When we are looking to buy a new horse, we are encouraged to look at its conformation. Horse conformation is the study of the shape and structure of a horse's body. Conformation is influenced by the length and angles of the bones, the size and shape of the muscles, and the balance and symmetry of the horse. Correct conformation is important for long term performance and soundness because it may determine how well a horse can move, carry weight, and avoid injuries. In this art

A strong thoracic sling will improve your horse's performance, health, and well-being as well as enhancing his agility, power and lightness of the forehand. It can also reduce the risk of injury and lameness. A strong thoracic sling will reduce the stress on the back and spine making him better able to cope with the weight of the rider. Essentially, a strong thoracic sling means a happier, healthier horse. What is the Thoracic Sling? The horse has no collarbone and the thorac

Correct training and riding are key to keeping your horse happy, comfortable and sound. Combine this with a thorough understanding equine anatomy and how the horse works and you will be better able to train, ride, reduce the risk of injury allowing your horse to perform at his best. All horses are different in the way they move and think and it’s important to recognise and work with what you have got and train each horse accordingly. There is no such thing as a perfect horse.

PART 2 Understanding the process of skeletal maturity in horses is crucial for appropriate management, training and care. Skeletal maturity refers to the point at which a horse’s bones have fully developed and growth plates have ossified. In this, the second part of our blog about young horses, we explore the age at which horses generally reach skeletal maturity and the timeline of growth plate closure in different anatomical regions. Skeletal maturity in horses signifies the

I have already attended three of Gillian’s 2 Day courses so was excited to add another one to my growing list. This time round it was the...

A happy, comfortable horse is something all owners and trainers are striving for. Good management, feeding and training all play an integral part together with correctly fitting tack. Bridle fit and bitting is now, and quite rightly, seen as being just as important as the saddle and can have a huge impact on your horse’s performance and well-being. Having a clearer understanding of equine biomechanics and anatomy of the head highlights the huge influence that using a correctl

During the pandemic we made the decision not to do any foreign HIO trips until 2023. We'd been so busy focussing on working from home,...

As I write this blog I have recently returned from an incredible few days away with someone who has become a good friend over the last 3...

All owners want their horses to be happy, healthy and sound. Recognising when your horse isn’t performing as he should is key to his...

With summer almost upon us, the competition season in full swing, and more daylight hours many of us will be planning to spend more time...

There’s no getting away from it – horses are truly amazing and as owners, riders, trainers, therapists and other equestrian professionals...

In this article I suggest four top tips that will help you ensure that your horse is comfortable, and his muscular skeletal system is prepar

With good back posture being key to a good performance as well as a happy healthy horse, understanding more about how the horse's back...

If you work in the equine world, you’ll know how rapidly things can change – thanks to new research, products and techniques the way...

Caring for tendons, or managing a horse with a tendon injury is probably every horse owner’s nightmare. A horse with a tendon injury used...

With life being such fast paced it can be so easy to overlook things that may be staring us in the face. This is also true for our horses...

In the first part of this series of blogs about the paces we will look at the biomechanical effects and benefits of walk and also share...

Struggling with finishing off your shopping for your horsey friends? We're here to help you with some cracking gift ideas that provide...