Animal Behaviour and Trauma Recovery Service UK

21/06/2025

Some Amazing Vets to Learn From and Do CPD With this is not an exhaustive list :

Understand Animals (Dr Amber Batson) for horses and dogs
The Equine Behaviour Vet (Dr Roxane Kirton)
Nurturing Nature Equine - Dr Lily Wilson MRCVS
Dr Gemma Pearson (Equine)
Canine Arthritis Management (Dr Hannah Capon)
Donovan Veterinary Behaviour Practice (Dr Hannah Donovan dogs and horses)
Barking Brains (Dr Kathy Conor)
Dr Sarah Heath

Apologies if I missed someone.

Enjoy exploring these incredible people and their work

21/06/2025

This looks fabulous

Meet Frankie.
He’s a truly gorgeous soul—and a client of mine who’s gone through an incredible transformation.
But here’s the best part: so has his owner!!

When I first met Frankie, he was completely shut down—stuck in freeze mode, which later shifted into flight mode.
He was scared of his own shadow.
His body was rigid, tight—like a rock.
And he couldn’t canter without bolting.

Through restoring function and creating awareness in his body—while supporting both him and his owner to develop new postural and movement patterns (with a bit of herbal support too)—Frankie began to feel safe again.
Safe in his body.
And safe in his environment.

At their most recent clinic, they had the best canter they’ve ever had. It was powerful, balanced, and free.
The kind of moment we all dream of.

Because awareness changes everything.

I often ask my clients simple questions like:
👉 “Why do you use that piece of tack?”
👉 “Why do you do it that way?”

And the answers I hear are often:

“It’s the only way I know.”
“That’s how my trainer told me to do it.”
“It’s the only way my horse will stay in balance.”
“It’s the only way I can stop my horse from losing his sh*t!”

But here’s the thing—
When we know better, we do better.
And there’s always an opportunity to grow, no matter your experience, skill level, or background.

Since opening registrations for the Masterclass, I’ve received so many heartfelt messages from horse owners looking for answers:

“Why does my horse suddenly stop?”
“Why might my horse scramble on the float?”
“My horse’s anxiety seems to be getting worse.”
“He struggles to stand for the trimmer.”
“She resists specific movements.”
“He rests one hind leg more than the other.”
“He starts pawing as soon as we load him on the float.”
"My horse opens his mouths with the bit"
"He is grumpy when eating from his food bowl"

These are real, important concerns—and they often have physical foundations.

If you’re asking these kinds of questions too, you’re not alone.
And you're exactly who I created the Posture & Behaviour Masterclass for.

Let’s expand your awareness—and give your horse the understanding they truly deserve.

Register NOW!!

The Masterclass is coming up soon - Tuesday 7pm AEST and if you attend LIVE and stay till the end you will receive a very SPECIAL Bonus!!

www.integratedvettherapeutics.com/pbmc

21/06/2025

𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁

It is such a privilege to get to do this . It isn’t a job it’s a passion. I talk a lot about emotional support and safety for animals but honestly the emotional support the people I get to work with receive matters every bit as much to me . Nobody should feel

🔴Alone
🔴 Scared
🔴 Frustrated
🔴 Helpless
🔴 Unheard

Or any other spectrum of emotions caring for an animal who struggles can bring up. As a caregiver YOU matter and YOUR needs matter. So if you work with me and you are having a hard time tell me there is so much we can do to make things easier that support not just your animal but you as well . 🐴🐶Provisional Clinical Animal Behaviourist and Family Dog Mediator supporting horses and dogs who are fearful, traumatised or who have complex needs
📍South East
WhatsApp 0776 331 7464

21/06/2025

𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁

It is such a privilege to get to do this . It isn’t a job it’s a passion. I talk a lot about emotional support and safety for animals but honestly the emotional support the people I get to work with receive matters every bit as much to me . Nobody should feel

🔴Alone
🔴 Scared
🔴 Frustrated
🔴 Helpless
🔴 Unheard

Or any other spectrum of emotions caring for an animal who struggles can bring up. As a caregiver YOU matter and YOUR needs matter. So if you work with me and you are having a hard time tell me there is so much we can do to make things easier that support not just your animal but you as well .

