On the bit, outline, frame whatever phrase you use, it's always a hot topic between riders, trainers, and dressage judges - in fact almost everyone in the horse world has an opinion on this subject. First and foremost, the horse's welfare is essential. He must be able to move freely with regular gaits, and allowed to carry his head in a relaxed, comfortable position without restriction. Where the horse positions his head and neck influences so many things including his balance, movement and...

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 really is the time...

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 Majesty Queen...

Have you ever heard the saying ‘lateral flexion comes before longitudinal flexion’ or how about ‘without true bend you can’t have true straightness’ ? Both sayings I have heard a few times over the years, and I understand what the principles are behind them, but putting this into practice can be more of a challenge. How does the horse’s body create bend? How can we influence the horse’s body to create and improve their ability to bend? If we can have the answers to these questions will we...

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 issues but for the...

As a horse owner I’m always looking for ways to ensure both my horses are happy and comfortable in their bodies. Gillian and I thought it would be great to set a fun and interactive challenge for the Horses Inside Out followers. Each challenge is a simple exercise or technique you can do with your horse to help improve his comfort, health and performance. Not one to miss out on a good challenge and to join in the fun I gave them a go on one my own horses. Here’s how I got on with each of the...

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 markers to look...

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

Last Wednesday we travelled north, with the car filled to bursting, to Netherton Equestrian Centre, Perth. Our journey to Scotland was to perform the first public live painted horse lecture demonstration since 2019. It was fabulous to be back out there again, to meet and chat to horse owners, trainers and other equestrian professionals in person. In this blog we share some of the top tips related to maintaining mobility from the night, what's involved on the day and a bit about the journey...

Head Anatomy, has to be one of my favourite webinars from Gillian so far. They are all fantastic but I loved this one's practical aspects.