Glenmore Farm Liveries

11/04/2023

Dear Friends and Animal Lovers, We are writing to you today with an urgent appeal to … Francesca Pike needs your support for Help Dotty the Donkey see again

22/03/2023

Why do we humanise horses?

I think it’s safe to say that at some point, we’ve all been guilty of humanising horses at least once or twice, normally because we want the very best for our horses and we automatically assume doing things that bring us a feeling of comfort and safety will also bring feelings of comfort and safety to our horses.

Sadly, it’s become a normal and almost expected practice in the equine world to keep our horses in a way that makes us FEEL like we’re doing what’s right, rather than paying attention to our horses as a species and looking at what their actual needs are.

So often we hear owners talk about their horse’s loving routine because it relaxes them and eases anxiety. Sometimes their horses will even wait at the gate for them, desperately wanting to come into their warm, comfortable stable. In actuality, we owners are guilty of applying our own routines to our horses that fit in around our own lives, work and families. Our horses grow increasingly dependent on us despite their needs often going unmet.

If we take the stable example, it’s very easy to twist a picture to fit our own feelings about something.

Some owners talk about bringing their horses into a stable like this:

🔸️ ‘My horse hates staying out, he starts charging around the field, pawing at the ground and neighing from the gate for me. He only relaxes when I bring him into his warm, dry stable with a big bed made up.’

After years of working with anxious horses with issues that stem from this type of environment, it’s now very easy to look at this picture differently.

🔸️ Your horse is used to the daily routine you have set for him, and associates coming in from the field with whatever bucket feed, hay or treats you give him when he’s bought into his stable. The stable may be warm and dry but said horse is now isolated away from any companionship and has had his ability to move freely taken away.

To us humans, somewhere cosy and peaceful to curl up out of the rain or wind sounds like pure bliss. No wet pants, no soggy coats, no cold fingers and somewhere comfortable to sit down whilst it’s dark outside. Our horse’s don’t think this way.

If we look at how wild horse’s behave and live, we know that they are herd animals that feel safety in numbers. We also know they constantly forage throughout the day and move upwards of 20 miles a day from resource to resource. Some owners disagree with looking to wild horses for indications of how our horses should live, simply because these horses are wild and the horses standing around in their field are domesticated. Regardless, there is no biological difference between the two. We look to the behaviours, diet and environment of the wild horse because there is little to no human interference; they are left to behave, live and forage however their species requires it.

We as owners have a tendency to heavily disrupt the 3 or 4 major aspects of how wild and free-roaming horses live which typically results in an array of issues that ‘pop up out of nowhere’. Next time you go to put your horse in a stable or over-rug them, ask yourself why. If your reasoning lies in human emotion, comfort or routine and doesn’t meet your horse’s most basic and natural needs, then it’s time to rethink your management.

🔹️Just because you’re cold, doesn’t mean your horse is.

🔹️Just because you’d rather be in somewhere warm at night, doesn’t mean your horse does too.

🔹️Just because routine helps you feel more in control and less stressed, doesn’t mean it’s good for your horse.

The sooner we stop humanising horses and start treating them like the entirely separate species that they are, the better.

-

As always, discussions and questions are always welcome. No hate or bullying directed towards ourselves or other commentors will be tolerated under any circumstances and will result in a ban from the page.

04/03/2023

🐴🙌🏼

🐴It's OK🐴

Lots of us worry that we’re not perfect. We believe that the horse world has certain standards and that if we don’t meet them, we’re failing. There seems to be an agreed standard for lots of things, and if you can’t do that, you are in some way lacking.

It’s not always clear how the standards arose, but it’s often the case that they don’t always take the horse’s nature and experiences into account. Standards are often part of tradition, and we continue to maintain them even when we’re not sure why they are considered so important. In recent years, social media has contributed another kind of pressure. Add to that the way some horse products are packaged and marketed, and owners can sometimes feel there’s only one way to do something and that if they can’t, they’re somehow failing.

Here at Positive Equine Training Scotland, we believe that the real standard is “are you making life as pleasant and easy for yourself and your horse as possible?”

Based on that, here’s a few messages for you from us at Positive Equine Training Scotland.

🏵It’s OK to sponge fly spray on to your horse if they are worried about sprays.

🏵It's OK to help a horse settle for a hoof trim or shoeing by providing a comfortable and pleasant environment including access to forage.

🏵It's OK to comfort and reassure your horse if they are worried or stressed and it’s OK to call a halt to a non emergency procedure that is causing your horse to be fearful.

🏵It's OK to dismount if your horse is finding coping with a worry more difficult because they have a rider.



🏵It's OK to take your horse for a walk in hand instead of riding if either of you is feeling overwhelmed by the idea of riding.



🏵It's OK to introduce scary things to your horse with you on the ground (and using food both to reinforce the behaviour you want and create a positive association). If it’s new and scary, make it easy, don’t battle through difficulties.



