Diary2010 | Conference | Mar | Apr - Jul |
Diary2009 | Jan Mar | Conference | Apr | May | Jun |
2008 | Feb | Mar | May | July | Oct | 2007

Pet Nation with Liza Tarbuck, Joe Pasquale, Gillian Higgins and Freddie Fox

On Sunday 28th February the entire Horses Inside Out team set off for Television House, Wood Lane, London to take part in the new Prime Time TV programme Pet Nation. After first stretching his legs in the Blue Peter garden, Freddie was introduced to the glamorous world of Studio 8 and the dress rehearsal!
The first hurdle was making his way down a metre wide corridor lined with very chunky electric cables on one side and a battery of foot high footlights on the other all finished off with a thin wafting nylon curtain surrounding the set and more cables criss crossing the floor, thoughtfully arranged to give Freddie the opportunity to practise his raised polework!. The next challenge was keeping his footing on the highly unsuitable, very shiny gloss painted floor of the studio. At his point we realised we had a problem! After much debate between the enormous number of producers, floor managers, sound recordists editors, Uncle Tom Cobley and all, it was decided to postpone the rehearsal and we should start painting whilst the crew found rubber matting. That’s what we did – in the prop cupboard! At this point Freddie decided two things. One, he would like to go to the loo – but couldn’t under the circumstances and two, he couldn’t bear to be anywhere near his fellow stars , a pair of large, extremely vociferous parrots from Longleat! Both problems remained unsolved for the entire 9 hours we were there! After being treated to the delights of snacks from the BBC canteen [you may have heard about the canteen from Terry Wogan] and Freddie still crossing his legs we were anxious to meet Liza to discuss what Gillian was going to say and more importantly for Freddie to see the set. There would be a large studio audience for Freddie to contend with, outsize moving cameras, fluffy sound mikes, lights lights and more lights, a warm up comedian whipping the audience into a frenzy and 2 large very noisy parrots. Two shows were actually being filmed back to back and the whole thing was running late. Gillian and David were whisked off to ‘make up’ – a very strange and new experience for anyone who knows David! Time marched on and still Freddie was in the props cupboard! Then ….Gillian was suddenly called to ‘sit on the sofa’ and be interviewed by Liza and David was left to negotiate the passage -  now adorned with black rubber, with Freddie – having had no rehearsal at all. What a pro! After a slight hesitation and looking rather alarmed at the wafting curtain and, with the encouragement of a carrot, he made his way slightly erratically it has to be said, down the passage. He burst forth onto the set. Once there came to an abrupt halt This was a good thing as he was required to stand proudly displaying his skeleton from the inside Out on a strategically placed piece of ‘specially procured green grass like carpet next to a fine specimen of a rugby player clad in only in swimming trunks with his skeleton also painted on from the inside out. Liza and Joe made their way towards Freddie who played his part like the true professional he is. He smiled at the camera – ears forward most of the time - and demonstrated his flexibility brilliantly – and so did the Rugby player! All went well! The audience oo’d and ah’d.  Liza was surprised at the position of the neck bones and Joe kept his distance! He might have been brave in the jungle but he certainly was not sure about Freddie! All in all it was a wonderful experience and certainly for the human members of the team a really enjoyable one and a real insight into the crazy world of television production. Watch out for Pet Nation. It‘s a ‘prime time’ family show on Friday Evenings in the Spring. We can’t wait to see.

The HORSES INSIDE OUT Conference 2010
Muscles, Mechanics and Movement

Held in Grantham at the Ramada Hotel and Arena UK this conference looked at aspects of Core Stability, Muscular Imbalance, Training, and Biomechanics in both horse and rider. The first day was led by Dr. Hilary M. Clayton, widely considered the world's leading researcher in equine locomotion and biomechanics, Director of the Mary Anne McPhail Equine Performance Centre, Michigan State University, vet, researcher, rider, trainer with a unique perspective on the athletic horse and  the interaction between horse and rider. Hilary’s main field of interest is gait analysis which she studies with the use of reflective markers attached to the horse. Using modern computing techniques these are converted to a ‘stick figure horse’, are tracked, and then presented as useable data.
Hilary also uses a force plate which measures the ground reaction forces as the foot weight bears enabling her to study the function and movement of the force. A selection of the topics covered were:

Function of the Limbs

By comparing the horse to an elephant and a cat, Hilary demonstrated how the angulation of joints within the limbs affects function and movement. Because an elephants’ limbs are designed to be weight bearing, they are pillar like with little angulation to the joints. Elephant’s paces have no suspension phase and their fastest gait is a running walk. Cats on the other hand have highly angulated limbs providing them with the ability to them to crouch and spring and move at speed.
Horses lie somewhere between the two. Greater angulation is seen in more athletic horses whereas those with more upright the limbs are better suited to weight bearing. The forelimb joints are less angulated than the hind because their function is to carry more weight. They act as struts, controlling speed, direction, the position of the forehand, and when jumping.
The hindlimb joints are much more angulated and therefore they provide propulsion – by flexing then pushing.

Horses have long limbs, with the weight of muscle high up the leg and close to the axis of rotation. This enables them to fulfil their function to move at speed. Hilary also offered insight into one aspect of lameness. A horse double the height of another will be six times as heavy without a comparable increase in the strength of the supporting structures. This means in general, ponies and smaller horses are easier to keep sound than larger ones.

Ground Contact

A hoof hits the ground either flat, toe or heel first. Slight heel first contact is the ideal as this evens out the impact and stimulates proprioceptors in the frog and heels. If the Hoof Pastern Axis (HPA) is broken forwards there is an exaggerated heel-toe placement. If the HPA is broken back this results in a toe first contact which results in a greater degree of tripping and increased strain on the Deep Digital Flexor Tendon. It is important that hooves are trimmed to achieve balance. Studies in Michigan, Utrecht University and the Royal Veterinary College have shown that the hoof tends to land lateral side first.

Limb Support in the Stance Phase

There are two types of tendons:-

1. Positional Tendons

These are inelastic and remain a constant length. They do not stretch when the parent muscle contracts. These tendons are responsible for precise movements.
In the horse the Deep Digital Flexor and the extensor tendons are positional tendons and contribute to positioning the hoof for ground contact. The small wobble seen by the hoof just before ground contact (more easily viewed in slow motion video footage) is attributable to these postural tendons in the lower leg.

