HM Equine Services

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HM Equine Services Covering Wales, Shropshire, Hereford offering an independent, non-biased mobile equine weighbridge
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If standing on a weighbridge was an Olympic sport.....You join us live in the equestrian village and we have an excited ...
07/08/2024

If standing on a weighbridge was an Olympic sport.....

You join us live in the equestrian village and we have an excited Max wanting to prove himself this year. If you remember last time Max entered this event, it took us 2 hours of patience to get him onto the weighbridge... Well he has been training hard and is wanting to prove himself this time and bring home a medal. Will all his hard work be worth it?
Here he goes...
He steps towards the weighbridge, looking much calmer this time, eyes on the Likit.
Completely focused...
A few circles with his team...
And he is on! Can you believe it? After just 10 minutes! This is a new PB for Max and everyone is thrilled. The crowd is cheering... what an achievement for this horse!

😂😜🤣

We have 4 from this yard who are on 'weight watchers' and they have benefitted from some more frequent weighings! It was...
06/08/2024

We have 4 from this yard who are on 'weight watchers' and they have benefitted from some more frequent weighings! It was a quick catch up and check in - all doing well and looking good, the scales didn't quite show the losses these guys have all been working for but visually you can see a huge change in them - this goes to show that having an accurate weight is vital in conjunction with body scoring and frequent photographs to give you a full picture. Keep up the fantastic work guys and I'll be back in a few weeks!

05/08/2024

Oh my goodness, it is August already! Where does the time go!
I have been really busy visiting lots of lovely yards and meeting some rather fabulous horses! Let's catch up!!!

Typically I try to hide behind the camera however one of my lovely clients snapped a few pictures with me in them so I t...
19/07/2024

Typically I try to hide behind the camera however one of my lovely clients snapped a few pictures with me in them so I thought this would be a great opportunity for you to learn a bit more about the services I offer.

Weighing - Ok this is the obvious one! I will weigh your horse on the weighbridge and record its weight. I keep this on a secure database so we can always track how your horse is doing. Getting your horse onto the weighbridge can sometimes require a lot of patience whilst others stroll on as if they do it every day! Ultimately, I don't mind how long it takes but we always want it to be a a positive experience.

Height checks - I carry 2 height sticks with me. One starts at about 12 inches and goes up to 10 hands and the other starts at 10 hands and goes up to 18 hands - this means I can accurately measure nearly everyone's horses! This is always a complimentary service so please just ask!

Body Condition Scoring - I use the 5 point Body Condition Scoring system designed by Carroll, C. L. and Huntington, P. J. 1988. Body condition scoring and weight estimation of horses. Equine Veterinary Journal, 20: 41-45. It is vital to feel the horse in order to determine if it carrying excess weight - this cannot and should not be done by purely visual assessments! This system looks how much fat has been deposited on the Hindquarters, back and withers, ribs, shoulder and neck. It is recommended to body condition score your horse every 2 weeks as changes can happen so quickly! This service is always available and is charged at £2 per horse :)

I had the pleasure of meeting and weighing the lovely Little Bluey and Camarona. Little Bluey or LB to his friends, has ...
17/07/2024

I had the pleasure of meeting and weighing the lovely Little Bluey and Camarona. Little Bluey or LB to his friends, has previously lost a lot of weight and condition, which was completely out of his owners control however she has managed to get weight back on him and he is now looking really well. A reminder that it isn't all about getting our horses to lose weight!
Camarona was absolutely stunning! She is a full PRE and just incredible! I can see why people fall in love with the breed. She was so intelligent, sensitive and elegant - an absolute pleasure to meet and weigh!

✨Vera✨I thought I would dedicate Vera her very own post! She is an incredibly impressive Belgium Draught. Standing at 17...
15/07/2024

✨Vera✨

I thought I would dedicate Vera her very own post! She is an incredibly impressive Belgium Draught. Standing at 17hh, she isn't the tallest horse I've had on the weighbridge, but she is the heaviest... so far!
Her head was the nearly as long as I am tall but oh my goodness she is beautiful! Her owner has worked incredibly hard to develop her condition and it is safe to say that she is thriving! One of the cuddliest horses I have met! The only problem was squeezing her onto the weighbridge but she did fit... just!

