Kyra’s Livery Services

31/12/2024

Did you know?

In a natural environment, horses will typically eat about 16-18 hours per day.

While “meal feeding” is the common practice among horse owners, it’s important to take into consideration the amount of time between meals when there is no access to food.

It’s been suggested that at 6 hours without food passing through the stomach, reddening of the stomach lining can begin, and at 18 hours, full blown bleeding lesions can be found (ulcers).

No one (hopefully) is letting their horse go 18 hours without something to eat.

However, let’s say hay is given at 7pm and it’s finished by 10pm, then it’s given again at 7am. That’s 9 hours per night, every night, of an empty stomach. Reddening can occur at 6 hours. Imagine applying an abrasive/irritating lotion to the same spot on your arm, every night, for a year, rubbing it in for good measure. Over time that spot would worsen from a minor surface burn to a painful open wound.

It’s recommended that horses not go more than 4 hours without long stem forage passing through the gut. In the situation where free choice access isn’t a viable option (management issues, obese horse, etc), consider utilizing slow feeders to help slow down consumption and drag out the time between feedings. For older horses with bad teeth, offering more frequent meals or finely chopped forage can help reduce time between meals.

31/12/2024

31/12/2024

31/12/2024

❄️🐴 How Do Horses Stay Warm in Winter? 🌨️

Horses are naturally equipped to handle cold weather with unique adaptations that help them conserve heat and stay cozy. From their hair coat to their digestive system, they’ve got tools to help them thrive in winter conditions.🐎❄️

While they’re built for the cold, extra care—like proper forage, shelter, and monitoring—can help support them all winter long.✨

Want to learn more about how horses stay warm and how to support them during the colder months? Visit our article:

🇺🇸 https://madbarn.com/feed-horse-in-winter/
🇨🇦 https://madbarn.ca/feed-horse-in-winter/

31/12/2024

The horse loving child doesn’t want to hurt horses.

They want to love and befriend them.

They’d be just as happy brushing the horse and snuggling them as they would be riding.

They love the horse first, with riding just being a fun bonus.

But, through conditioning by role models where riding is prioritized, they learn otherwise.

They’re told that they need to be the “boss.”

They’re told that if they let the horse get away with “naughty behaviour” that the horse could hurt someone and that they would in some way be responsible for that.

They’re told that horses have thick skin and can’t feel as much, that those kicks, whips and yanks are nothing to the horse.

And while, initially, they’re uncomfortable with this and may resist, they almost always give in.

After all, adults are always right, aren’t they?

They know best, they surely wouldn’t lead a child astray…

Then years later, long into the future, the now adult horse lover is defensive and adversarial when approached with information that calls to question the ethics of the roughness with which they were taught to handle horses…

The pain of acknowledging that they harmed the animals they love so much is all consuming.

So, they choose denial. A self protective mechanism.

But, the horse still feels the brunt of the rough handling, should it continue.

No amount of denial changes the horse’s experience.

It is a tragedy, for both horse and human.

The horse loving child, led astray so early.

The horse, whose voice was readily heard by the child and approached with empathy, only to be extinguished by the perspectives of the adult role models..

The role models, who are generally well intentioned but were once that child led astray, now teaching others as they were taught.

And, the cycle continues.

Until it reaches someone strong enough to sit through the discomfort of realization, to push through that denial and come to acceptance and change.

29/12/2024

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗼𝗼𝗽 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽

Horsemanship isn’t confined to riding, training sessions, or the moments when we’re tacked up and ready to work. It permeates every interaction we have with our horses—even down to how we pick up their p**p. For me, there’s no separation between husbandry and partnership; it’s all horsemanship.

We are always teaching our horses something, whether we realize it or not. Every time we step into their space—be it a stall, paddock, or field—we are communicating. The question is: are we aware of what we’re saying?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗪𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀

Horsemanship starts with how we enter their world. Do we pause to observe the pressures our presence creates, or do we charge in, oblivious? Are we attuned to their body language and the signals they offer the moment we cross that invisible threshold?

Take catching your horse as an example. Do you approach with intention, or do you march up, toss the rope over their neck, and snap on the halter? What if you waited and watched? What if you let the horse meet you halfway? Would that shift the dynamic?

For some horses, even walking toward them can feel like pressure—depending on their emotional, mental, or physical state. Do we recognize this? Or do we overlook the subtle flinch, the pinned ears, or the sidestep that reveals discomfort?

𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀

Have you ever noticed a horse licking and chewing, blinking more frequently, or looking away? These are calming signals—ways horses diffuse tension. Do you know how to spot them? And when they make a countermove, do you pause to reflect on what caused it? Or do you simply push past the moment?

There are a million micro-conversations that occur before we even put a halter on. Each one is an opportunity to listen and respond rather than dictate and demand.

𝗠𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀: 𝗔𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀

Even the most mundane tasks—like picking manure—are moments of connection. Imagine this: you’re cleaning a stall, and your horse is standing nearby, quietly observing. As you step closer, they shift slightly. What do you do?

Do you pause, acknowledge their movement, and adjust? Or do you press forward, asking them to yield without consideration? Horsemanship means noticing—are they yielding calmly or reacting defensively? Are their ears pinned? Is their head tossed? Or do they quietly step aside? Each response tells a story, and your reaction to it teaches them whether or not they are heard.

These tiny interactions build trust—or erode it. It’s in these moments of stillness and observation that the foundation of partnership is laid.

𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗮: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀

Many people only think about horsemanship in the arena—during structured training sessions or while practicing specific skills. But what about the million small steps it takes to get there? Catching, grooming, picking feet, tacking up, and leading to the mounting block—all of it matters.

Why do so many people separate these daily tasks from horsemanship? The truth is, the quality of the relationship we build isn’t shaped by the big, showy moments; it’s forged in the quiet, overlooked ones.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗗𝗼 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗗𝗼 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴

A wise friend often reminds me, "How you do one thing is how you do everything." And it’s true. Every interaction is an opportunity to communicate, connect, and build trust—or to miss the mark entirely.

So ask yourself—what kind of relationship do you want to cultivate? One rooted in mutual respect and understanding? Or one built on compliance and control?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

When we approach our horses with curiosity instead of assumption, attentiveness instead of agenda, and humility instead of dominance, we create the space for a deeper connection. It’s not about perfection but about presence.

The next time you step into your horse’s world, take a breath. Pay attention. Notice what they are saying, and respond with care. 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙞𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤—𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚.

29/12/2024

28/12/2024

28/12/2024

Me when people act like the statement “horses need freedom” equates to setting all domesticated horses free instead of providing them with a life where they have enough space to autonomously engage in species appropriate behaviour.

The mental gymnastics people will do to try to justify their desire to refute tangibly proven information is impressive.

For clarification:

When referencing Friends, Freedom and Forage in terms of crucial needs of the horse, freedom refers to:

- space to move around

- space to engage in natural behaviours

- opportunity to make autonomous decisions and engage in autonomous movement (riding cannot provide this as this is not autonomous choice)

It does not refer to setting all domesticated horses free and hoping for the best.

25/12/2024

We need to stop ignoring our horses 🐴

We are constantly looking for fixes for our horse’s behaviour. And there are plenty of people happy to sell it to you.

How do I get my horse to stand at the mounting block?
How do I get my horse to stop biting when I groom her?
How do I get my horse to stop sn**ching the reins when I’m riding?

Often the advice given is to make it horrible for the horse to continue this behaviour, although it is usually wrapped up in a nice-sounding narrative about connection and trust or something or other. When we really break it down the training is actually just “hassle the horse until he does what you want, repeat until he stops trying to protest”.

I meet people who are so confused, because they’re trying their best to listen to their horse, but they’re being given conflicting information. They tell me their horse bites when they’re grooming them, but they don’t stop immediately because someone told them they’d be teaching the horse that biting gets them to stop. Biting should get you to stop, that’s a really big communication that the horse is unhappy with what you’re doing.

Every behaviour has an underlying cause, and ignoring that communication is not going to build a trusting relationship. It can build a compliant one where the horse behaves as you desire sure, but the horse is going to view you as someone who doesn’t listen and someone they cannot feel safe around.

If we take our earlier examples, mounting issues are almost always pain/discomfort or anxiety issues, adding pressure until they stand is not going to address any of this. We need to look way deeper.

Horses who bite when you groom them again usually have pain/discomfort issues or really negative associations with being groomed. Punishing that communication by continuing to groom until they quit protesting is not going to address any of that.

Horses who sn**ch the reins are trying to relieve discomfort. You can imagine how it would feel to sn**ch on something with metal in your mouth, if your horse is doing this he is not doing it for fun. He is uncomfortable whether that be from fatigue, discomfort or just inappropriate riding and training. If we fight with the horse until he stops resisting, we are again shutting down his communication and teaching him we do not listen. That horse is not going to have positive associations with being ridden.

We need to start looking at things differently if we genuinely want a good relationship with our horses, not just one that we feel good about while our horse just puts up with it.

I’m going to write some more in depth posts on specific issues otherwise this one will get way too long.

Instead of asking “how?” we need to start asking “why?”🐴

www.lshorsemanship.co.uk

www.patreon.com/lshorsemanship

25/12/2024

Padded whips may only be allowed to back up leg aids – and not to punish the horse – in British Showjumping (BS) from 1 January, in part of rule changes with a “strong focus on equine welfare”. BS revisions to come into force in 2025 include changes to use of the padded batons, which …

21/12/2024

BE CAREFUL NOT TO CONFUSE A 'HAY BELLY' WITH FAT!

I regularly see horses with quite large bellies, but who are not particularly fat. I also sometimes see horses with 'streamlined' bellies, who carry a moderate or high level of body fat.

In fact, out of two horses I saw on a yard whilst out doing Consultation visits a wee while back, the one with the larger (relative) belly had the lower external body fat level.

A 'hay belly' - a distended abdomen - tends to occur in horses who are not worked in such a way to tone their abdominal muscles, and who have a large intake of fibrous forage. Forage holds water in the horses' gut and the higher in fibre it is, the more it holds. The horse's hindgut has a volume of around 150 litres (half a large bathful).

Fat does not get laid down in significant amounts on the horse's belly, until they are extremely obese.

That said, overweight horses often have a 'hay belly' as well as excess fat, because many are out of work, in light work and/or are fed unrestricted forage.

There are exceptions to the above, but the key is to feel for fat (or condition score), and not just look at the horse's belly. Feel for fat in the neck crest, behind the shoulders and over the ribs, over the pelvis and at the top of the tail.

Feel free to share!

Also feel free to share your 'hay bellies' below!
🐴🍏