2. Elastic Tendons

These stretch when loaded and recoil when released. This energy saving technique  is very useful in locomotion. Hilary gave the example of that the achilles tendon in the Kangaroo reduces the energy required for jumping by 50%!

The elasticity of the superficial digital flexor tendons and the suspensory ligaments which run down the back of the leg provide a supportive sling around the fetlock joint. When the limb is fully extended and weight bearing, the fetlock sinks down. This stretches the superficial digital flexor tendon and suspensory ligament which when released recoil. This results in flexion of the lower limb. The amount the fetlock sinks is dependant on the vertical forces (measured on the force plate). This increases with both speed and weight thus making the structures more susceptible to injury. Due to inefficient repair in elastic tendons, micro-damage accumulates with age. This can be compared to complete or partial rupture of the achilles tendon in people over the age of 40! It is therefore very important to check horses legs for heat and inflammation on a regular basis.

Question and Answer Session
At the end of the day Hilary was asked which studies had benefited her most as a rider? She answered that truly understanding the gaits so they became second nature has allowed her time the application of the aids to maximum advantage and a thorough understanding of how the position of the head and neck affects balance has been an enormous help. Because of the high proportion of muscle, the head and Neck account for10% of body weight which means there is a 1:10 mass ratio head and neck: to body. In practical terms this means that the head and neck have to move 10 cm before it can affect the centre of mass by 1 cm. Another application of study to riding is that because the horse’s base of support is so small it is important to be still and stable. Studies have shown that it is easier for a horse to carry a sack of potatoes than a rider, so next time someone tells you, you are riding like a sack of potatoes – take it as a complement!

When asked, what has been the biggest surprise from her studies, Hilary replied, discovering that the Piaffe has no moment of suspension!
Other topics examined during the day included and the importance of keeping muscles in optimum condition*

In all topics covered and in line with the Horses Inside Out philosophy of  the practical application of anatomy and biomechanics to movement it can be concluded that the more we can understand ‘How the Horse Moves’* the better we can improve performance and reduce the risk of injury.

*see www.HorsesInsideOut.com for books and DVD on these topics.

The second day was held at Arena UK, Allington and was led by Andy Thomas, physiotherapist to team GBR and lead practitioner for Human Science and Sports Medicine for the British Equestrian Federation. Andrew specialises in musculo-skeletal injury prevention with elite and amateur athletes identifying rider problems contributing to common rider errors. He works with riders from all disciplines.

Within equestrian sport riders often seem to appear reluctant to address their own muscular skeletal problems. Recognising this, Andy set up a mobile physiotherapy clinic in a purpose built converted lorry in 2002. This enables him to watch riders on their horses and then offer immediate physiotherapy support at events and at their own yards thus saving them saving them time and expense.

Andy has developed his own unique approach to equestrian physiotherapy aspects of which  he shared with Horses Inside Out on Sunday. Andrew recognises the importance of functional therapy so for example a footballer would be treated very differently to a rider.

What Makes a Good Rider?
Andy first explored the question of what physical attributes make an ideal rider and what physical differences one would expect to find between riders from different disciplines. For example, one would expect a top dressage rider to walk with poise whilst an eventer on the other hand may well walk with a limp!

Suppleness, balance, flexibility, agility all need to be present in riders but need to be considered in relation to function – does a rider really need to be able to touch their toes for example?

In the course of his work, Andy has identified that those with the best balance have ridden a variety of different poise and horses from an early age, have hunted, not specialised too early and have taken part in other sports. For example both Laura Bechtolshimer and Emma Hindle both played Hockey to National Level.

Suppleness, balance, agility need to be practised as children in order to reach full genetic potential as an adult.

Imbalances and Weaknesses
Before beginning to work on strengthening core muscles in the rider it is important to first identify and then correct any imbalances and weaknesses.

With riders the hip and pelvis needs to be the primary focus as this is in contact with the saddle and controls the seat. With runners the primary focus would be the feet as they are the contact point within their sport.

Most riders have some form of weakness or imbalances for which the body will compensate.
Generally this involves either holding muscles rigid or by allowing the body to become over loose. This can be seen as a hip collapsing, back becoming hollow or loose, one leg swinging to one side or a fixed knee, shoulder or arm. The result of compensation is often pain- in the back, neck or hip, or there may be an inability or reluctance to perform movements in accordance to the wishes of the coach.

Three main patterns of imbalances and weaknesses can be identified in riders’ pelvic and hip region.

1. The rider becomes tight on one side (internal rotation of the hip is reduced) and weak on the opposite side (lateral stabilising muscles of the hip ie gluteus medius, biceps femoris). This pattern is often seen with young riders.
2. The rider is tight and weak on the same side. This tends to be a more complicated scenario; compensation patterns are harder to predict and this pattern is harder to identify. It tends to develop with more experienced riders as they try to hide their weakness and so tightness develops on the same side.
3. The rider becomes weak on both sides. This results in an exaggerated range of movement. with little stability or control. This scenario tends to be seen in young long gangly females and most often results in lower back or pain in the thoracolumbar region. These riders will often ride with a head nod!

Stability

The development of the key core muscles around the trunk is the most important factor in rider stability. This provides effective distribution of force and pelvic control during movement and allows independent limb control.

It is easy to understand why cross country riding requires good core strength, but it is also essential for dressage riders. Emma Hindle and Laura Bechtolshiemer have the best core strength out of all the riders Andy works with.

There were two event and two dressage riders at the Horses Inside Out Conference their ages spanning 4 decades.

To begin with Andy assessed the riders, unmounted, for imbalances and weaknesses releasing any tension with soft tissue release work. He then looked at them on their horses so he could demonstrate how their imbalances, weaknesses, pelvic mobility and core strength affected their riding.

A Ridden Test for Weakness of the Muscles that control the Hip Joint
A good test to identify hip weakness is to ride  without stirrups lifting the legs alternately away from the saddleand  noting whether the rider leans excessively as each leg is lifted to the side

A Test of Core Stability
Noting the degree to which riders grip the knee rolls, or wobble as they ride transitions is a simple but effective test of a weak core.

Pelvic Mobility
With all the riders Andy focussed on the ability of the rider to move the pelvis in synchronously  with the horse’s movement. It was interesting to see that most of the riders were compensating and using other areas of their body to absorb the horse’s movement. For example – hyper mobility of the thoracic spine, a head nod or appearing to fix the shoulders and arms.