Anyone want to take a guess of her weight???

A huge thank you to Rhos Farm Livery for inviting me for a days weighing! It was a fantastic day with over 25 different ...
13/07/2024

A huge thank you to Rhos Farm Livery for inviting me for a days weighing! It was a fantastic day with over 25 different horses on the weighbridge we went from mounted games ponies, eventers and ROR all the way through to an incredible Belgium Draught and everything and everyone else in-between!
The atmosphere was fantastic with everyone guessing weights for a charity sweepstake and all the horses and ponies were impeccably behaved!
I can't wait for my next visit!

12/07/2024

Factual Friday!

🌱🌾🥕🌱

Horses can eat 24 hours worth of grass in just 4 hours!

What can we do to help our horses lose weight?

Grazing muzzles
Grazing muzzles can reduce grass intake by approximately 80%
Always monitor your horse’s weight, body condition and behaviour.
Horses and ponies should not wear a muzzle 24/7. If your horse is not wearing its muzzle, have them in a stable or have non-grass turnout to avoid them gorging
Always introduce a muzzle gradually, supervise them until you are confident they are happily eating and drinking.

Strip grazing
Gives you more control of the quantity of grass and allows you to rest areas

Track systems
They are ideal for restricting grazing without restricting movement.

Reduce Turnout
Decrease the amount of hours a horse can access grass however they should be supplemented with an alternative forage.

The award for the rainiest weighing session goes to Stoneyford Riding Centre and Livery! Safe to say we were all drenche...
10/07/2024

The award for the rainiest weighing session goes to Stoneyford Riding Centre and Livery! Safe to say we were all drenched by the end so apologies for slightly unenthusiastic pictures!

Another great group of horses on the weighbridge. I had my youngest horses so far on the weighbridge. The lovely Winny i...
08/07/2024

Another great group of horses on the weighbridge. I had my youngest horses so far on the weighbridge. The lovely Winny is only 12months! She was amazing though and loved going on the weighbridge! She was a star and even tried to play with it afterwards - great to give her such positive experience at such a young age.
It is so important to track weight changes with foals and unfortunately the weightage is completely useless in this area due to changes in proportions etc. The only way to accurately track young stock's weight change is with a weighbridge!

I was invited to weigh the wonderful Flint and George! Flint, in particular, can certainly be described as a growing boy...
06/07/2024

I was invited to weigh the wonderful Flint and George! Flint, in particular, can certainly be described as a growing boy! At only 4 he is already 17.2hh! With him being a younger horse, his owner wanted to keep an eye on his weight so that we can best protect his joints and ensure he will continue to mature into a rather fantastic boy! George was an absolute dream to weigh and is a true all rounder, his owner was interested in ensuring he was maintaining a good weight as we venture further into summer!

We also had a visit from the yard's pig!! She wasn't interested in knowing her weight but with her snoring, we certainly knew she was there! Maybe next time we will expand and weigh a wider range of livestock!

Factual Friday!Is my horse fat? This is a question that I am regularly asked! Understandable really as I am the weighbri...
05/07/2024

Factual Friday!

Is my horse fat?

This is a question that I am regularly asked! Understandable really as I am the weighbridge lady!

Have you ever looked at your gelding and thought it could be in foal?! Had your horse out on grass only to bring it in and it look like it has swallowed a small child.. whole?!

This isn't necessarily fat but can be caused by 'grass belly'. When a horse eats forage, it is digested and the voluminous hindgut of a horse holds millions of microbes that help them to break down and digest fibre.

This causes a fermentation process in the handout and water and fibre is retained here. If your horse is in light work, or no work, they tend to get this large belly but this doesn't necessarily indicate a high body/fat level.

Horses store their fat in the neck, shoulders, back, ribs and upper hindquarters - all the places that we check when Body Condition Scoring!

The pictures I've added are extreme cases, but hopefully they demonstrate the difference between an overweight horse and those with grass belly!

In short, don't be fooled by the big tummy, instead look at the fat deposits! If in doubt - drop me a message and I'll happily help out!

