Horsemanship - a term that encompasses the skills, knowledge, and understanding needed to form a harmonious relationship with a horse. It involves treating the horse with respect and working with its natural instincts and behaviour to create a positive and safe riding experience. Horsemanship is the foundation of all riding disciplines and is essential for both horse and rider. Creating a partnership with the horse is key Ultimately, horsemanship is about creating a partnersh

The rider's position in the saddle has a huge influence on the horse's musculoskeletal health and performance. A rider that is balanced and symmetrical will help the horse move freely, while a rider that is unbalanced or asymmetrical will cause stress, discomfort, and potentially cause injury to the horse's muscles, joints, and spine. As riders, we are all striving and working towards maintaining a correct position in the saddle, this is for our own safety and for the health

As we start a new year, it's often a time to set goals. If you would like to improve your horse's all-round way of going and ensure he is comfortable, happy and healthy I have some advice and tips for you to try over the next 12 months. Give them a go, they are all easy to incorporate into your riding and training routine. Each of my suggestions will help ensure your horse is happy and healthy throughout the year. They are also all things that I do with my own horses, so I kn

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

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

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

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

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

It was a year in the making but all the blood, sweat and tears was worth it as the Horses Inside Out Conference made a welcome return....

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...

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...

Whatever discipline you do, adopting a correct, progressive and methodical training system that instils confidence in both horse and...

Straightness is the fifth scale of training and is an important pillar of training. The ultimate aim is to have your horse as symmetrical...

A compelling documentary has been released based on Dr Sue Dyson’s groundbreaking work on signs of pain in the ridden horse. The...

Transitions, transitions, transitions. Yes, your trainer is right – you can never ride too many transitions and they form the basis of...

Asking your horse to move laterally can be something as straightforward as asking him to move over in the stable to the more complex...

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