🏵It's OK to allow your stiff horse to rest a hind hoof on the toe for hoof cleaning, rather than lift their leg right up.



🏵It's OK to sponge your horse if they are worried about hoses.



🏵It's OK to put a head collar on in a different way to all your friends, because your horse has worries about things touching their ears or hands near their eyes.



🏵It's OK to give wormer in a tasty feed for horses who have had bad experiences having wormer administered orally. 



🏵It's OK to sedate a horse who’s worried to have essential treatment, there’s no need to try to prove you can cope with a stressed horse.

🏵It's OK to train using food, horses eat nearly 18 hours out of 24 so have evolved to learn this way.



🏵It's OK to not use positive reinforcement, and instead find another low stress way to handle a situation, when you haven’t had a chance to prepare.



🏵It's OK to have less than perfectly groomed horses, they actually coat themselves in mud because they enjoy it, so a little mud is not a sign of you failing.



There are things we need to do that are fundamental to the health and wellbeing of our horses, but do they have to be done the same way they’ve always been done?



Let’s start putting our horses’ and our own enjoyment ahead of “the gold standard”. If your horse finds something stressful, you can help change that response through training (and we at PETS would LOVE to help you do that), but in the meantime, if your horse is less stressed, you will enjoy the time you spend with them more.



What things do you do that are OK and you’d like the rest of the world to know?

18/02/2023

As per previous post please note the spaces available are best suited to poor doers, they are out on grass without needing limitations. Our second herd who are those who need help with weight management is full.

18/02/2023

Rare opportunity of livery available!
Due to one of our previous liveries deciding to sell we now have 2 spaces available. We have a list, however appreciate some may have found yards since contacting us. If you are still looking please send us a message.
Full/part only and horses to be suitable to live within our "thin herd" meaning those who do not have weight management concerns.

13/01/2023

We have had a huge amount of enquiries recently but we are full with the same set of liveries we have had for quite some time now. Should a place become available we will update the page and refer to our waiting list. 🐴

22/08/2022

Massive Well Done to The Knightmares for their Win 🙌🏼🥳🐴

Winners! 🏆

Epic weekend competing in the Novices at South West training centre.

Wins in all our heats and a PB time of 51 seconds 😱🔥

Huge congratulations to new board rider James for smashing his first competition after only one try behind the horse before 🙌

Thanks as always to the organisers for putting on a great weekend!

12/06/2022

Glenmore’s new residents have completed their months isolation…donkeys will have their own mini track system and lil miss mini will be joining the Big Track Herd…will be interesting…she’s a sassy lil thing! 🥰🐴

25/03/2022

🙌🏼

Let them be horses.

Turn them out, let them run.
Let them buck, let them leap, rather in the field than the arena, right?

Give them a herd, even a herd of two.
Let them be with other horses, what’s a life without friends?

Give them downtime, not just days off riding, but days to enjoy life.
Happy horses are trainable horses.

Take the rug off, let them feel the sun.
Let them roll in the mud, a little dirt never hurt anyone.

Escape the arena and explore, don’t stick to the well worn path.
The most beautiful places are usually found by accident.

Showing them how much you love them doesn’t have to come from buying expensive things.

You can buy every rug, all the boots, the best tack, wash them, groom them, feed them, put them in the best yard, with the best facilities and wrap them up in cotton wool, but one day you’ll realise the best thing you could possibly do...
.. is just let them be horses.

18/03/2022

I’m guilty of kissing their noses….all the time! 🤦‍♀️

1. Assume that he knows what to do. Even though your horse may have done something before, he may not understand it in a different context, situation or

14/03/2022

Squeaks started a trend….😍

14/03/2022

Never mind lazy Sunday….Squeaks all about lazy Monday 😴

07/03/2022

🆘 If we’re to safeguard our ability to keep horses on our grazing land into the future then we need your help. What will we do when the wormers stop working?

Westgate Labs Director, Claire spoke as part of the expert panel at the recent National Equine Forum alongside the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA). We talked about a targeted approach to parasite control and highlighted the steps that all horse owners need to take to help us address this issue. Find out more here 👉 https://bit.ly/3CtIqwb

😢 David Rendle (BEVA) presented statistics showing that only one diagnostic test is used for every 11 wormers given! This means that although habits are changing, many horses are still being treated for parasites without the knowledge from testing as to whether they need it or not.

🤗🐴 Using worm egg counts can reduce wormer use by about 80% so please help us in sharing key messages and encouraging others to make testing the centre of their horse's parasite control programme. We have no more equine wormers in development; if we end up with resistance to all our available wormers then we will be forced to give up keeping horses on that land which could be devastating.

