Lewis and Harris Equine Care

13/10/2024

Bean and Tim had a visit from the dental tech this week along with lots of others on the island. Thanks to for organising.

15/09/2024

Last week I spent some time with some of my regular clients and met some lovely new ones. All doing the best for their horses and just great to be around. Horses starting to really trust because of owners who are really invested in their relationships with them. Also a difficult wound that has been a long time healing due to the severity of it but the patience and time is paying off and we are nearly there!

22/07/2024

I am away from today until Aug 8th so not available for bookings. I will at times still be able to pick up what's app messages or messenger though so please get in touch if you need to. Thank you 😊

14/07/2024

I've had a busy week last week working with lots of lovely horses and their owners, Jelly Bean is also tired! 🤣🤣🤣

21/06/2024

Standing at the block like a pro.

10/06/2024

What horrible weather, horses tucked up in their stables as Jelly Bean not a happy girl despite wearing a rug in June! Visits today postponed, am very lucky to have clients who really care about their horses and understand that the horses hate working in this weather and it's not conducive to positive learning. Also not conducive to clipping. Probably only conducive to hiding in the warm which as horse owners we can't do anyway! 😁

30/05/2024

Diesel, such an adorable pony and a quick learner. Gold star ⭐ for him today 😄

09/05/2024

THEY DON’T KNOW THAT IT IS NOT FOREVER.

Horses are not futurists. They can’t see into the future or read our minds and intentions. So when we ask a horse for something the very first time, they don’t know if or even when it will ever stop.

THEY DON’T KNOW THAT IT IS NOT FOREVER.

Let me give you a few examples.

When we first fit a saddle or get on a horse’s back, it does not know whether the saddle will ever come off or whether we will ever dismount.

When we pick up a horse’s foot for the first time or put a bit or a dentist's gag in its mouth how does it know life will ever return to normal?

The first time we load a horse into a trailer or tie a horse to a post or put it into a yard can it ever know it will be given its freedom ever again?

The first time a horse has any of these experiences a large part of the panic they can cause comes from a horse’s lack of understanding that the experience is temporary. It’s not forever.

It takes time and repetition for a horse to figure out that being taken away from its buddies is temporary and it will be with them again soon. Or that if they pick up their foot for us, it will get to stand on 4 legs again very soon and there is no need to panic. Or the discomfort of the saddle or hobbles is not permanent and there is no danger.

These are things we all know. But these are also things we sometimes forget to deal with compassionately. These are things we forget the horse doesn’t know.

For example, some people throw a saddle on a horse for the first time and let the horse buck until it gives up in futility. The horse gives up because it works out nothing is going to get this hunk of leather off my back and now I’m stuck with it forever. That’s a terrible mindset to leave a horse with – helplessness and futility.

To avoid this we must break lessons down into tiny incremental steps. Introduce new things in layers and for short periods of time, gradually building on each layer as the horse grows in confidence, trust, and understanding.

Let’s think about trailer loading as an example.

Loading a horse into a trailer for the first time comes from teaching a horse to lead brilliantly.

Confidence in trailer loading is the result of dozens of in and out exercises, asking the horse to stay in the trailer for longer periods as it feels more comfortable for the horse.

Teaching a horse that standing on a moving platform in a tin box is an okay experience starts with loading a horse in a trailer and driving for 20m, then letting it out. Repeating that enough times to take the worry out of it before driving for 100m and then 1km and then 20km.

The same principle can be applied to the early saddling, the first rides, the first tying-up sessions, the first time a foal is removed from its mother – or whatever lesson you can think of.

Ease a horse’s worry about a new experience by making it very brief. So brief that the horse doesn’t have time to figure out he should panic. Life is not coming to an end and things will return to normal very shortly. This is how you can give a horse confidence and avoid extreme responses and feelings of helpless futility.

I know we all know this principle. But I also know we don’t all practice it.

Photo: This is the horse's first ever ride and is from a c**t starting competition in Australia a few years ago. I'm pretty sure in the 4 or 5 hours preparation the horse had had before this moment, nobody had explained to the horse that the rider was not going to stay on his back forever.

15/04/2024

06/04/2024

It was great to meet and see so many people over the last few days and of course meet all their gorgeous horses 🐴

28/03/2024

We love Stornoway

25/03/2024

BHS Western Isles are running a veterinary outreach clinic on April 5th at Lochside. Three equine vets from Wipers equine hospital at Glasgow university are coming and bringing equipment such as X ray and endoscopes with them as well as their specialist knowledge. If you have a horse or pony that you think may benefit from seeing them please email [email protected] in the first instance. This is being run in collaboration with Old Mill vets in Stornoway but provides horse owners with an opportunity to speak to equine specialists without having to travel to the mainland.

20/03/2024

Time to shed some winter clothing!

18/03/2024

Baby Belle went out all on her own today and was brilliant!

04/03/2024

A lovely weekend and start to the week. Visit to clip the lovely Fred who is the perfect gentleman and today my third ride on Belle who is coming along beautifully and a credit to her owner.

25/02/2024

Two naked days in a row for Jelly Bean and Tim!

22/02/2024

Today I met a lovely young horse to start bringing back into work. She has been started too young but once her new owner realised that she was kindly and sensibly turned away until the right time for her. ( Not the horse on the picture, that is Jelly Bean who is not so young anymore! )

31/01/2024

Breakfast in bed and a duvet day for these two today. Luckily the wind is blowing the "right" way for me to leave the top doors open!

22/01/2024

Having a munch and some turnout while it's a bit calmer. I hope everyone was ok last night and all your horses and ponies too.

05/01/2024

The girls think mucking out is the best thing ever and hate being shut out of the stables, today I had 21 helpers!

21/12/2023

Happy Christmas to all my clients and thank you for your support this past year. I've been thoroughly welcomed to the islands and the equine community and not only gained some lovely clients but also some good friends. I hope you all have a healthy and happy 2024 and see you soon. Izzy.