Good pelvic mobility allows an independent seat and independent use of other body parts. To improve pelvic mobility Andy asked the riders to dismount then sit on a swiss ball, or on the Eckhard Meyners stool to encourage them to move their pelvis’ through their full range of movement. This helped to activate the appropriate muscles and  proprioceptors and to stimulate the nerves. This simple but effective technique really did make a difference to all of the riders and it was suggested that we should all try doing this before riding as part of our warm up routine – we all could do with keeping a swiss ball in our lorries!!

The range techniques and tests Andy showed for addressing rider imbalances and weakness, pelvic mobility and core strength were very useful not only for therapists also something that all coaches can perform with their riders.

All in all this was a most successful, informative and interesting conference with very positive feedback and requests for something similar in the future.

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Diary 2010 January – March

It was a quiet month for Horses Inside Out in January – a useful time for reflection and recharging of batteries! Freddie came back into work slowly and having given a talk to the World Class Squad , we started having lessons with Richard Davison.- Absolutely brilliant! A module for the Equine Science students at the Royal Agricultural College was followed by an evening talk by Master Farrier Andrew Poynton. One of Andrews specialisms is laminitis and his talk was illustrated with photographs of his amazing hoof reconstructions as well as many pointers for coping with the disease.

Our conference was a great success and well attended by 150 or so delegates.

Our dissection day courses for therapists, vet students, interested riders and trainers have been particularly well attended this year. Andrew Hemmings is a fount of information and approaches his subject sensitively assuring everyone that the horses we use have had to be put down for a very sound reason. It is a useful way of appreciating exactly what there is under the skin.

Our first Painted horse demonstration of the year was held at Ledston Equine Clinic and was arranged by Chris McGrann. Chris is a British Sports Horse judge, a Riding Club Master Judge, British Eventing Accredited Trainer and a Pony Club ‘A’ Test examiner. He is full of enthusiasm and his talk was  attended by close on 200 people and, as Chris was managing everything, including the jumps, it ran like clockwork.

Gillian went down to Cornwall to give a talk for the BHS instructors. This was a video based talk using unused clips from the DVD .These are really effective as you can see the movement in much more detail when it is in slow motion. We had lots of really positive e mails. Here is just one.

‘I was at Duchy college with my colleague when you did the BHS instructors day. I have to say, I don't think I have ever sat so willingly for so long before. Your lecture was amazing and very informative.’

The next event was a day put on by the students of Sparsholt College as part of their course. The students were responsible for every part of the demonstration from the planning to refreshments and providing an arena party. Gillian gave the actual demonstration and it was a great success with numbers reaching 250 plus. The students had invited the press and as a result Horses Inside Out was featured in The times Educational Supplement. The extract below is just one from many appreciative e mails.

‘Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed your demo today.  It was incredibly informative and in-depth, but in easy to understand chunks.  Our group included a Physiotherapist and a Jumping Instructor, plus me, just an every day rider trying to improve!  Despite all our different interests and levels of experience, we all found the day so useful and inspiring, so thank you.’

The Country Land and Business Association gives advice to small business. This year they teamed up with Ride Welland for an educational day course in Leicestershire. The attendees all running small equestrian businesses  were given talks by lawyers and accountants in the morning and by Horses Inside Out in the afternoon. It was extremely well received.

Barton End Stables was the first place this year to host a Ponies Inside Out day for their pony club members. This is a really popular annual event at Barton End and was thoroughly enjoyed by a really enthusiastic group of young people. It’s always a real pleasure to go to Barton End!

A day course at the Horses Inside out Therapy Centre at Field Farm Wymeswold – Massage for Horse Owners was blessed by warmth and sunshine. 15 keen people gathered to learn more about keeping the horse’s musculature soft and supple – one of the main aims of horses Inside Out.

Gillian is a keen member of the Event Horse Association (EHOA) and on the 20th and 21st April attended a superb course with Kenneth Clawson, Tracie Robinson and JP Sheffield. Both Freddie and I gained a lot from it and I gave the evening talk to the attendees. This was followed by an excellent dinner served in Kenneth’s summerhouse. A good time was had by all.

Diary April – June

April turned out to be a busy month with four really big demonstrations; all very different but all attracting good sized audiences.

The month started with a Paint a Pony Day at Barton End Stables in Gloucestershire. I actually do quite a few days at Barton End and really enjoy them. The children there don’t own ponies but are so full of enthusiasm and energy it is a treat to look forward to.

One of the new developments for Horses inside Out is inside lectures using unseen footage from our DVD. These lectures lend themselves to evening talks, AGM’s and pre or post dinner talks. The Event horse Owners Association took advantage of the talk ‘Jumping from an Anatomical Perspective’ at their camp at Kenneth Clawson’s yard in Liere.

Next stop South Wales at the Dinefwr Riding Centre. Pebbles- our equine canvas was quite the sweetest most obliging horse we have ever had the pleasure of painting. A Horse Owners day course followed the next day. The weather was glorious and the midges abounded! We were sent a beautiful appreciative card from the Jenner family who arranged the demonstration, from Pebbles- who now has a fan club and from all the well stretched extremely mobile horses whose owners attended the demo.

Larkhill Barracks is a wild and windy place. Having been duly signed in and had our identity checked, we made our way to the equine unit to meet with some of the officers and horses. This demonstration was quite an experience albeit a very pleasant one! Soldiers obviously unused to wielding brooms had been drafted in to ‘tidy up’ ready for the evening. We painted a lovely grey showjumper who had just returned from competition in Jersey. The audience were a mixture of saddle club members and local riders who were taking advantage of seeing us there and learning more about their horses.

In the middle of May, we set off to Powys. Just to throw in a complete red herring, when we were nearly to LLandidrog Wells we stopped for a coffee at a very small café.  As we sat in the garden beside a fast flowing stream we watched first a pair of jays then a dipper turning over stones – magic! On to our venue where we met our model: a lovely  Parelli trained horse who led trail rides for ‘Your Horse Adventures’ Your Horse Adventures is run by Medina Brock. She has a beautiful Bed and Breakfast at her small farm near Knighton. The riding is all off road and the countryside beautiful. The demonstration went really well and was well attended. We really are lucky to meet so many wonderful people and to see so many fascinating places.

After Powys we did two demonstrations in the North West. The first was for the World Horse Welfare. What a wonderful place! It is beautifully kept and all the rescue horses and ponies are so well catered for. Some of the histories are really sad and one wonders who can treat the ponies so inhumanely. We were allocated a beautiful light dun pony called       .   It was a lovely evening and again the demonstration proved popular.