🐴🐶Provisional Clinical Animal Behaviourist and Family Dog Mediator supporting horses and dogs who are fearful, traumatised or who have complex needs
📍South East
WhatsApp 0776 331 7464

21/06/2025

Musings on Socialisation and Individualised Responses to Chronic Stress or Trauma

Young beings whether they are children or other animals need safety and to have their emotional and physical needs met. They need opportunities for developmentally appropriate socialisation that allows for individual variation. I struggle with the idea that inappropriate socialisation not having the potential to traumatise some individuals ( species aside) to not have the exposure to stimuli that you require in the right time frame leaves them unprepared and at the very least puts them at risk of experiencing unnecessary extra stress due to being unprepared and lacking the necessary skills they need to attempt to navigate their social and physical environment (Palestrini,2009). I also wonder how overall there has been an enormous shift in the socialisation of puppies to tailoring to the individual that just isn’t reflected in the horse world. Overall it seems patience runs out by the time they are around two years old and they are expected to navigate the world as an adult horse would. When in fact they need just as much empathy and attuned handling and care as we can give in our human way which of course may not be perfect. It is important to also acknowledge differences in social support and the quality of the environment the individual lives in and how this might influence how they cope. Indeed, coping is not static it can be impacted by numerous factors.

It is important to recognise that responses to psychological trauma will differ markedly between individuals. Some individuals who experience some or all of these risk factors age at the time, frequency and duration of the abuse or other traumatic event or events, stimulus deprivation or lack of socialisation and attachment rupture may demonstrate little or no symptoms of severe stress or poor coping (Bonano and Mancini,2010, Bonnanno,2012) whereas others may have only one risk factor but be extremely debilitated and struggle to function. (Cantor, 2009).

The reasons for these vulnerabilities are not yet fully understood in humans or other animals, but they are multifactorial and include genetics, early development, rearing environment and current environments among others. In those individuals who experienced, perhaps, just a single event but did not cope well, it may be that their current environment is sub-optimal or social support is lacking thereby interfering with recovery. The majority of traumatized animals, likely experienced multiple periods of traumatic events or chronic stressors over time as opposed to one single traumatic event. (Kessler,2000, McMilan,2017, Dietz et al,2018, Overall,2013).

It is important to remember, though, that different individuals who were subjected to identical conditions will NOT necessarily respond in the same way. For example, in two dogs or horses rescued from an identical situation, one may find trusting humans incredibly challenging and be incredibly impaired taking many months to feel relaxed receiving the most basic handling, human interactions and care. In contrast, another horse or dog may function far better living a near-normal life perhaps even being ridden or as a well-adapted family pet. Both animals lived in the same appalling conditions but recovery took a different trajectory and time frame.
Just as we humans, they are all unique with their perceptions and responses to their experiences (Yehuda and LeDoux,2007).

References

Bonanno GA, Mancini AD. 2010. Beyond resilience and PTSD: mapping the heterogeneity of responses to potential trauma. Psychol. Trauma. In press

Bonanno, G. A. Uses and abuses of the resilience construct: Loss, trauma, and health-related adversities, Social Science and Medicine. 2012; 74: 753-756. (PubMed Abstract).

Burattini, B., Fenner, K., Anzulewicz, A., Romness, N., McKenzie, J., Wilson, B., & McGreevy, P. (2020). Age-related changes in the behaviour of domestic horses as reported by owners. Animals, 10(12), 2321.

Cantor, C. (2009). Post-traumatic stress disorder: evolutionary perspectives. Aust. N. Z. J. Psychiatry 43, 1038–1048.
Dietz, L., Arnold, A.M.K., Goerliech-Jansson and Vinke,C.M. (2018), The importance of early life experiences for the development of behavioural disorders in domestic dogs. Behaviour Vol.155, 83-144.

