clinic/demonstration on understanding how to read your horses body language on the ground. Following my last clinic, more than a few attendees messaged me saying they walked away wanting to rush home with a new perspective and approach.
This clinic/demonstration shows how to read when your horse is responsive vs reactive, and how our own body language, intention and projection affects our horses. I realised writing it like that makes it sound a little airy fairy, however, its more of a practicality approach. If you can understand your horses cues, triggers, tolerance on the ground, this is going to translate to in the saddle tenfold!
Like my last demo, I will require a couple of horses to demo with, and once further details come to light, those who may attend the entire day may wish to offer! Spectators/Auditors will be charged a small $25 fee.

This day will be held in the Christchurch area, toward the end of February (we are hoping for Saturday 18th Feb). Keep a look out for details to come and I hope to see a lot of you there! 😎

14/01/2023

Sunday morning adventuring with Mr Lemonade 🍋
This guy is with me to get out and about and gain a little more confidence on solo ventures!

08/01/2023

BOT FLIES 🐝 !!!

Almost everyone I have spoken to in the last few weeks has been battling with the damn things! Some horses simply swish their tails and others, like my own mare, absolutely loose their marbles and become a danger to themselves!
Other than being an absolute pest to horses, the damage they do can go further than just paddock injuries... here are some important things you should know and a few tips and tricks at the end of this post to mitigate their nuisance!

There are three basic types of gasterophilus (bots):

1. Intestinalis: which lay eggs mostly on the forelegs and shoulders.
2. Haemorrhoidalis: which lay black eggs on the hairs of horse’s lips, where they can easily crawl to your horse’s mouth.
3. Nasalis: which lay eggs on the hairs of the jaw or throat-latch region.

Currently most of you are struggling with no. 1 and 3!
It's important to realise that aside from being a pain, the eggs laid by a bot on your horse can then be ingested. All three types follow a similar pattern of hatching, migrating, then attaching to the mucosal lining of the stomach. When your horse, particularly on the legs, rubs/itches/licks itself, it ingests the eggs and that's where the damage is really done!

Be sure to worm your horses for bots on your next worming cycle and follow the instructions on the wormer should you find anything passed through following the worming.
The only active ingredient that will kill bot-fly larvae is Avermectins (ivermectin and moxidectin), the following wormers are some that will cover this:
- Equimax LV
- Wormamec broad spectrum and bot paste for horses
- Equitak Excel wormer
- Ultramox 3 in 1 wormer
- Ammo allwormer
This list is not exhaustive, most wormers will state whether they cover bots!

Ways to mitigate bots being absolute pests and bothering your horses:
- Fly mask
- Summer sheet (with neck)
- Turnout fly boots
- Python tick tag in the mane and tail
- Red mortein spray will keep them away and also kill them (active ingredient permethrin is what works)
- Some 'horse' bug sprays will work to keep them away, the vet naturals fly repellent (smells strongly of cirtonella oil).

And lastly, if you muck out and have a manure heap, try to keep your horses away from it. Bots LOVE to hang around the stuff! 💩

All the best!
Jess

08/01/2023

I hope you all had as a relaxing break as Louis did 😆!

Most of you will be headed back to work today (as am I) and probably are wanting to have something planned to do!

I will be teaming up with a good friend of mine, and talented horsewoman to bring you a combined clinic/demo and training day! Keep yours eyes pealed for further info to come!

03/01/2023

Hey everyone! Hope you have all had a great start to the new year. With a few new lesson clients on board I thought I would just pop up a reminder on lesson etiquette!

- Should you cancel within 24hrs of your scheduled lesson, a $20 cancellation fee will occur.

- If your lesson time is, for example, 5pm, please be ready at 5pm. If you are too nervous to be on without someone on the ground that is totally fine, but please don't just be pulling your ponies out of the paddock as I arrive. My lessons are generally booked back to back which means if you are late your lesson will be shortened.

- Please make sure payments are made by the end of the same day your lesson occurred. No one likes to be chased up, equally I hate chasing people up!

A reminder on rates:
45min private $55
30min private $45
1hr group $45 pp
Schooling ride $65

Travel will be spread over clients.

24/12/2022

Merry Christmas from my goofy goobers and me to you and yours! 🎄💗🧑🏻‍🎄🐴🐴

Thanks to all who have supported me this year, valued myself as a trainer and instructor, allowed me to share my knowledge with you, and attended my clinics!

💗🎄💗

21/12/2022

10 years with my girl today 💗 some of us are lucky enough to meet a horse that means more than everything combined, and I’ve been lucky enough to grow up side by side with one.

