Are you aware of the subtle signs your horse might be trying to tell you there is something wrong? When horses feel stressed or experience pain or discomfort the signs may not always be obviously apparent.
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Stress can be defined as the body's reaction to mental or physical pressure. Some stress is useful in a horse’s life to protect them from potential danger and allows a horse to learn and adapt to their environment. However, too much stress can cause a negative impact to their health and well-being.
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I think we all know the answer is yes! However in 2009, Swedish researchers investigated this subject with a very clever study design and I have just come across it again.
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As a quick experiment I asked an AI bot to tell me what it thought about the dangers of misunderstanding horse behaviour, and how that would affect horse welfare and safety. The text below is what was generated. Really interesting and not a bad start!
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Equine behaviour consultant Alice Campbell has written a great article looking at the ethics of using dominance-based techniques to train horses.
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I often hear "If he didn't want to, he wouldn't do it”. It is clear many people don’t recognise the subtle (or even not-so-subtle!) signs of stress or fear in horses and they believe that if their horse didn’t want to do something there is no way anyone could make them, but it is not that straightforward.
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I am very proud to say that I am now a Fear Free® Certified professional, after passing the equine specific Veterinary Certification Programme. I think the Fear Free Certification is a fantastic initiative and something all vets, vet nurses, technicians and trainers should be using and supporting in practice.
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A new German study has confirmed that horses do use tools, however the researchers say this is a rare phenomenon. The research team have identified 13 unambiguous cases of tool use in equids by twelve horses and one mule.
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I am pleased to announce that I will be giving a lecture and a demo at Understand Horse Live at Writtle University College, Essex on 3-4 September 2022.
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This is Magic, who was previously very anxious when he was tied up. His lovely owner Jen has been working on retraining him to stand when tied and has shared this great idea for making the process more fun and rewarding for him.
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Cannabidiol (CBD) is a nutraceutical that is increasingly being used to relieve pain and to treat a number of common ailments. It has been shown to decrease anxiety in humans and small animals, but there has been very little research on its use with horses. A recent study has looked at the effect of feeding a pelleted CBD supplement on equine reactivity and heart rate.
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A recent study suggests horses may be able to smell human fear when presented with their body odour. Researchers at the University of Wrocław presented twenty-one Thoroughbred and Arab horses with body odour samples collected from humans who were either happy after watching a cartoon, or frightened after watching a horror film.
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I have been awarded an honorary degree by Writtle University College for distinction in the equine industry. I attended the graduation ceremony alongside Khadijah Mellah and Ros Canter who also accepted honorary degrees. I feel very proud to be honoured alongside two such inspirational women.
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Separation anxiety is a common behavioural problem in horses. Most yards have a horse who is anxious about leaving the yard or panics when his friend is removed. Why does this happen? And why are some horses affected more than others?
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A new study has found that horses were 5 times more likely to have travel-related behaviour problems if a whip was used when loading. The study, carried out by Italian researchers has found a number of risk factors that increase the likelihood of behaviour problems and injuries when loading and travelling horses.
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Horses are grazing animals that have evolved over millions of years to eat at ground level. When we give a horse a stationary haynet, or a hay rack up high to eat from for a long period of time, this is very unnatural for them – both physically and mentally.
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There seems to be a growing confusion over what our horses like, want, or even need. Horse owners are encouraged to focus on feed, supplements, tack, gadgets or the next new innovation in rugs and ignore the bigger picture.
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I have some very exciting news! I have just launched a new online equine education platform with courses for horse owners, equine students and industry professionals.
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A recent study has found that horses presented with photos of humans can recognise their keepers at a rate much better than chance.
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Does your horse have concavity or a bony lump on their nasal bone or lower jaw? If so, it could be the result of how you fasten your bridle. A new study has found that bony changes may be caused by the use of tight nosebands.
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