Kessler, R. (2000). Posttraumatic stress disorder: The burden to the individual and society. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 61, 4–14.

McMillan, F. D. 2017. Behavioural and psychological outcomes for dogs sold as puppies through pet stores and/or born in commercial breeding establishments: current knowledge and putative causes. Journal of Veterinary Behaviour. 19: 14-26, accessed April 11, 2017, DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2017.01.001.

Overall, K. L (2013). Manual of Clinical Behavioural Medicine for Dogs and Cats. Elsevier Mosby, St. Louis, Missouri.

Palestrini, C. (2009). Situational sensitivities. In BSAVA manual of canine and feline behavioural medicine (pp. 169-181). BSAVA Library.

Yehuda, R. & LeDoux, J. Response variation following trauma: a translational neuroscience approach to understanding PTSD. Neuron 56, 19–32 (2007).

🐴🐶Provisional Clinical Animal Behaviourist and Family Dog Mediator supporting horses and dogs who are fearful, traumatised or who have complex needs
📍South East
WhatsApp 0776 331 7464

©️Jessie Sams Animal Behaviour and Trauma Recovery Service

20/06/2025

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

This is the face of someone who just did a HARD thing and I have to do another one next week and one more the week after that.

I have taken most of today to decompress and only done light admin then I have a weekend of wonderful horses and people.

We and our animals all decompress in different ways and what we or they need might change depending on the stressor and how long it takes for them and us to return to baseline and decompress depends on the individual.

Animals and people who have experienced trauma typically take longer to decompress and recover.

Sorry no references I have no bandwidth for those yet

🐴🐶Provisional Clinical Animal Behaviourist and Family Dog Mediator supporting horses and dogs who are fearful, traumatised or who have complex needs
📍South East
WhatsApp 0776 331 7464

20/06/2025

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁?

Apart from the fact that it simply makes no sense to cause fear, pain, anxiety and distress to someone we love whether they are a horse, dog, other animal or person we love? I completely understand that sometimes we all lose our temper and act in ways we later regret but punishment will never be the answer to anything. Decades of research exists explaining why punishment is both damaging and the most ineffective way to teach anyone anything (Gershoff,2010, McGreevy & McLean,2009, Daniels et al,2022,Henshall et al,2022). In learning theory terms a “punisher” decreases a behaviour response and makes it less likely to be repeated in future in those circumstances and a “reinforcer” increases the likelihood of a behaviour being repeated in those circumstances in the future (McGreevy & McLean,2009).

Positive punishment is the addition of an aversive stimulus such as hitting, smacking, shouting at your horse or dog and negative punishment is the removal of something the horse or dog likes or enjoys like food or a toy. We absolutely should never be utilising physical affection such as touch or a scratch ONLY in a training context, provided the animal,enjoys these they should be available as part of our relationships and every day affiliative interactions with our animals not something they have to earn. Examples of withdrawals of affection might include pushing or smacking your horse for requesting a scratch or turning your back on your dog when they jump up.

Punishment is problematic because:

🐴🐶 It doesn't teach the individual what they should do instead.

🐴🐶It fails to address why the issue is occurring. Behaviour is multifaceted and we need to be addressing root cause including ensuring the animal is healthy and not in pain with all of their individual and species specific needs being met.

🐴🐶It suppresses the behaviour only for it to return with more vigour later. This is known as behaviour suppression and spontaneous recovery.

🐴🐶Fear (avoidance) increases or worsens

🐴🐶Aggression may increase or worsen.

🐴🐶It can create fear and aggression.

🐴🐶It can be traumatising for the individual who is being punished.

🐴🐶It requires a great deal of accuracy to apply without causing fall out, literally within seconds of the unwanted behaviour occurring for the horse or dog to make the connection between the behaviour and the punishment delivered. It also needs to be aversive enough and applied at the correct intensity. That said why would we want to punish those we love when kinder better ways exist?