The next day we were off Northop Agricultural College. There we met our two beautifully turned out white horses. One was to be lunged and the other ridden. Both performed their roles perfectly. The college boasted a very large well maintained school. The members of the Flint and Denbigh Riding Club were all appreciative and enthusiastic. It was a really fun and informative evening with a good turnout despite the fact the club had another function on at the same time.

Each year, Horses Inside Out organises a ‘flagship’ lecture. This year we chose Solihull Riding Club as we have had so many requests from its members to give a demonstration in their area. Everyone went out of their way to be helpful and on the evening we had an audience of around 200. This demonstration was an anatomical guide to movement. Freddie went well on the lunge showing both his flatwork and jumping skills. One of the riding club members provided the ridden part of the demonstration. The evening was supported by several presentation stands and was a great success.

At the end of June, we set off down to the West Country. Our first stop was Nutwell Saddlery and Equine practise. Nutwell has an amazing indoor school built in the style of the Classical Spanish Riding School. Our model her was Mary King’s ex event horse King Solomon. He was a real gentleman, stood and moved beautifully. Paula Lee, now competes him in Dressage competitions and at 22 years of age is doing really well at his second career.

The following day after a brief walk on the beach at Lyme Regis we gave a demonstration in another beautiful indoor school, this time at Kingston Maurward College. There we net Cola Fox and her wonderful 15.2 horse star. Star really was immaculately turned out. This demonstration was a first for us as Star was both ridden and lunged. This was another well attended demonstration with numbers approaching 200.  

2009 Diary

January - March

The start of 2009 has been an extremely busy one for everyone at Horses Inside Out. The Winter Lecture Series held at the Royal Agricultural college has been a great success.

In January Jennie Killilea, A World Class Sports Psychologist gave a fascinating and immensely useful talk on, A Psychological Approach for Riders. With plenty of practical tips and advice for helping us to get and stay in the right frame of mind for day to day and competition riding we all left enthused to do more about our mental attitude. After all the power of the mind is an amazing thing!

February saw the beginning of our series of day course dissections, again held at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester and led by Andrew Hemmings with Gillian Higgins. Andrew is a senior lecturer and experienced neuroanatomist at the Royal Agricultural College. At the first dissection course, the brain Andrew demonstrated the techniques required for successful brain removal and subsequent dissection. Amongst other things, he led us through an investigation of brain mechanisms that become active during massage and acupressure; the neural pathways that may be influenced during aromatherapy, and even how brain regions can malfunction to give repetitive stereotypic behaviours such as crib-biting and weaving. Andrew is passionate about his work and his enthusiasm for his subject was infectious.

Dissections of the Forelimb and the end of February and the Hindlimb in March were also fascinating. During the forelimb dissection Andrew led us through the evolutionary anatomical changes of horses that explained why the horse’s forelimb is how it is today. After a detailed look at the muscular, tendinous and ligamentary structures, we examined the effects of OCD in the shoulder and elbow joints and the effects of laminitis. Andrew also prepared a number of slides so we were able to look at the difference hoof structures under microscope.

The Hindlimb Dissection gave a fantastic opportunity to really understand the musculature of the and hindquarters and particularly the deep muscles of the pelvis. We marvelled at the strength of the Sacroiliac ligaments and joints, and the beauty of the Stifle joint. Another amazing day was had by all who attended it. We are now currently looking to organise more day dissection courses with Andrew Hemmings and other specialists, as well as a whole horse dissection course.

At the end of March Caroline Moore a fellow of the British Horse Society and Pony Selector for British Eventing gave a captivating presentation BE Prepared. Giving lots of practical tips to help us BE Prepared for the eventing season, Caroline made us appreciate that mental preparation of the horse is just as important as rider preparation.

The end of March brings with it the beginning of Gillian Higgins’ Horses Inside Out Lecture Demonstration season. During the winter months it is too cold to paint horses and a little cold for audiences sitting in an indoor school. So as the weather has turned for the better it is now possible to start painting horses again! The 2009 season started with a demonstration at Stainsby Grange, Co Durham, organised by the BHS North West Group. All who attended thoroughly enjoyed the evening and felt they would be looking at their horses from another perspective in future.

Feedback from Gillian’s lecture demonstration at Barleyfields Equestrian Centre on the 22nd March has been fantastic. Gillian’s enthusiasm for her subject was infectious. Jo, the pony used at this demo provided a certain amount of extra entertainment as he played up for the audience!

The last lecture in this season’s winter series was by Andy Thomas World Class Physiotherapist. Andy was an extremely popular speaker and did not disappoint. He really helped us all to understand what is demanded of our bodies by riding, and how core stability, suppleness and flexibility can really help us to improve our riding performance.

Due to the success of this year’s winter series we are planning on running another series next winter, both in Cirencester at the Royal Agricultural College and in Leicestershire probably at Vale View Equestrian Centre.

The end of March also saw the publication of Gillian’s book How Your Horse Moves with the 28th March as the official publication date. Gillian spent the day at the Stroud Saddlery to celebrate the launch. The book will now be available at all Horses Inside Out lecture demonstrations and events as well as by mail order from the Horses Inside Out website.

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Freddie Fox appeared in Horse and Hound Magazine in advert for Blue Chip Joint supplement.

Dr. Gerd Heuschmann, vet, dressage rider, trainer and author of 'Tug of War' Classical versus Modern, and Dr. Svend Kold, specialist in Equine Orthopaedic Surgery at Willesley Equine Clinic addressed the questions 'Why the horse's conformation decides his training; How to approach the minimally lame, multilimb lame horse; Bridle lameness - how incorrect training can mimic lameness, and, the restricting effect of back pain for full performance;
The topics, each of which are relevant to all equestrian discipline were examined from the differing perspectives of control through training without the use of restrictive practices and training aids and, how lameness and back pain can be diagnosed and treated using drugs or surgical intervention.

On the second day Dr Heuschmann, using a variety of horses and riders competing in a variety of disciplines from novice to advanced levels, held the audience spell bound as he demonstrated improvements in back movement by using the forward and down head and neck position and suppling exercises to create flexion at the poll and lateral movements. A particularly dramatic improvement was seen in a dressage pony with a particularly fixed back, presented by Dr Kold and ridden by a 13 year old girl. It was concluded that many horses display poor performance as a result of stiffness in the back. Reassuringly, Dr Heuschmann not only provided a theoretical solution to the problem but also convincingly demonstrated how to improve performance.

