Horse Behaviour 3 - The Horse Physio - Sue Palmer

Tag: Horse Behaviour

30.11.2021 How To Fix Fear Of The Farrier

By Sue Palmer on November 30, 2021

How To… Fix Fear Of The Farrier… In 10 Easy Steps Chapter 9: Food as a distraction Bribery is rarely a good plan as a training tool, but using food as a distraction or a reward can work very well in relation to overcoming fear of the farrier. This can be as simple as a […]

What Do Horse Owners Really Think About Supplements?

By Sue Palmer on November 28, 2021

A fascinating study looked into the supplements used by dressage and eventing horse owners, and their reasons for using them. Through an online survey shared via British Eventing and Dressage websites, researchers gathered insights from 599 owners—441 dressage and 158 eventing. Owners had an average of 26 years of riding experience and typically used two supplements for their highest-performing horse. The reasons? In dressage, the focus was on joint mobility and behaviour, while eventers prioritised electrolytes and joint support. The key challenges identified were revealing. For dressage, energy/behaviour, lameness, and back or muscle issues topped the list. In eventing, stamina and fitness were the biggest concerns, followed by lameness and behaviour. Interestingly, there was a mismatch between the issues owners highlighted and their choice of supplements. While lameness was a major worry in both disciplines, it wasn’t always addressed with their supplement choices. This study highlights the need for a deeper understanding of how supplements align with specific health and performance concerns. It’s a reminder to all of us in the equestrian world to consider not just what we give our horses, but why—and whether it’s truly addressing their needs.

27.11.2021 Excerpt from ‘Understanding Horse Performance: Brain, Pain or Training?’

By Sue Palmer on November 27, 2021

From Chapter 12: Does your horse score 10/10 for comfort? 1. Picking up feet What to do: Pick up each of your horse’s feet in turn, as though you were going to pick out his foot. The ideal: A balanced horse who is willing to have all four feet picked up, where left feels the […]

15.11.2021 How To Fix Fear Of The Farrier

By Sue Palmer on November 15, 2021

How To… Fix Fear Of The Farrier… In 10 Easy Steps Chapter 6: Is he in pain? Difficult behaviour for the farrier is one of the ‘flags’ in my book ‘Understanding Horse Performance: Brain, Pain or Training?’ which suggest that a vet check could be beneficial. This is more about horses who pull their leg […]

10.11.2021 How To Fix Fear Of The Farrier

By Sue Palmer on November 10, 2021

How To… Fix Fear Of The Farrier… In 10 Easy Steps Chapter 5: Just a second… Holding his foot in the air is, from the horse’s point of view, removing his option to flee. The option to flee may, as far as his instincts are aware, be the only thing that keeps him alive, should […]

30.10.2021 How To Fix Fear Of The Farrier

By Sue Palmer on October 30, 2021

How To… Fix Fear Of The Farrier… In 10 Easy Steps Chapter 3: Can He Stand Still? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… Teaching your horse to stand still is the foundation of rock that you can safely build on. I don’t mean to stand still for a minute or two, or […]

29.10.2021 Finding the right help

By Sue Palmer on October 29, 2021

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Ralph Waldo Emerson It can be a minefield trying to find the right help for you and your horse, and I’ve written […]

25.10.2021 How To Fix Fear Of The Farrier

By Sue Palmer on October 25, 2021

How To… Fix Fear Of The Farrier… In 10 Easy Steps Chapter 2: Using A Fake Arm The last thing you want is for yourself or your horse to get injured, and as far too many people know, farrier problems can pose great risks! Some horses are more tricky to pick up their front feet, […]

20.10.2021 How To Fix Fear Of The Farrier

By Sue Palmer on October 20, 2021

How To… Fix Fear Of The Farrier… In 10 Easy Steps Chapter 1: Practise, Practise, Practise It’s not up to your farrier to train your horse. Put yourself for a moment in his position. Yes, he’s experienced (hopefully!) and he knows horses. But he’s bending down for much of the day, day after day, week […]

15.10.2021 How To Fix Fear Of The Farrier

By Sue Palmer on October 15, 2021

How To… Fix Fear Of The Farrier… In 10 Easy Steps Introduction Jack was one of the most reliable coloured cobs you could ever have asked to meet. He hacked out once or twice a week in walk and trot around the lanes, safe and apparently sound. He was easy to do in every way, […]

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