19/12/2022

📸: Westfield Stud
How beautiful is Harry ! Thank you so much and for letting me use him as a demo horse at my recent clinic this past weekend! And also thank you to Jade and Chantelle who allowed me to demo their horses as well!

The three horses were great candidates at showing how despite how different one horse is from the next, each and every horse expresses itself through its body and expressions when we are working with them and with pressure.

Each horse showed us when there was too much pressure, not enough and just the right amount. The take away from the clinic was when the right amount of pressure was used, by listening and reading the horses cues, we ended up having a sharp responsive and accurate horse!
From a young horse to an established horse and through to a mare with a lack of Milage, all of the spectators were able to witness how each horse chose to express itself and how often, even if e think w aren’t asking much, we are screaming at them with no give.
I am looking to potentially run another clinic of this style in February after the holiday break! If you’d be interested please let me know below or via a message!

17/12/2022

Thanks to everyone who attended the clinic today! It was lovely to work with a few different horses and share my knowledge and approach with others 💗 how stunning is Harry! A massive thank you to the ladies who let me demo with their horses!
My new Rhythm Equestrian short sleeve base layer was a godsend in that heat today, worth checking them out heading into Summer ☀️

15/12/2022

☀️☀️☀️
It looks like the big yellow is going to be out in full force for us tomorrow at the clinic/demonstration! So, just a friendly reminder to bring yourself sunscreen and a hat ( and some sunglasses and somethign to sit on, the sand can be glarey in the morning light)! See you all there :D

11/12/2022

Really looking forward to the Learning to read the body language groundwork clinic/demonstration this Saturday! 🙌
If you are keen to attend please message through your interest as an email with further details (such as parking etc) will be going out later today!
It is $20 to attend, spectators only. A great clinic to attend right before the Christmas break where you can put the knowledge to work! Hope to see you all there! 😎

04/12/2022

LESSONS - AVAILABLE

I have a few afternoon spaces available this Wednesday (7th December) in the Selwyn area. Please message to book 👍🏻 Can be ridden, groundwork etc

27/11/2022

Little miss Neah headed home this week after being with me for starting the past 6 weeks!
It was such a pleasure to be starting another wee pony, and I’ll admit I had a few moments throughout her education I considered opening up my books again 😆 alas I’m no longer in the position to take horses on continuously!
I can’t wait to see Neah and Nele continue on their new journey together!

17/11/2022

Isn't it crazy that there's just 6 weeks left to this year?

Which has me thinking a lot about the horses and humans I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with over the year. As many of you know I will be holding one final clinic for the year in a few weeks time - 'Learning how to read and understand the horses cues and body language in the groundwork'. This post is going to be a little (sorry its a lot ha!) insight into just that ...

Everyone will have a different view on a horses body language, and what I mean by that isn't necessarily a 'different' view, but more some will see certain cues and movements others will miss. A lot of reading the body language starts with making sure you are asking the right questions, knowing the right amount of pressure to use and knowing when to release or back off that pressure. I have been asked on a few occasions now why I have progressively moved into groundwork only clinics, compared to my inclusion of ridden clinics in previous years. The simple answer? Everything starts on the ground with a horse. Prepping them to start under saddle, prepping them to load into a transporter of some sort, moving them from paddock to paddock, feeding them, prepping them for shows... The list goes on and on, and the consistent in that is being on the ground with your horse.
If you are a student of mine you will have already heard this over and over, but everything we do on the ground translates to in the saddle. Much like the riding, if you cut corners and skip steps, you'll have problems later on. Take for example, a horse that is heavy and sluggish on the lead, leans into you when they back up.... more often than not that same horse will be 'behind the leg' or 'heavy in the bridle' on its back. Somewhere along the way when pressure has been put on, its not been taken away as it should have and the horse has become 'heavy' in the aids. Why shouldn't he be heavy? Where is the reward? Where was the moment he knew his handler/rider understood when they had asked enough and he gave the answer, albeit being smaller than the handler would have hoped for initially?

Learning the body language and the cues from the horse isn't JUST seeing a physical step in the direction you've asked, its seeing the changes in energy, the ear position, the eyes, the feet and tail moving, muscles flickering, and though processing.

At my clinic on Saturday 17th December, I will have a display of horses to show the different cues that they may give. To show the horses that are highly reactive, and the horses that may shut down. We will look at ways certain horses shut down, or guard themselves. I hope you can come along for a morning of education and thought provoking demonstrations. Please message me to let me know you are coming (the full event details is on the event on this page) so we have an idea of numbers on the day!

I look forward to meeting new faces all around.

-Jess