Facilities and catering arrangements (wonderful home made soup!) were excellent.

Both Gerd and Svend are very keen to repeat the experience. It is just a case of finding dates and a venue. Watch this space!

Tuesday 7th April 2009

Today I spent a fabulous afternoon at the Unicorn Trust with the Young Carriage Drivers Group and Under 21 Dressage Group doing a Ponies Inside Out lecture demonstration. We spent the afternoon painting up 8 ponies with some fabulous results! The children had a fabulous time learning all about the bones of their ponies. At the end we took them all down into the large indoor arena where they were duly paraded round for all to admire.

Then using the pony that I had painted up he was put in a carriage and trotted around the arena. Now it was my turn to learn all about the harness they use and the principles of driving. I was then able to talk all about the biomechanics behind the ponies’ movement, where the movement comes from how the pony pulls a carriage – or pushes it!! And also give some insight into why the harness should be fitted in certain ways.

It was a fabulous sight seeing the black pony painted with his skeleton pulling a carriage and I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon and learnt so much. It reminded me that understanding anatomy, biomechanics and movement is so useful whatever the discipline.

11th April 2009.

Almost Totally Western Horses Inside Out goes west! I have spent the last couple of days at Horse Creek Farm Ranch, learning all about Western riding and Sovereign Quarter Horses. It has been fascinating and I have learnt so much. It has been interesting to look at these horses and see how they move, how they are trained and think about it all from an anatomical an biomechanics perspective. Yesterday, David Deptford put up with my 101 questions about what to look for in Western riding and determining the ideal way of going. There are many similarities to "English Riding" yet many differences.
I was lucky enough to have a feel of some of the movements. And they certainly rode differently to how I expected! In my opinion, one of the main differences of our sport horses compared to the sovereign quarter horse is the extravagance of movement and moment of suspension, both in the trot and canter. I was surprised by the feel and amount of back movement that these horses gave. These horses are so manoeuvrable! Shoulder in, half pass, pirouettes and all from the touch of leg and rein on the neck! For such a laid back horse they were so reactive! The speed of the spins also really amazed me but for someone that suffers easily from car sickness I was glad we only did half speed! For the Soverign Quarter Horse Open day, "Almost Totally Western" we painted up David's best stallion, Jay who shows near enough perfect conformation for a western horse and represented Great Britain in Dubai 2005. He acted as a perfect model. Western horses have such laid back temperaments he was very good to paint! In my lecture demonstrations I sometimes mention western riding particularly the sliding halt as an example of extreme movement of the lumbar-sacral junction. To see this movement with the bones painted on, particularly the hind legs and spine really emphasized the flexion through the lumbar-sacral junction, hip and spine. The bracing of the hind quarter muscles and the use of isometric and eccentric muscle contration was fabulous. It was also particularly interesting to watch the painted western horse spinning, engage and during rein back. The flexion of the spine and use of the flexor chain of muscles to help lift the back was impressive. The western horse is also a really good example of use of the nuchal and supraspinous ligament system to help support correct posture of the back. I came away from "the west" having learnt so much and with many new ideas. Again it made me appreciate that an understanding of anatomy and biomechanics is so useful to improving training and performance and whatever the discipline the principles are the same this information is so transferable!

May 2009

After Inverness, I got down to some serious training with Freddie and Henry ready for a rather belated start to the eventing season. I spent a really interesting couple of days at Belton writing for Sue Carson for the Grantham Cup. I am very keen to really understand exactly how and why the judges award their marks and if indeed they look at the horses from an anatomical perspective.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Badminton, A great but busy four days with plenty of book signings.  Over the four days I painted up a full sized model horse for the Society of Master Saddlers. This caused much amusement in the crowd. Also on the Thursday I had my first radio interview on Radio Badminton. From this I learnt the advantage of giving the DJ a list of questions in advance so what he asked would be relevant to what I do. I had the same problem a week later on Radio Nottingham. He was determined to ask me, completely irrelevantly, about riding on the road and I was equally determined to discuss how beneficial it is to understand anatomy and to inform the listeners of my demonstration at Vale View. I can understand now why politicians never seem to answer the question!
Advice from readers to deal with interviewers appreciated!
Since Badminton which feels like months ago to me I have been to Rodbaston College in Staffordshire for a demo as well as  Vale View Equestrian Centre in Leicestershire. This was a great demo for me, as I have just moved back to the Notts/Leics borders. it was lovely to see so many familiar faces and to meet new people in my area.

The biggest project in my life at the moment is making the Horses Inside Out DVD. I started to write the script during Badminton 3 weeks before we were due to do the bulk of the filming. This was a momentous task, one for which (in true Gillian Higgins style) I had underestimated the amount of time required! However I managed it and also before the main filming days we managed to get up to Sovereign Quater Horses again to paint up a Western Horse to take some short clips for the DVD. I also devised some new painting designs to which Freddie and Henry were subjected, not only once as a practice, but again for the real filming! They are officially professional models now; having been painted up with different anatomical designs on the side I think about 7 times between Badminton and the end of May, and that is excluding the filming days at the end of May.

My father, David and I travelled down to the Unicorn Trust at Stow on the Wold on the Tuesday afternoon after Shelford Manor One Day Event, where Henry had competed at Intro level the day before. We had an afternoon to spruce up Freddie and Henry and to prepare the venue ready to start filming at 8am the next morning. I decided to bath and plait the day before and to hood and bandage over night to try and keep the boys as white as possible! I even used a trick I learnt from Sarah Deptford at Sovereign Quarter Horses - Corn flour under their bandages! All the preparation the day before paid off.  We got up at 5am so we could be ready for 8am. My Mother Shirley and a friend Anna Gosney were also there to help. However from this point onwards it all went downhill a little. I was too ambitious with what I was trying to achieve in not enough time. We painted Henry up ready for his first shoot, however as soon as He left the stables to do his camera work, Freddie started creating! This is the problem with owning two horses. Mine seem to have the notion that whenever they go somewhere together in the horse box, they should stay together. Realising painting during separation was not an option a change in tactic was required! In the afternoon we managed to film pretty much all of the movement and slow motion footage with my two horses, which was great but much less that I had hoped to achieve by the end of Day 1. Day 2 we were refreshed and resolved. Up by 4am we had both horses painted up ready to go by 7.30 am! Phew! This was a great start. We actually felt organised! I could not have done this without the help of Shirley, who took over as director, making sure everyone had something to do in order to get as much done as possible. Sam Rahmatalla a dressage rider from Chippenham brought her Grand Prix horse WGS Matcho to demonstrate advanced moves to be painted up and ridden with all the fancy moves. Which will add greatly to the DVD. Day 2 of filming was much more successful. We covered a considerable amount of footage. However we called 'it a wrap' as they say in the film business, at about 6pm in the evening with still another days worth of filming to go! We will now have to budget for a third day sometime soon - whoops ummer! The most frustrating thing of all though, was at the end of Day 2 he producer told us he knew we had been too ambitious. Why hadn’t he said!!

