Struggling with finishing off your shopping for your horsey friends? We're here to help you with some cracking gift ideas that provide education direct to your computer - and you don't need to rely on the post! There's a whole host of fascinating online courses and packages available from the Horses Inside Out Academy. Collections of Recorded Webinars - Series 1, 2, 3 or 4 These recorded webinars give the perfect opportunity to learn about how the horse works, anatomy and bi

Hind gut health is a phrase we hear a lot about at the moment, and it is an important issue. A healthy hind gut has so many positive effects on the horse, so it’s well worth understanding a bit about it. In this blog vet Liam Gamble gives a basic overview of the importance of good hind gut health and the microbiome. Liam was one of our guest presenters at the Horses Inside Out Conference where he discussed this topic in lots more detail. An introduction to the gastrointestina

I think most of us realise when it comes to horses you just never stop learning. These days, the way we find information has changed hugely –type a few words into a search engine and you’ll find all the information you need. But for me, you can’t beat a good book – curling up on the sofa and giving it your total attention for a few hours. It’s a chance to really focus as you turn the pages. There’s something really special about reading a book – the turning of the pages, the

Whatever discipline you do, adopting a correct, progressive and methodical training system that instils confidence in both horse and rider will bring you the most success and pleasure. This ethos is something that event coach Caroline Moore FBHS firmly believes in. Over years of coaching many event riders, Caroline has developed a unique training system. The best testimonial to her training is the career of the horse she co-owned with Ros Canter, Allstar B. We were excited to

Straightness is the fifth scale of training and is an important pillar of training. The ultimate aim is to have your horse as symmetrical and straight as possible. However, the reality is that no horse is completely symmetrical. It’s also easy to think that straightness is all about going in a straight line. However, straightness is as important through turns, circles and lateral work. There’s lots you can do to improve your horse’s straightness. Using the right exercises to

A compelling documentary has been released based on Dr Sue Dyson’s groundbreaking work on signs of pain in the ridden horse. The 35-minute film features world-renowned expert in equine orthopaedics, Dr. Sue Dyson, and her research on how ‘bad’ horse behaviour can actually be an early indicator of pain. This video is a superb precursor to watch ahead of the recorded seminar: Recognising Pain Related Poor Performance About Sue Dyson: Dr. Sue Dyson specialises in equine orthop

Confidence is a fragile thing – it can take years to build but seconds to destroy. I’m sure many of you will have suffered from a lack of confidence at some point. Having a toolbox of techniques to help you with any knock and pick yourself back up again is vital. Charlie Unwin Sports Psychologist has trained elite performers from a range of different industries including multiple Olympic champions, special forces soldiers, surgeons, musicians, fighter pilots and senior execu

You may think it's a bit of a cliché – but there is no truer saying. When you think about it logically, your horse has his entire weight loaded onto his four feet when standing and onto only one foot when galloping. Essentially, without good feet you have nothing. The hoof tells you so much about the state of your horse’s health and without a healthy horse it’s hard to have healthy feet. You can see good healthy feet are an integral part to your horse’s well-being, but the to

When your horse is not performing at his best taking a holistic view is the way to find the cause and suitable treatment. Discussing the issues you are having with your core support team that includes your vet, farrier and therapist can all help you find the best solution for your horse’s comfort and well-being. One of the most common issues that affects horses is lameness, this describes anything that causes an irregularity or unevenness of the gait. Often, it’s linked to pa

Earlier this year I received a phone call from Gillian Higgins of Horses Inside Out . Always nice to have a catch up with Gillian, we spent quite a lot of time together in 2021, as I attended many Horses Inside Out courses and was a helping hand during filming of the Autumn Webinar Series . What I wasn’t expecting during this call was for Gillian to ask if I would travel with her to Dublin to help with Horses Inside Out at the Dublin International Horse Show! How could I poss

Transitions, transitions, transitions. Yes, your trainer is right – you can never ride too many transitions and they form the basis of all training. However, nailing perfect transitions isn’t easy and takes time, patience, repetition and careful preparation to master. Transition means change. Whether upward, downward, direct, progressive, between or within the pace. An ideal smooth transition requires balance, suppleness and a willing response to your aids and this needs to h

Is it best to feed your horse from the floor? PART 2 In our last blog we looked at how feeding positions can help or hinder the horse's musculoskeletal health - in particular feeding from the ground. Now we'll take a look at other feeding positions and when they might be beneficial to the horse's health . Feeding High Feeding in this position is bad for the back and causes uneven wear patterns in the teeth Learn more about this in Posture and Performance and How Your Horse

Like many of you, I was truly saddened by the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Steadfast, loyal, devoted, respected, selfless, calm are just some of the words that have been used to describe Queen Elizabeth II. For me and I’m sure for many of you too, The Queen has been the one constant throughout my life. As the world around her has been constantly changing during her 70 years as our Monarch, she has been that constant figure that’s been there to see us through the h

Asking your horse to move laterally can be something as straightforward as asking him to move over in the stable to the more complex ridden exercises such as half-pass. When ridden correctly these lateral movements can be powerful suppling exercises for the back, pelvis, thorax, neck and body. All lateral movements no matter how simple or complex can be thought of as gymnastic exercises, which help to create a supple horse who is loose, flexible and in balance. This type of w

Keeping our horses as naturally intended is the ideal, but in reality this isn't always practical or possible. However, there’s lots we can do to help the horse mimic his natural environment and that promote good posture including the position he is fed. In the first of a two-part blog we look at the pros and cons of feeding from the floor and how they impact on the horse’s musculoskeletal health. Watch Your Horse Graze How a horse grazes reveals a lot about their musculoskel

As horse owners you know the importance of worming your horse. A high worm burden isn’t good for your horse’s health, it can lead to weight loss, a dull coat, cause damage to the gut, which may lead colic and diarrhoea and general poor performance, and in some cases it can be life-threatening. At the Horses Inside Out internal organs dissection courses we have regularly seen first hand the damage that can be caused to the horse's digestive system. The way we manage worms has

I love the interactive element, getting hands on with the horses, bones, anatomical models and specimens as well as all the questions and di

You can have the best breeding and conformation but without a good temperament and trainability you may struggle to train and bring out the best performance in the horse. To understand a horse's temperament and how he learns you need to have an understanding of the equine brain and how the two link together. However, there has been very little research done on the equine brain. Dr Andrew Hemmings is keen to change this, for the good of the horse. Dr Andrew Hemmings is a worl

We all know that how we feed and manage our horse's diet can help to gain or lose weight... but what about muscle development? Can what we feed a horse impact his ability to build strong and healthy muscle? The aim of feeding is to supply a balanced diet - get this right and you'll have a happy, healthy horse. Forage should make up the bulk of the horse's diet and then your bucket feed makes up for any shortfalls in the forage essentially balances what's missing in the forage

You've found the one...he's passed the vetting, and you can't wait to get your new horse home and start building your partnership together. Nothing beats that excitement of getting a new horse, but it's important to start out on the right foot, or should it be hoof? There's a huge amount of responsibility that comes with owning and caring for a horse and your first few months together are key to building a long-term partnership together. Despite our enthusiasm to get going, i