Did you know that one of the five rules of selecting the best christmas gift is to give something to read? That's right, and you've come to the right place. Let's take a look at some of the fantastic books . availabe from Horses Inside Out and Gillian Higgins. "A book is a gift you can open again and again." Garrison Keillor Horse owners and riders of any level and all disciplines will benefit from having a better knowledge of equine anatomy and biomechanics. Gillian has wri

"Anyone studying locomotion and movement will, at some point, come across the incredible body of work by Eadweard Muybridge." Eadweard Muybridge was an English photographer who studied the movement of horses in the mid to late 1800s. It had long been debated whether there was a moment of suspension when a horse gallops. Someone who wanted to prove that this was the case was racehorse enthusiast Leland Stanford and he tasked Eadweard and his photographic skills to settle the d

Kelly Marks needs very little introduction. Thanks to the work she has done with Monty Roberts and forming Intelligent Horsemanship in 1999, horse owners and lovers now have a much better understanding and appreciation for how horse’s think and behave. Intelligent Horsemanship allows Kelly to combine her three favourite things; horses, writing and supporting others in their equestrian journey. She is incredibly proud of everything Intelligent Horsemanship has achieved and lo

Dr Sebastian McBride will present "Recognising Clinically Depressed Horses” at the Horses Inside Out Conference at Loughborough University on the 17th/18th February 2024. In this blog article we learn all about the man behind the incredible work. Dr Sebastian McBride PhD is the programme leader for Postgraduate Courses in Animal and Equine Science, Department of Life Sciences at Aberystwyth University. Present projects include equine sleep, equine depression, equine stereoty

The Horses Inside Out Anatomy Exhibition is a must see for every equestrian and anatomy enthusiast and one to rival aspects of the Natural History Museum! Each skeleton, specimen and anatomical model reveals different fascinating structure, anatomy, asymmetries, anomalies and pathologies. The next anatomy exhibition will take place at the 2024 Conference: Growth and Development . There is a great opportunity to get up, close and personal with each specimen, get hands on with

Equine nutrition is a subject often spoken about and one that can lead to some confusion. When it comes to young horses, their diet sets the foundation for their future and needs to be balanced and as natural a possible. Professor Meriel Moore-Colyer believes feeding doesn’t need to be complicated – it just needs to be balanced. Meriel has always had a keen interest in equine nutrition, loving to make up the feeds at the yard and looking at how feeds can have different effe

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

PART 1 The early years of a horse's life are crucial for their development and future success. Young horses, specifically those between the ages of three and six years, often experience a range of common problems that can affect their overall well-being, training, and performance. Growth and Development is the topic for the Horses Inside Out Conference in February 2024. Over the two days of the conference, you will be treated to a packed timetable with experts presenting th

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 One-Day Interactive Anatomy course. Now, I LOVE anatomy - it's a bit of a thing of mine - so I arrived nice and early to grab a seat at the front! The classroom - a specially converted barn - looked amazing and was filled with skeletons and bones! There were two fully assembled skeletons on what looked like giant skateboards; a painted mod

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

Nature versus nurture is often talked about whether it’s considering child development or more relevant to us, in horses. Dr Andrew Hemmings has carried out lots of research that reveals that by having a detailed knowledge of innate biological characteristics (nature) can help us make decisions about the best management practices of the domestic horse (nurture). Generally, when you read about nature and nurture, the nature element very much refers to what's going on in the an

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, producing books , courses and filming lectures for the Horses Inside Out Academy , that Spring 2023 was a shock to the system! So many wonderful things have happened in the last 6 weeks from full on lecture demonstrations and visiting incredible centres in Sweden, Holland and Wales, to under-water filming of swimming horses and seeing how WOW

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 or so years. Gillian Higgins called me a few months ago to say she had been invited to Sweden to present one of her painted horse lecture demonstrations and was wondering if I would like to accompany her on the trip to be a helping hand. How could I say no!? The trip soon came around and off we headed, flying in to Copenhagen, Denmark and th

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 welfare. We know that neck and back pain has a negative effect on equine performance, but they can go untreated as they can be tricky to diagnose. However, with access to more diagnostic tools and targeted treatments, conditions in the neck and back can be treated successfully. To help you learn more about the current thinking in this area, Equi

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 in the saddle and get out and about more with our horses. However, it’s vital to remember that an unfit horse, particularly, if he’s carrying an unfit rider, is more predisposed to injury. Whatever you are planning to do with you horse over the coming months your horse must be fit for the level of work he will be doing to help minimise the r

There’s no getting away from it – horses are truly amazing and as owners, riders, trainers, therapists and other equestrian professionals our aim is to ensure the horses in our care are happy and healthy. As their carers we must learn to ride sensitively, manage them effectively, learn to read their emotions and behaviour to ensure all their needs are met so they can thrive and perform at their best. Having a thorough understanding of how the horse’s body works will go a long

Massage is a powerful tool and has so many benefits, and now horse owners can learn how to massage their own horse with the Horses Inside Out Online Massage Course . Learning these skills will help owners to build a better bond with their horse and help keep him comfortable and happy between visits from their professional therapist. Pre orders for this exciting new course are now being taken. It will officially launch on Friday 5 May 2023. As riders and owners, it’s important