After Shelford, which was a super event for young and inexperienced horses we wended our way to the Unicorn Trust to make the first Horses Inside Out. DVD. This was a very steep learning curve but should result in a fantasic DVD. Looking at Training from an anatomical perspective with a difference! Watch this space.

A Weekend with Mary Wanless

After one day's rest, well for Freddie and Henry at least! we had to sort the kit from DVD filming and repack the lorry for a trip down to Brighton. It really is amazing how much kit is required to do these things! We left the yard in Wymeswold, Leics at 7.30am and headed for Brighton. You must understand at this point that "we" comprises of Shirley, my mum and the organiser of all things Horses Inside Out, Freddie my best horse and Geoffrey! Geoffrey is a navy ford cargo lorry, the same age as me. The trip down to Brighton was as always a little slow. It actually took 7 hours as we hit traffic on the M25. After this experience and the journey home we have now sworn that we will not travel a horse to a demonstration further than 4 hours travel time away. We arrived at Plumpton College at about 2pm on Saturday afternoon. Thankfully it was lovely weather and gorgeous countryside surrounding. Freddie was pleased to get into a stable full of shavings for a good roll.

I was doing a demonstration with Mary Wanless on Sunday, with me lecturing in the morning and riding in the afternoon. I had painted up a body suit with the human skeleton on the outside so we were able to examine the rider as well as the horse from the inside out!! It was a thoroughly fascinating day. I really enjoyed it. Not only as my newly painted suit went down a dream, but also because I learnt so much. I realised that there are many similarities between the work that I do and that of rider biomechanics with Mary Wanless. It is transferrable knowledge between horse and rider and all seems to come back to correct posture improving performance and reducing the risk of injury.  I am also hoping that we got some more potential video footage for the DVD. Unfortunately no photo's yet as we were busy filming but I hope to get some from Dido (mary's organiser) so will post them as soon as they come in!

It just so happened that Kelly Marks was performing a demonstration the evening before, so it was very interesting to have some time to watch her and marvel at Monty's join up technique. Kelly demonstrated with a horse that was difficult to clip which I could really relate to as Henry hates the clippers!!

Rockin’ Horses

Having met the ‘Rockin’ Horse Equestrian Stunt Team at Your Horse Live last year, it seemed a good idea to use horses used to performing on command to get some unusual shots and capture specific movements on well trained beautiful horses in order to demonstrate in a different way how important it is to understand correct movement.. Guido and Sophia made us really welcome at their lovely base in Lincolnshire and we had a wonderful day.

June – November 2009

Following Rose’s extremely successful demonstration we gave our first Ponies Inside Out Paint a Pony birthday party for a delightful young lady in Hampshire. This party was great fun and ideal for ‘horsey-mad children.’  

During the summer months both Henry and Freddie were eventing and a though we didn’t go as far as to run at an event in full colour, we have often appeared in various hues! This certainly turns heads with anyone who has not heard of Horses Inside Out!

July and August are definitely Ponies Inside Out months with dozens of children and young people learning about the anatomy of their ponies. Great fun, especially the washing off!

In August Freddie took part in a show jump training demonstration with Lionel Dunning, show jumper extraordinaire, having jumped the puissance wall at a massive 2.25metres. Lionel has now returned from exploits abroad, has now settled back in this country and is available to give lessons. He is a great character, a fount of knowledge and an excellent. perceptive  teacher.

Horses Inside Out has been very fortunate to have on loan this summer, some anatomical slices from Dr Gunther von Hagens’ Body World’s exhibition currently on a world tour following an exhibition in the Tate Modern in London. We believe we are the only people to have these in this country. They are absolutely fascinating and have provided many a talking point at our demonstrations.

In September we were asked to put on a training day at Myerscough College for the trainers to the mounted division of the police force. The officers were full of humour and eager to learn more for the good of their horses. This was a really fun day and, as you would expect, our model George was extremely well mannered. He was also quite the largest horse we have ever painted. Police picture

On 12th and 13th Horses, the first Massage for Horse Owners Course took place at our new Therapy Centre at Field Farm Cross Country Course, Leicestershire. www.fielddfarmcrosscountry.co.uk .

Day courses for livery yards and Equestrian Centres are becoming increasingly popular. We have given several looking at Massage for horse Owners, Pilates and Stretching for Horses and for those with a passion for anatomy, Anatomy and Biomechanics. Our second book Pilates and Stretching – an exercise index for Horse owners was published at the beginning of September. We have also given a variation on Ponies Inside Out- Paint a Pony for adults. This is an excellent way to learn and is useful for students, clubs and universities.

The next demonstration was in Sheffield. Quite a few of the bones we use at our demonstrations are from a very small 11 hand pony. Gillian always alludes to this and asks everyone to imagine the muscle bulk covering the hindquarters and compare it with the bulk on a larger horse. On this occasion we had the use of a tiny Shetland called Jasmine who certainly helped bring the bones to life!

The trip to Cornwall heralded a new era for Horses Inside Out. Gillian was filmed by the BBC for their local News Programme Points West. An appearance on East Midlands today a couple of days later precipitated an interest by the National Press and Horses Inside Out as featured in the Times, Telegraph, Guardian and Daily Mail. Without warning, a photographer turned up at our demonstration the next day at Berkshire College; his Photos were sent around the world and has really helped put Horses Inside Out on the map. This resulted in thousands of hits on our website which was unable to take the strain! 
A day later we were due to set off on a ten day tour to Aintree, the Isle of Man and Ireland. The Demo at Aintree was another great success and attended amongst others by a large group of Veterinary Students. Gillian and Shirley then made the night crossing to Douglas and David returned to base to sort out the website and open our on line shop.
We were made so welcome on the Isle of Man and as well as an evening demonstration and exam seminar, Gillian hosted a Ponies Inside Out session This was a real pleasure – the children were so keen, well mannered, smart and appreciative. Although said before, we would like to repeat what fantastic people we meet through horses inside Out!
After a few days R and R – thanks Sue for the beautiful cottage- we returned to the mainland, drove straight to Anglesea and set sail for Ireland. There, Susan Irwan –The BHS rep for Ireland arranged fantastic accommodation and a super demonstration with 2 horses, a lovely grey, fully painted and a talented bay show jumper. Having a rider on board made it possible to focus on different aspects of movement and is something Gillian would like to do more of in the future.