21/02/2022

We’re exhausted and so are the hairies….last day of bad weather hopefully….hang in there 🙌🏼

Cut them all some slack.
Here in the UK it has been a tough weekend for horses, donkeys, mules and their humans. Storms will have caused changes in routines, lack of sleep, anxiety, hypervigilance, loss of companions, disruption to all they are familiar with. This will all affect their behaviour in the coming weeks.
Remember to cut them and yourself some slack and try not to do anything demanding this week. Let them rest and recover and don't ask anything of them. The same goes for you too.

31/01/2022

Isolation completed for one of our new liveries. We like to take our time to make sure we introduce new horses as safely as possible. But we can't wait for her to be out playing with the others. 🐴❤

24/12/2021

Christmas Eve with my boys 🎅🏼🐴🎄

21/12/2021

🙌🏼🙌🏼

20/12/2021

1 space remaining for full or assisted Livery, please see previous posts for details 🐴❤

16/12/2021

❤️

15/12/2021

Sounds about right 🤦‍♀️🤣

11/12/2021

When mother offers to help get the horses in 🤦‍♀️🤣🐴

30/11/2021

🐴 2 spaces available🐴
Glenmore Farm have space for 2 horses to join our yard with either an assisted or full livery package. Ideally these horses would be good doers and looking to be managed with similar horses such as those who need to keep moving and struggle with weight management.

Facilities include:
🐎 Outdoor school with solar powered flood lights
🐎lunge pen with solar powered flood lights
🐎Hot wash
🐎Solarium
🐎Large airy rubber matted stables in American style barns
🐎All year turnout
🐎Trailer storage available additionally.
🐎Tea room in feed room
🐎A friendly family feel yard with current liveries to match.
🐎Electronic gates with cctv including our "track cam"
🐎Isolation policy
🐎 different herds to match the needs of your horse
🐎 Weigh bridge
🐎Mile long track system
🐎Separate winter and summer grazing
🐎Heavy duty mud mats around gateways and shelters
🐎Owners and yard manager living on site.

We look forward to hearing from you 😀

25/11/2021

🐴❤️

🐴 2 spaces available🐴
Glenmore Farm have space for 2 horses to join our yard with either an assisted or full livery package. Ideally these horses would be good doers and looking to be managed with similar horses such as those who need to keep moving and struggle with weight management.

Facilities include:
🐎 Outdoor school with solar powered flood lights
🐎lunge pen with solar powered flood lights
🐎Hot wash
🐎Solarium
🐎Large airy rubber matted stables in American style barns
🐎All year turnout
🐎Trailer storage available additionally.
🐎Tea room in feed room
🐎A friendly family feel yard with current liveries to match.
🐎Electronic gates with cctv including our "track cam"
🐎Isolation policy
🐎 different herds to match the needs of your horse
🐎 Weigh bridge
🐎Mile long track system
🐎Separate winter and summer grazing
🐎Heavy duty mud mats around gateways and shelters
🐎Owners and yard manager living on site.

We look forward to hearing from you 😀

17/11/2021

🐴

🐴 2 spaces available🐴
Glenmore Farm have space for 2 horses to join our yard with either an assisted or full livery package. Ideally these horses would be good doers and looking to be managed with similar horses such as those who need to keep moving and struggle with weight management.

Facilities include:
🐎 Outdoor school with solar powered flood lights
🐎lunge pen with solar powered flood lights
🐎Hot wash
🐎Solarium
🐎Large airy rubber matted stables in American style barns
🐎All year turnout
🐎Trailer storage available additionally.
🐎Tea room in feed room
🐎A friendly family feel yard with current liveries to match.
🐎Electronic gates with cctv including our "track cam"
🐎Isolation policy
🐎 different herds to match the needs of your horse
🐎 Weigh bridge
🐎Mile long track system
🐎Separate winter and summer grazing
🐎Heavy duty mud mats around gateways and shelters
🐎Owners and yard manager living on site.

We look forward to hearing from you 😀

13/11/2021

They don’t warn you about this part of running a livery yard....Glenmore has been left with a huge hole in our hearts after our beloved Misty lost her battle with ongoing chronic laminitis and went peacefully to sleep yesterday afternoon. Misty you were an absolute joy to have on the farm, you so gently fulfilled a childhood dream in teaching me to ride and you put up with me hanging around your neck in the endless cuddles and kisses you received...just for being you! I generally feel like the luckiest girl alive to spend so much time with these beautiful animals and I’m so thankful to for allowing Misty to be part of my big Glenmore family. She brought joy to so many people (and other hairies), she really was a real life unicorn and she will be ever so greatly missed ❤️🦄❤️

05/11/2021

Sooo thankful for our Track Cam...allows me to keep an eye on all the horses at Glenmore on the dreaded firework night 🐴

31/10/2021

Halloween has come to Glenmore 👻🎃👹

29/10/2021

Friend (chicken) has a new bestie! 😍🐔 🐓 .hutton2010

21/10/2021

Hands up who has exhibited some of these behaviours....🙌🏼🤣