Buck-It-Better

22/07/2026

📣Public Service Announcement 📣

📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣📣

I often hear “Well how do the horses in the wild cope”

THEY DONT!!!!

THEY DIE

THE GET EATEN

That’s it
It’s as simple as that.

Folk need to stop comparing
Domesticated horses to
Wild horses

They are two totally different lifestyles.

Yes iv used an Ai picture don’t shoot me down 😬

05/07/2026

You don’t have to ride your horse to have a meaningful relationship with them.

Sometimes summer connection looks like this:

☀️ Standing in the shade together while the wretched horse flies test everyone’s patience.

🪣 Refilling water buckets for the third time because horses drink like camels in July.

🌿 Watching them graze while you quietly decompress from the day.

🧽 Sponging off sweat, dust, sun cream, fly spray and whatever mystery substance they have rolled in.

🍎 Sharing a carrot, a scratch, or ten minutes of calm at the gate.

🐴 Learning which itchy spot makes their lip wobble.

🌾 Noticing how they choose to stand near you, even when they could walk away.

Summer long evenings can make us feel like we should be doing more.

More riding.
More schooling.
More hacking.
More progress.

But your horse does not measure your relationship by how much you achieve.

They notice consistency.
They notice kindness.
They notice how you approach them.
They notice whether you listen when the heat, flies, ground, mood or body says “not today.”

Some of the deepest relationships are built in the ordinary moments.

The quiet hose downs.
The fly mask checks.
The field visits.
The slow walks to nowhere.
The sitting on a mounting block while your horse grazes nearby.

You are still a horse person when you do less.

You are still building trust when you choose care over pressure.

And you absolutely do not have to ride your horse to matter to them.

Sometimes the relationship is right there in the summer dust, with a sweaty forehead, a half-empty water bucket, and a horse who stays close because being with you feels safe. ☀️🐴

28/06/2026

23/06/2026

Its looking hot 🥵
Lots of water & fly spray needed this week! ☀️

15/06/2026

16/05/2026

Great read up on ‘hay/grass bellies’ 🐷

Friday focus...the horses belly (abdomen) and condition scoring!

A large belly does not necessarily mean your horse or pony is fat! Things like gut fill can affect the shape of the belly which is why it is not accounted for when condition scoring.

A large belly is usually indicative of a large amount of gut fill, after consuming lots of fibrous forage and it is completely normal and healthy!
However, this can often be confused with being fat and it’s important to know the difference.

To check on your horses body condition, you need to feel then! The main areas are feeling his or her neck, behind the shoulders, ribs and flank for fat coverage as this is where you will find fat deposits. I know I go on about this lots, but it is so important to know how to body condition score your horse and if you know what you are feeling for, you will know if your horse has a forage belly or if they are carrying too much body fat; the two should not be confused!

A horse that is carrying too much body fat, should have their calorie intake addressed, whereas a horse that simply has a forage belly with no excess body fat, does not need their calorie intake addressing.

Do not forget about body shape too! I see lots of horses and ponies with wide ribcages who have no excess body fat and ‘ideal’ condition scores that are usually labelled as being overweight just because of their shape. No one should be commenting unless they know how to condition score and are doing so correctly!

So if your horse or pony has a large belly, but has an ‘ideal’ condition score; no fatty areas of concern and you can feel their ribs, then it is more than likely it’s just a forage belly, which is perfectly normal and healthy!

16/05/2026

🩷 🐴

12/04/2026

Can you improve your horse’s coordination with a brush?

The answer is yes. It’s called proprioception: the horse’s 'sixth sense' or their brain’s map of where their body is in space.

The 'Mapping Stroke':
By using varied brush textures and rhythmic, intentional strokes, you stimulate the somatosensory cortex. This tactile enrichment provides the brain with a clear 'read' of the body’s map, which can lead to better balance, coordination, and a sense of physical security.

Professional Insight:
Award-winning equestrians often use specific grooming sequences to 'wake up' the nervous system before a performance. It’s not just cleaning; it’s grounding.

The Process:
1. Use an 'Opener' brush to stimulate surface nerves.
2. Vary your pressure to reach deeper proprioceptors.
3. Observe the horse’s connection to their feet: they often stand more 'square' as they process the input.

Grooming is the conversation you have with your horse’s nervous system. Make it a good one.

05/04/2026

Summer turnout is in touching reach! But the majority of our horses are still spending alot of times in their stables! And bodywork is really important to keeping them supple 💪🏼

Show season is also round the corner, so it may be a time to get your neds in tip top condition 👌🏼

Heres a reminder of just some of the benefits a massage can offer.

❄️ Improve circulation
😡 Relieve stress & tension
🫠 Improve posture
💪🏼 Release tight spots
🤕 Reduce risk of injury
🩸 Boost blood flow
💕 Improve mood and release endorphins

Incorporating massage therapy will help ease fatigue and soreness, and aid muscle recovery. ❤️‍🩹

If you would like to chat about how a massage could help your best friend, feel free to drop me a msg for a friendly no pressure chat 💬 🐴🥶🩷🤲🏼