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

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

Myofascial release – it’s a bit of a buzz word in the horse world. But what is it, why is it so widely spoken about in the world of horses at the moment? This blog reveals how amazing this type of therapy can be, what it can do for your horse and how to learn some of the techniques. To learn about this subject in more detail check out the online course and book: Massage for Horses. What is Fascia? Fascia, is the largest system in the horse’s body. This 3D web encapsulates the

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

Following a packed first day, would the second day deliver such a wide ranging set of presentations? The resounding answer is yes it did! Watch the Conference on Catch Up here: www.horsesinsideout.com/conference-2023 The first two talks given by Dr Chris Pearce and Dr James Cooling covered the subject of bitting but both complemented each other perfectly. Comfort First and Foremost Chris discussed bitting injuries and how to avoid them, and he started by quoting from a book,

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 – as we rush round trying to juggle family, work and horses we can be guilty of not listening to them and this is when the early signs of a health issue may be overlooked and not dealt with until the symptoms are really shouting at us. The topic of biosecurity is now in the forefront of our minds and there is a lot we can do on a daily basi

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

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

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

A comfortable and happy horse is something all owners and trainers are aiming for. We know that feeding, management and training all play a big part together with correctly fitting tack. Saddle fit has long been a focus of attention and now thankfully bridle fit and bitting is seen as being just as important and can have a huge impact of your horse’s well-being and performance. As horse owners and professionals learn more about equine biomechanics and anatomy it’s becoming cl

I don’t think I’ve known the ground to be so hard so early in the year. I’m trying not to complain as the weather has been very kind (so far) but the price we have to pay for a dry spring and warmer days, is that the ground is rock hard already and worries surrounding concussion is happening months earlier than normal. So in this blog we will take a closer look at how horses absorb concussion and what we can do to minimise it. Of course with the longer days and sunshine, it r

With everyone looking forward to the Jubilee celebrations this weekend we thought it would be most apt to look back, remember and celebrate the day we painted a horse for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Hyde Park Barracks. It was such an honour to meet the queen and talk about horses. What a wonderful day it was! On Tuesday October 24th Gillian Higgins, equine anatomist and founder of Horses Inside Out, was invited to Hyde Park Barracks, London as part of a visit from Her M

My horse isn’t quite right. He's not lame, but he's just not quite right. How many times have you heard this as a conversation amongst rider and owners? When your horse isn’t quite performing as you would like, it can often leave you questioning your training, your tack, feeding and your day-to-day management routine to try and find the reason for his drop in performance. In this situation, it can be all too easy to overlook mild, multi-limb lameness and mild pain-related is

A well-fitting and balanced saddle is comfortable for you and your horse. Your saddle fitter is an integral part of the team of professionals that are there to ensure the best for the both of you. Here at Horses Inside Out we would always recommend that if you’re in any doubt about the fit of your saddle you need to enlist the help of a qualified saddle fitter. In this blog, Gillian Higgins offers her advice looking at saddle fit related to the anatomy of the horse and three

This article includes top tips for developing your palpation skills and look at why regular palpation of your horse is important and useful.