Credit: The British Horse Society; Rewilding Britain

Another wonderful day spent at & Wenlock District Riding Club Dressage show. We had a couple of repeat weighings from t...
04/07/2024

Another wonderful day spent at & Wenlock District Riding Club Dressage show. We had a couple of repeat weighings from the gorgeous Hopton and beautiful Audrey and a few new faces to the weighbridge too! Since I am there regularly, it is a great way to track your horses weight over summer at a bargain price! Unfortunately I didn't get pictures of everyone but they all looked fabulous and were turned out so well!

June has been full of meeting some fantastic horses and ponies (and their owners!) I started the month with a visit to m...
03/07/2024

June has been full of meeting some fantastic horses and ponies (and their owners!)

I started the month with a visit to meet Chevy and Memphis - both full Quarter Horses! Meeting different breeds and disciplines is one of the things I have most enjoyed about this venture! Both of these guys were just at the beginning of their summer fitness work. It was a great time to capture a weighing as their workload will be increasing!

⏰Time flies when you're having fun! ⏳Spaces are already limited for July so please drop me a message if you would like t...
02/07/2024

⏰Time flies when you're having fun! ⏳

Spaces are already limited for July so please drop me a message if you would like to book in! I will also be starting to look at bookings for August! ☀️

Get your entries in by tomorrow!!! Great show and you can have your horse weighed whilst you are there for a bargain pri...
25/06/2024

Get your entries in by tomorrow!!!
Great show and you can have your horse weighed whilst you are there for a bargain price!!

I had the pleasure of weighing Gypsy and Imogen. Gypsy had recently just completed the weaning process, so her owner wan...
14/06/2024

I had the pleasure of weighing Gypsy and Imogen. Gypsy had recently just completed the weaning process, so her owner wanted to check in with her weight now that she isn't feeding - we were very pleased with how she is getting on. I also weighed Imogen who also has EMS. Rucha has been doing an amazing job at managing her weight and has made use of track systems to increase Imogen's movement. This has worked perfectly and Imogen is at a wonderful weight going into summer.

I had a wonderful morning weighing for Zoe and some of her friends. Zoe actively and very successfully competes in Endur...
12/06/2024

I had a wonderful morning weighing for Zoe and some of her friends. Zoe actively and very successfully competes in Endurance riding with her lovely horse Dylan representing both Wales and GB. It was so interesting finding out more about the format of Endurance races and of course the importance of her horses being in their optimum, physical condition - something which Zoe has been commended on when completing races. I was truly honoured to have been invited to weigh Zoe's horses and I am very much looking forward to following how Zoe gets on this season.

HM Equine Services will be attending Atterley and Wenlock District Riding Club on Sunday 30th June. We will be running o...
10/06/2024

HM Equine Services will be attending Atterley and Wenlock District Riding Club on Sunday 30th June.

We will be running our fabulous show offers again so please come along for some dressage and weighings!

A huge thank you to Meadowfields Stables for inviting me for an evening of weighing! It was wonderful to meet their love...
08/06/2024

A huge thank you to Meadowfields Stables for inviting me for an evening of weighing! It was wonderful to meet their lovely horses and conscientious owners. Everyone was in great condition as we weighed, height checked and body conditioned scored everybody - even the owners had a go on weighbridge at the end!

I was thrilled to have been invited to weigh at Brandy House Farm whilst they had their Savvy Camp with Alison Zuend. We...
05/06/2024

I was thrilled to have been invited to weigh at Brandy House Farm whilst they had their Savvy Camp with Alison Zuend. We were able to weigh some of the horses who were visiting all the way from Devon! Such a beautiful spot, glorious views and fantastic riding over open common land - the perfect place to bring your horse for a riding holiday and to get a taste of the wonderful Mid Wales countryside!
Do check out Brandy House's page or website https://brandyhousefarm.co.uk for more information or to attend one of their fantastic clinics!