🐴🐶The horse or dog can learn to suppress their behaviour in your presence but still display it if you are not there.

🐴🐶It can interfere with your horse or dogs’ ability to concentrate and learn due to them being fearful and stressed.

🐴🐶It is hugely damaging to the relationship you share with your horse or dog.

🐴🐶It can create negative and traumatic associations with people (including you), the environment, equipment and even the task itself.

Ultimately, why would we not want to have the best relationship possible and not frighten or harm our animals. There are other better and more humane ways to manage behaviours that we dislike or are undesirable.These include once their needs have been met, managing the environment so your horse or dog can not perform the behaviour such as using protected contact or the use of window film to reduce barking , ensuring all of their physical and emotional needs are being met including opportunities to meet their own needs such as for horses opportunities to scratch any itches by providing appropriate surfaces such as brush heads, door mat fixed to the wall or trees. In addition providing appropriate outlets for their natural behaviours such as a digging area to prevent digging in the garden.

Finally, it is far easier to prevent a problem from developing than it is to manage or prevent it once it has developed so please think twice before resorting to punishing your animals. As a Provisional Clinical Animal Behaviourist part of my role is to support people to stop any aversive equipment including rope, be kind, dually halters, chiffneys, slip leads prong and shock collars and improve their relationship with their horses and dogs. I recognise that often people resort to the use of punishment or aversive equipment from a place of fear, frustration and desperation as to what will help (Condon et al, 2022,Daniels et al,2022,Ijicni et al,2018).

At the end of the day even if positive reinforcement was less effective and it is in fact more effective, surely we would want to take a humane approach because we love our animals and don't wish to hurt them?

References

Condon, V. M., McGreevy, P. D., McLean, A. N., Williams, J. M., & Randle, H. (2022). Associations between commonly used apparatus and conflict behaviors reported in the ridden horse in Australia. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 49, 1-14.

Daniels, J. T., Busby, D., Chase-Topping, M., & Brown, S. M. (2023). A survey of dog behavior modification practice in the UK: Who is offering it, what methods are they using and how effective do their clients perceive practitioners to be?. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 59, 1-7.

Gershoff, E. T. (2010). More harm than good: A summary of scientific research on the intended and unintended effects of corporal punishment on children. Law and Contemporary Problems, 73(2), 31.

Henshall, C., Randle, H., Francis, N., & Freire, R. (2022). Habit Formation and the Effect of Repeated Stress Exposures on Cognitive Flexibility Learning in Horses. Animals, 12(20)

Ijichi, C., Wild, H., Dai, F., Bordin, A., Cameron-Whytock, H., White, S. J., ... & Dalla Costa, E. (2020). Dually investigated: The effect of a pressure headcollar on the behaviour, discomfort and stress of trained horses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 232, 105101.

McGreevy, P. D., & McLean, A. N. (2009). Punishment in horse-training and the concept of ethical equitation. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 4(5), 193-197.

🐴🐶Provisional Clinical Animal Behaviourist and Family Dog Mediator supporting horses and dogs who are fearful, traumatised or who have complex needs
📍South East
WhatsApp 0776 331 7464

©️Jessie Sams Animal Behaviour and Trauma Recovery Service

19/06/2025

𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗲𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴

Behaviour that may appear as “attention seeking “ from our horses or dogs are often just attempts for our animals to meet a need be that a sense of security or some other need. For the second phrase referring to behaviours as “problem” or bad behaviours can predispose us to punish an animal which can lead to fear and difficulties in the relationship. Viewing a behaviour as a result of distress can help people to view their animals behaviour with empathy and compassion . #𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲
#𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗼𝗴𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲

🐴🐶Provisional Clinical Animal Behaviourist and Family Dog Mediator supporting horses and dogs who are fearful, traumatised or who have complex needs
📍South East
WhatsApp 0776 331 7464