November is generally a quiet month – not so this year. Our winter series in Cirencester got off to a flying start in Cirencester with Mary King who told us all about her life and horses and in Nottingham with Yogi Breisner who talked about preparing for the pressures of a championship. Horses Inside Out- The DVD was released on 11th November in Nottingham and has rapidly ricoched  around the world. The new on line shop has been working overtime! The winter dissection programme got underway with an indepth study of the brain followed by the forelimb. A presence at Your horse Live was another success, rapidly followed by andemonstration for the British Riding Clubs Forum at Hartpury – only made possible once again by their solarium and wonderful heated arena.

The icing on the cake this year was without a doubt the invitation initiated by Richard Davison to give a talk to the World Class Show Jumping and Eventing Squad at Solihul. It was a real privilege and a pleasure to watch such excellent riders and beautiful horses. It is good to know the future of opur sport is in such good hands.

The final fixture of the year was an indoor talk at the Horses Inside Out base in Bunny. This was a very pleasant evening with coffee mince pies and an enthusiastic group. It really tested the concept of  Indoor lectures using material from filming the DVD. It was a good success and will hopfully pave the way for many more similar evenings in the future.

On a slightly different note, the more observant may have noticed Freddie was conspicuous by his absence at the beginning of the year. This was because he suffered quite a severe bout of strangles. He made a complete recovery after about 3 months, was given the ‘all clear’ moved to Nottingham and was enjoying being the centre of attention again by April. This is a terrible disease and the sooner more research is done the better. He has not really been on top form this year and with his breathing getting more laboured he finally had a laser tie back operation at Newmarket straight after the BRC Conference. He is now on box rest and is recovering well. Picture of Freddie looking over his stable door. An interesting fact to consider! . Several other horses at the same yard wh also had strangles have also had to have hobdays! A connection perhaps?.

November – March

The winter is a time for planning and preparation. The conference was a great success; the diary is full with local and nationwide demonstrations, courses and treatments. Horses Inside Out has been invited to Brazil, South Africa, Holland and the World Equestrian Games. We look forward to seeing you somewhere.

pio

Show jumping with lionel ants piccys

People with slices

Picture of demo with shetland

2008 Diary.

The Year began in January with an indoor lecture at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester. Yogi Breisner delivered a perceptive, amusing and anecdotal talk on ‘Coping with the Pressures of a Championship’. Whilst not professing to be a sports psychologist, Yogi drew on his vast experience and observations of human nature to explain how, when preparing for any actions, perfect planning and common sense are some of the most important ingredients.

February 2008

Henry was introduced an audience for the first time at Hartpury for the winners of the EHOA. True to form, the temperature was sub zero, but like Freddie last year, was painted under the solarium so was oblivious to the cold!. The new lecture, 'Core Stability for the Horse,' went down very well and Henry was well behaved if a little alarmed at some hammering on the roof just after we got started!

Freddie was on parade for the British Eventing Officials Weekend Conference at Moreton Morrel. It was slightly warmer and following a quick canter through the basic anatomy he was able to demonstrate to a mixed audience of course builders, scorers and Technical Advisers, 'How the Horse Jumps'.

For the Horses Inside Out winter lecture series,Liz Brown, (Asst Team Vet), gave a perceptive and humorous talk at The Royal Agricultural College on, The Veterinary Care of the Performance Horse' and gave many useful tips regarding looking after the horse at an event.

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March and April

March and April saw considerable activity within Horses Inside Out. Jennie Killilea gave an inspirational talk on sports psychology for riders at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester.

Hinckley dressage group enjoyed their talk. Henry made his second appearance at a demonstration in Dorset, and was much less alarmed by the audience! Lectures followed at Ipswich, Ely and the Blue Barn in Kent. All were well attended and well received.

Wow saddles came to Kent and were able to offer advice on saddles and saddle fitting. Attendees in Kent also took the advantage of the opportunity to have muscular assessments on their horses. This proved to be very popular and is something we hope to do more of in the future. Following popular demand Horses Inside Out is currently working on producing a book which will be available in Spring 2009 and DVD which hopefully will be available in the autumn.

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May and June

Horses Inside Out was invited to Bishop Burton College in May. This was our first visit and anatomy was brought to life for their students in a series of three lectures. The Musculoskeletal System, looking at How the Horse Moves and Pilates for Horses. It really is worth considering seeing a Horses Inside Out demonstration if you are doing exams. Not only does it make everything clearer but it has a real impact on training and riding programmes as well.

Following the success of their lecture demo last year Shuttleworth BHS held a Pilates for Horses evening which again was well attended. Henry was on parade and is now really getting into the swing of demonstrating his flexibility.

Horses Inside Out indoor winter series concluded with a Spring demonstration at West Wilts Equestrian Centre.

Midsummer Day saw us in Hay on Wye as guests of Karasel Saddlery. If you are ever in the region a visit to Karasel is a ‘must’ Ellie has a beautiful saddlery in lovely surroundings and you will be made most welcome.
This was our first outdoor demonstration and we had been praying for good weather. It poured! Ellie however had gone to enormous lengths to make the demo a success and people attended from as far afield as South Wales and the Midlands. We actually did the demonstration under a marquee. Freddie as usual was completely unfazed and took it all in his stride! The weather actually cleared enough for us to do a short demonstration out from under our shelter. Hay was characterised by a fantastically enthusiastic audience who were so full of questions that the demo was the longest we have ever done!

Having had a quiet start to the eventing season, both Henry and Freddie are in training for the late summer and early autumn events. They have both attended many photo shoots for magazines and our Horses Inside Out book which will be available in spring 2009. The DVD is still in the pipeline, but is certainly on its way.

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July to September

As for everyone else in the country several of our events and functions were cancelled this summer due to the heavy rain!
Ponies Inside Out though has been out and about with pony club children enjoying learning about the anatomy of their ponies by painting them then seeing them being lunged. Great fun!