Some more lovely comments from some truly wonderful people. It really is such a pleasure to meet everyone and their beau...
03/06/2024

Some more lovely comments from some truly wonderful people. It really is such a pleasure to meet everyone and their beautiful horses. It is also lovely to have such supportive comments from other equestrian professionals and it really shows how beneficial services can be when we all work together 🥰

A whole collection of cobs! This shows the difference in build and weight in horses of a similar breed. Everyone here wa...
01/06/2024

A whole collection of cobs!
This shows the difference in build and weight in horses of a similar breed. Everyone here was weighed, height checked and we did their Body Condition Score. Since each horse is an individual with different lifestyles, routines, age, height etc - we had lots of discussions! Targets were set where needed, plans were made and I can't wait to find out how they are all getting on as summer continues.

With summer on its way, now is a great time to get an accurate weight of your horse.Message or WhatsApp me to book in!
31/05/2024

With summer on its way, now is a great time to get an accurate weight of your horse.
Message or WhatsApp me to book in!

Quite often I get asked how long it takes to weigh a horse and the truth is, it varies so much. I always want to it be a...
29/05/2024

Quite often I get asked how long it takes to weigh a horse and the truth is, it varies so much. I always want to it be a positive and calm experience and some will walk straight on and others we just have to be patient until they are ready. Max was definitely one who needed the patient approach however after a couple of hours (yes you read that correctly!), he decided he was ready! He then stood like an absolute rock and didn't really want to come off again! Emma is working so hard with him to help him overcome his fears and she is absolutely smashing it.

So appreciative of all the wonderful people and horses that I get to meet 🥰
27/05/2024

So appreciative of all the wonderful people and horses that I get to meet 🥰

Wow what a fabulous morning spent with the competitors of the Atterley farm Summer Dressage Series. We had lots of horse...
26/05/2024

Wow what a fabulous morning spent with the competitors of the Atterley farm Summer Dressage Series.
We had lots of horses on the weighbridge and getting height checked so they could take advantage of the super show offer!
This is such a lovely yard, the show ran seamlessly and everyone was so friendly.
If you would like to have a go or fancy getting out competing, the shows run all summer with the next one on Sunday 30th June - I will also be there with my show offer of £5 per weighing to all competitors!!
A huge thank you to Atterley & Wenlock District Riding Club for having me and your wonderful hospitality!!
See you next month!

Wishing all the competitors at Atterley & Wenlock District Riding Club Dressage Show today! Can't wait to cheer you all ...
26/05/2024

Wishing all the competitors at Atterley & Wenlock District Riding Club Dressage Show today! Can't wait to cheer you all on 😁

A busy day of lots of yard visits for weighing, body condition scoring and height checks in the sun!! Again, so many imp...
24/05/2024

A busy day of lots of yard visits for weighing, body condition scoring and height checks in the sun!! Again, so many important discussions about how to best manage our horses weights - so many of us (myself and my mare included) struggling this year after such a mild winter and this recent warm, wet weather has meant that our horses haven't lost as much weight in winter as expected but have also put on a lot of weight with this strong grass growing season!

I am thrilled to announce that I have created and collated some handy information sheets and leaflets to help us find our way through the maze that is 'weight loss in horses!' If you are interested in this, please let me know when I'm visiting your yard for a handout 😄

Finished my day with dropping some clean rugs off and picking up some dirty ones to be mended on behalf of Manor House Stables & Rug Washing and a fabulous training session with my dog - Gryff, who got his 5m swimming badge 🤣 and enjoyed his first day 'on the job' visiting yards with me!

Another fab yard of horses! With some fab owners who weren't put off by the rain! Lots of discussions about weight and h...
23/05/2024

Another fab yard of horses! With some fab owners who weren't put off by the rain! Lots of discussions about weight and how we can battle this sudden burst of grass growth!

Did you know that a horse can eat 24 hours worth of grass in just 4 hours! They are pros at gorging!

Annoyingly, my phone died so I wasn't able to get pictures of everyone 😔 You will just have to trust me that they all stood like pros on the weigh bridge!

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Keeping the weigh bridge clean! I make sure that it is disinfected between yard visits on the same day and washed off and disinfected at the end of each day. Just to give that confidence that I am keeping everyone safe! #biosecurity #disinfectant #feelingfresh

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