At this year’s Horses Inside Out Conference: Soundness and Symmetry, a veterinary chiropractor from Cornwall won the scientific poster competition. The questions she raised are ones every native pony owner should be asking.

Gillian Higgins shares her advice and tips on supporting locomotion, mobility and flexibility in veteran horses

Horses Inside Out is delighted to announce the winner of its recent scientific poster competition: Jenna Payne, for her research titled, "A Preliminary Investigation into the Effect of Pony Age and Rider Weight on the Mechanical Nociceptive Thresholds (MNTs) of the Epaxial Muscles and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) of Exmoor Ponies."

Horses Inside Out is proud to celebrate companies and individuals who have positively contributed to the company’s success over the last 20 years by supporting the advancements in education and understanding of biomechanics and equine welfare.

2026 marks 20 years of making the invisible visible. From one painted horse in a livery yard to a globally respected education platform, the journey has transformed how people understand, care for, and train horses.

Horses are incredible athletes, capable of remarkable feats of strength and agility. However, their demanding work schedules can lead to muscle tension, stiffness, and pain. This is where equine massage and stretching come in, offering a natural, science-backed approach to improving your horse's well-being.

From the science of laterality to rehabilitation, nutrition, and welfare, day 2 of the 2026 Conference highlighted just how complex the subject of soundness and symmetry really is. While symmetry is often viewed as the ideal, the speakers over the whole weekend made it clear that the reality is far more layered. Just like humans, horses are naturally asymmetrical and understanding the difference between normal variation and when it is more serious is essential for anyone wor

During the 2026 conference we were lucky enough to welcome Ros Canter to the stage for a relaxed chat and Q&As with Gillian Higgins. In this article, Allison Lowther brings you the highlights which includes assessing asymmetry and how it may impact performance. As well as training young horses with longevity in mind and more. Assessing Horses and Managing Movement Q: How do you go about assessing your own horses and the management side of assessing movement? Ros says: When it

The conference kicked off with Dr Kevin Haussler who discussed Spinal Evaluation Techniques in Horses. He stressed a clear and structured approach is needed, emphasising that assessment must go beyond simply identifying sore areas. He explained that the spine plays a central role in posture, locomotion, performance, and neurologic function, meaning dysfunction can present as poor performance, behavioural resistance, vague lameness, or subtle neurologic deficits.

Dr Sue Dyson looks at recent research on whether coaches are able to detect hindlimb lameness in horses and why this is an important skill to have to ensure the welfare of the horse.

when you can’t ride or turnout, there's still so much you can do. It may be tricky to find the motivation but this is the perfect time to focus on strengthening your partnership, improving your horse’s comfort and posture, and building solid foundations that will help your training and performance in the future.

Freshness and spookiness can be a real challenge during the winter months. Shorter days, reduced turnout, colder temperatures, clipped coats and more time spent in the stable can all have a significant impact on a horse’s behaviour.

In the quest of better movement, improved performance and long-term soundness, we often look closely at the horse. We analyse conformation, training methods, saddle fit and management in minute detail. But what if one of the most influential factors is sitting right on top of the horse?

Nicola Wilson talks about her passion for coaching, resilience and the lessons life has taught her along the way.

Soundness and symmetry in the equine hoof are influenced by a whole host of factors — quite possibly enough to fill an entire book. With that in mind, in this article, Mark Johnson focuses on some of the most common elements he comes across in his daily work as a hoof-care provider.

Gillian Higgins shares her thoughts and plans with her horses for the year ahead

Ros Canter outlines some of the principles that underpin her training system and the importance of soundness and symmetry in her horses.

Correct saddle fit is fundamental to equine comfort, performance and, above all, welfare. Yet one of the most common, and most misunderstood issues affecting ridden horses is saddle slip.

Dr Sue Dyson, Independent Consultant takes a look recent research into how effective acoustic ear covers for horses really are.

What is Equine Welfare? In addressing whether there is a conflict between providing good welfare and optimising performance, Roly suggests that the starting point must be clarity around definitions. “We need to consider what we mean by ‘welfare’, and what we mean by ‘performance’,” he explains.