We have done three demonstrations for Active Horse Camps at various venues around the country. These have been taster sessions and we have been very gratified that several people from the horse camps have also come to the lectures.

Lancashire Riding Club organised a very successful and well attended lecture at Osbaldeston Equestrian Centre. We ‘borrowed’ a horse and considering he was not used to an audience, it all went very well!

Horses Inside Out has linked up with Protexin, a company providing pre and probiotics this summer (and  I must say, Freddie is looking better than ever on it!)
We had our first joint venture at Blenheim Horse Trials. Freddie was housed in a very smart field shelter and was absolutely mesmerised by everything going on around him – he stood so still, ears pricked that several passers by thought he was a plastic model! For this event, he had his skeleton painted on one side and his alimentary canal on the other. All went well until at the start of the afternoon we were invited into the ring. No sooner had we got there when the heavens opened and of course, Freddie’s paint ran! What had been a lovely day gradually deteriorated. What had been wet anyway fast became a sea of mud. Crowds dwindled and eventually, the event was cancelled. Such a shame for all concerned! We are hoping for a repeat performance (of the event – not the weather!) at Your Horse Live, and we will be performing at the Holistic Horse Show at Towerlands at the end of next month.

Freddie and Henry have both been out and about eventing lately with varying degrees of success. They both seem fit and raring to go, so that is the main thing. Henry, who has tended to be a little nervous, is now growing in confidence. His training is progressing well. Freddie continues to be a superstar, loved by all! Both Henry and Freddie were featured in the September Issue if Horse and Rider.

Wow saddles have provided Freddie with a very well fitting dressage saddle. If you need a saddle, they are well worth contacting. Their tree is very different from most saddles and the design makes it extremely comfortable for the horse.

We are making Oasby Horse Trials our last for the season so I hope all goes well next weekend. All our fixtures are on the website. If you live in the Cirencester area, look out for the Winter lecture series. Horses Inside Out is organising a conference with Gerd Heuschmann and Dr Svend Kold. This is a brilliant opportunity not to be missed.

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October - December

2008 has certainly gone out with a bang! Horses Inside Out has been very privileged to have won Knowledge West’s best business award. The ceremony at the HP labs at Bristol University on December 4th was the culmination of 4 months hard work. From 700 original contenders, Horses Inside Out, the only equestrian business in the competition, was recognised by the Dragons Den-type judges as having the most potential. The competition was fierce and the entrants were diverse to say the least. They ranged from social to catering, environmental and IT projects. The runners up were a group of doctors who had developed a new range of software enabling health care professionals to access information more readily between providers. It was wonderful that the panel were fascinated enough to recognise and reward the global aims values and achievements of Horses Inside Out. The award has given impetus to the plans for the DVD planned to be made in Spring 2009.

To go back to the beginning of this period, Freddie did really well in the Intermediate Novice section at Oasby Horse Trials where he came second. He was beaten only by Ballincoola so we were actually honoured to be beaten by such illustrious competition!

On the demonstration front, autumn has been really busy! We gave a total of 6 lectures at the Holistic Horse Show at Towerlands, made a whirlwind tour of Cornwall where we did a demonstration with temperatures plummeting to minus 5. (The horse we used was a tough Gentleman used to hunting on Dartmoor. Just as well as painted horses cannot be rugged!.

The day after that we were at Hartpury College for the British Dressage Judges Convention. It was a real honour to be asked. After galloping at speed through the anatomy and biomechanics part of the talk, the judges watched Freddie on the lunge and in the pessoa and were given the opportunity to compare his way of going with Sam Ramatellah’s grand Prix Dressage horse Bungle, who showed off his far superior paces admirably. The judges were impressed and requested extra time! During the afternoon, we were able to give a talk to a group of Bowen Therapy students.

November also saw us at Your Horse Live, where we linked up with Protexin, a group making probiotics and a gut balancer. I have got to say that having Freddie on their products has certainly helped him keep weight on. During the autumn, Horses Inside Out has given lectures to students at Hartpury College and The Royal Agricultural College.

November too saw the first Winter Series lecture at The Royal Agricultural College. Yogi Brisener gave us a fascinating insight into the Beijing Olympics and looked forward to 2012. Back by popular demand, he was as entertaining and knowledgeable as ever and, with a plethora of interesting questions from the audience, the talk went on far into the evening.

To look forward, 2009 is already looking exciting with the first Horses Inside Out  Book with forwards by Christopher Bartle and Bettina Hoy due to be published at the end of March and the DVD to be released later in the year. Bookings are already up and there is the inaugural Horses Inside conference with Gerd Heuschmann taking place in April. We are on the lookout for 4 horses for him to use in his training lecture demonstration.

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2007 Diary.

2007 began with a demonstration in February for the EHOA competition winners at Hartpury College. This was characterized by sub zero temperatures! Nevertheless it was well received and from Freddie’s point of view, it was perfectly acceptable as Hartpury boasts a very comfortable solarium!

Horses Inside Out was invited twice during the year to Hartpury to give lectures to the students. Lincoln University also benefited from demos for their equine students.

Riding Clubs, Pony Clubs, The BHS , Equestrian Centres, and Dressage Groups have all hosted highly successful demonstrations. Horses Inside Out has traveled the length and breadth of the country; every where we have been made most welcome and made some wonderful friends.
Ponies Inside Out was also launched during 2007. Lots of children have learned through painting ponies. Effective and fun!

During 2007, Lecture demonstrations were held at:

Hartpury College, Gloucestershire
Vale View Equestrian Centre, Leicestershire
Hunters Equestrian Centre, Cirencester
Pony Clubs, Cirencester
Society of Master Saddlers AGM, Warwickshire
Hand Equestrian Centre, Bristol
Total Saddle Solutions, Derbyshire
Ely Event Centre, Cambridgeshire
Shuttleworth College, Bedfordshire
Mill End Equestrian Centre, Hertfordshire
Yorkshire Riding Centre, Ripon
Moody Mares Saddlers, Huddersfield
Wilton Pony Club, Salisbury
Croft End Equestrian Centre, Oldham
Lincoln University

2008 is already looking very healthy, with plenty of lectures already booked and many more in the pipeline. Keep an eye on the website!
Look out for us at The Royal Show in July and the Holistic Horse Show at Towerlands in October.
Responding to popular demand, we are also working on a DVD which will be available towards the end of the year.

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