I was standing in the forest poo-picking. The herd was some way off, on another part of the land. When the first firework went off, there was an immediate response from the horses. They regrouped. Agitation rippled through the herd. My horse sense told me to move the barrow from where I was, in the …
Read more “Powerful essential oils helpful for horses at bonfire night.”
I am just back from a one-day workshop with Gillian Higgins at Horses Inside Out. Massage is the art of manipulation of soft body tissues with the hands. The workshop aimed at improving our skills in massage for horses. During the day, we worked with five lovely horses. Toby, Norman (shown above), Pumpernickel, Mowgli, and …
Read more “One-day equine massage workshop at Horses Inside Out”
Gastric issues in horses are extremely serious and can cause great pain. There are essentially two kinds of ulceration. One of these occurs in the upper or squamous part of the stomach. The other, in the lower or glandular region. Ulcers are unfortunately all too common in racing and competition horses. We will consider here …
In a recent post, I described the Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), as one of the plants most toxic to horses. In this post, I look at a related issue, concerning Ragwort and Rewilding. Description: Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) is a biennial plant, abundant in Britain. It can grow from 30cm to a meter in height. Ragwort has …
Which plants are most toxic to horses? In this series of posts, I continue to describe the most common plants that are toxic to horses. Here we look at the Hemlock. Description: Hemlock (Conium Maculatum) is an erect, branched biennial plant. It can reach 2m in height. It is common in waste ground, in ditches, …
Which plants are most toxic to horses? In this series of posts, I continue to describe the most common plants that are toxic to horses. Here we look at the mighty Oak. Description: Oak (Quercus spp.) is a tree, native to Britain, and commonly found in woodland, parkland, and near pastures. Oak is also widespread …
Which plants are most toxic to horses? In this series of posts, I continue to describe the most common plants that are toxic to horses. Description: Foxglove (Digitalis Purpurea) is a biennial plant that reaches about 1.5m in height. Its flowers are bell or helmet-shaped and they may be either purple or white. What the …
Ragwort is a common plant that grows wild and is toxic to horses. This article gives information about Ragwort, and how to remove it.
Understanding the anatomy of the digestive system is an important step in maintaining a balanced and healthy diet for your horse. Gillian Higgins and Clare MacLeod present a one-day seminar on Digestive Anatomy, Feeding, and Nutrition. This took place on Saturday 12th February 2022. It was part of Gillian’s series of seminars on equine anatomy …
I wanted to give a shout-out for Gillian Higgins’ Autumn/Winter season of online seminars on equine anatomy, posture and movement. She has written many books of excellence: Posture and Performance; How your horse moves; and Horse anatomy for performance, amongst others. Highly recommended! Her training courses are in-depth and give valuable insight to both practitioners …