Your horse feels 'off'. Horses are predominantly stoic creatures, preferring to hide their ailments from potential predators, but maybe you are tuned-in enough to your animal to have spotted a subtle change - sudden reluctance to pick up a certain canter lead, difficulty bending a particular way, fidgeting slightly when you mount, tripping, even just …
Continue reading Massage? Chiro? Physio? What does my horse need and when?!!
It is fair to say I am fairly obsessed with the fit of my horse's saddle. Jules is so brilliant at communicating when something is not quite right, but as a result I am constantly looking out for signals from her. Sometimes it's an ear flick, sometimes turning to look back at what I'm doing, …
I have attended 'Equilates' for a couple of years now, and can't recommend it enough - our small classes follow traditional Pilates principles, but with a helpful focus on the muscles and range of movement required for riding, as well as an emphasis on balance and symmetry. My Pilates instructor, Beth, is also an established …
I haven't blogged for quite some time, purely due to having needed to focus my full brain power on my studies, passing my exams and then getting started with my new business! With my brain full to bursting, I was keen to make sure I utilised my knowledge and enthusiasm by getting straight out to …
Jules is settling in nicely, track system set up around the edge of her paddock space to keep her moving and in contact with her neighbours, and it's time to start her exercise regime! Due to having been out of work for quite some time since foaling, Jules needs to be built up slowly. Her …
Horses have an acute sense of touch. Their whole-body touch sense has been described as 'as sensitive as our fingertips' and that 'a horse can feel a fly landing on a single hair'. Anyone who spends time with horses has observed this of course, though our horses, often stoic in nature, will sometimes forget to …
On my recent visit to Olympia's London International Horseshow, I revelled in the opportunity to wander around the stalls occupied by businesses offering various therapies and technologies. On previous visits, I would've avoided these, my eye firmly set on the shopping village, and not wanting to be held back by leaflet-wielding company reps! But this …
Having been kept very busy with my massage case studies over the last few weeks, it is fair to say that while my technique may be improving, my confidence in my own 'diagnostics' is not...this is certainly a case of the more you learn, the less you actually 'know'!! The lovely horses I have been …
I am currently sitting in a cabin in the Icelandic north, recovering from a 3 day trek round the Highlands. As well as a sore backside and achy limbs(!), this incredible experience has also given me a brand new outlook on the way we keep our horses back at home. This trek was no ordinary …
I have recently been getting my riding fix with a gorgeous little Haflinger-Cob cross dressage pony. This dinky but muscular ball of energy has always caught my eye for the unlikely transformation he makes into the most elegant and impressive ridden pony, when given the right rider combination. While I work on being that rider(!) …
