The importance of a correctly fitting saddle is widely understood but it’s only recently that the same principle is being applied to bridle fit. Just like a poorly fitting saddle, a badly fitting bridle can have huge implications on your horse. Thankfully, there is a lot more focus being placed on bridle design and fit. So much so that the market is flooded with anatomical bridles with padded headpieces and other design features that claim to make the bridle more comfortable

Lateral bend refers to the curvature of the horse’s spine around the rider’s inside leg on circles and corners. Theoretically, this should b

This month was the welcome return of ‘Webinar Wednesdays’ with Gillian Higgins of Horses Inside Out . This month’s topic was ‘Muscular Misconceptions’ - all about the muscles in the horse’s body on which we place the saddle and sit. If you missed it don't worry you can read all about it in this blog and you can now purchase the recorded version HERE. It is a common misconception that the muscle in the horse’s body that supports the weight of the rider is the long back muscle

You can’t beat hacking out on a crisp winter’s day and there are so many benefits to escaping the arena a couple of times a week - it's good for you and your horse both mentally and physically. It is important though to make sure your hacking is valuable to your horse’s training and not just a wander in the countryside on a loose rein. In this blog Gillian Higgins suggests five things that you can easily incorporate into a hack so you’re still training your horse just in a d

Feeding horses is a subject of much debate and with so many different feeds available it can often lead to confusion. However, feeding doesn’t need to be complicated – what is important is that your horse receives a balanced diet . With a better understanding of the anatomy of your horse’s digestive system and following some simple steps that can be adapted for all horses will make sure your horse gets all he needs in his daily ration. As Nature Intended In the wild, when lef

As riders, coaches and therapists we all have one thing in common - we want to get the best from the horses we are working with. However, it can be all too easy to place all the focus on what you do with the horse from a physical point of view. You can use all the training exercises that target working on certain areas of the body or improving the way of going but if you don’t have the horse on your side mentally progress will be slow. Having the ability to tune into how the

What a year it’s been - but under the circumstances 2021 has been a different but good year. In this blog I’ve put together some of our standout moments of the last 12 months. Teaching from Home Developing the facilities, here at home and having an amazing classroom to teach from has been a dream come true. It’s been a huge thing to sort but it’s made such a big difference. Having this amazing facility and being able to run courses from home, as opposed to travelling quite so

In our last blog we chatted to Horses Inside Out founder Gillian Higgins. As we continue our celebrations to mark 15 years of Horses Inside Out in this second part of the blog, we find out a bit more about how Horses Inside Out began and what the future holds. Gillian was already a trained human sports therapist and had her BHS Intermediate coaching qualifications. While studying at the Royal Agricultural College, Gillian had been able to build up a base of clients and when s

Gillian Higgins is probably most well known for her anatomical painting on live horses which she uses to teach others all about equine anatomy and biomechanics. But where did her passion for horses come from and how did Horses Inside Out start? In the first of this two-part blog and to celebrate the fifteenth birthday of Horses Inside Out Allison Lowther catches up with Gillian Higgins at her Leicestershire home to discover more about the driving force behind the brand. Sitti

As a registered Equine Therapist it is mandatory that I take part in CPD each year. This can include informative talks, webinars, live seminars and courses. Last year most of my CPD was online based due to COVID but this year I have been able to do more live courses which has been amazing. Still buzzing from 2 days at Horses Inside Out on the Myofascial Chains and Myofascial Release Techniques CPD course and with just the weekend to let my brain recuperate I was excited to

For our last blog in our Christmas series, we are focussing on making plans for 2022 and some last-minute gift ideas. As you know whether you are a horse owner, competitor, trainer, or therapist when it comes to horses you just never stop learning. At Horses Inside Out our focus is to make learning about anatomy and biomechanics fun, informative and accessible to all. Our 2022 diary is filling up fast with a great range of courses on offer. Take a look at the What’s On page

This series of four online lecture demonstrations takes you on a fascinating journey exploring how equine anatomy and biomechanics can be applied to movement, riding, training and management. If you're interested in improving the comfort and performance of your horse, understanding more about how horses move and to reduce the risk of injury this series is for you. What's so great about this online course is that you will have unlimited access to all of this amazing content al

How does your horse use his body to jump and how can jumping help your horse? Find out more with Horses Inside Out. This year I was very fortunate to be asked to be a part of the preparation and filming for a series of Horses Inside Out lecture demonstrations that were to be aired this Autumn as a series of live webinars. You can read more about the filming days for these webinars at the Horses Inside Out Blog page . The latest to be released was the final episode – Jumping

The horse is a highly sophisticated living organism made up of atoms, molecules, cells, tissues, organs and systems. To enable him to reach is full athletic potential and give him a happy, healthy quality of life, it’s up to us as carers, riders, trainers and therapists to ride him sensitively, manage him effectively, predict his emotions and behaviour and that all his needs are met and give him the best possible chance to succeed. To do this, it’s important to understand bot

The pelvis and sacroiliac area is often a topic of conversation amongst horse owner, riders, trainers and therapists. Having an understanding of this area can really help you to train your horse smarter. To help demystify this complex area you need to get your hands on the multimedia book Sacroiliac Ligaments and the Iliospoas Muscle Group . This looks in detail at the deep structures of the Iliopsoas muscle group, the sacroiliac ligaments, the sacroiliac joint and lumbosacra

Equine anatomy is a fascinating - if a little complex subject but if you're keen to start your journey and improve your knowledge, these two poster books are a great introduction to this subject. At first glance you may think that these books are just structures labelled up on pictures but they are so much more than that – there’s a great amount of detail in each image together with bite-size pieces of information to help your learning. These books are a fantastic learning re

Where it all began - How your Horse Moves was the first of Gillian’s books to be published, but it's still a firm favourite and will make a great gift for anyone who rides or works with horses. Whether you’re new to the world of equine anatomy or have some knowledge, this book is a must have. It takes a fresh look at equine anatomy and biomechanics and is a comprehensive guide to how horses move, presented from the inside out, which makes it much more fun to learn about. Did

They say you shouldn't have favourites but it's a fact that here at Horses Inside Out we are all extremely proud of the book Anatomy in Action and quite rightly so. The Anatomy in Action book and video course is the ultimate gift to give this Christmas. Whoever receives this as a gift will be able to immerse themselves in the beautiful and comprehensive study of horse movement from the anatomical perspective. Transitions...Transitions One key topic covered in this book is t

For day five we have an absolute corker of a gift idea for you. This video collection is aimed at horse owners, trainers, and therapists. It allows you to learn from the comfort of your own home. This complete collection of series 1 and 2 webinars is available at a special price of just £80. This comprehensive video courses comprises of over 19 hours of learning. Once purchased you will have lifetime access so you can watch the videos anytime and as many times as you like. J

This is one of my favourites - it's good for your soul and encourages you to take time out for yourself. If you know someone who could do with indulging in a little 'me time' this is the gift for them - or anyone who loves horses. This colouring book showcases Gillian's love for equine anatomy and drawing. She is known for whiling away the evenings drawing and challenging herself and to illustrate how the different structures in the horse's body move during different movement