Imagine that you run a rescue centre and one day, you found a little creature in a box that had been dumped by your gates (see picture). There is a note that says “We can no longer care for this creature, there is only one person in the world who...

Can you remember learning something new? Perhaps learning how to ride a horse, drive a car, touch type or scuba dive… Take a minute to reflect on a skill you have learnt. Were you instantly confident? If not, how did you gain confidence as you...

With the explosive increase in people using social media, such as Facebook, I find myself continually being brought into discussions about various horse training methods or ‘funny’ clips. Usually these are accompanied by a message that says...

By Suzanne Rogers, Certified Equine Behaviour Consultant (IAABC) In my work as an equine behaviourist I am often asked if it is ‘bad’ when a horse does certain behaviours such as licking and chewing, yawning or pawing the ground. Owners know...

As an equine behaviourist one of the common reasons people contact me for help is separation anxiety – their horse isn’t coping when taken away from other horses or when left alone. Sometimes horses form such a strong bond or attachment to...

There are many roads to Rome … but some will get you lost.   When people encounter problems with their horses they tend to go through a range of responses – some immediately call the vet as they suspect, or want to rule out, pain as a...

Sometimes in my work as an equine behaviourist it is enough to change people’s perception of their horse or pony without working on solving the ‘problem’ through behaviour modification. A good example is a case I saw nearly ten...

Last month’s article focused on the enriched horse at pasture. This month we look at two increasingly popular management systems for field-kept horses that can be used to help improve both horse welfare and behaviour and soil health. The Paddock...

Last month we looked at the benefits of environmental enrichment for the stabled horse, or one on box rest. This month’s article focuses on the horse at pasture. When we turn out a horse in a field we, quite rightly, think that we are improving...

Environmental enrichment is the improvement of an animal’s environment, physically, socially, or both. It is currently a hot topic in agriculture and zoos as a means of decreasing stress and – in farm animals – increasing productivity, and is...