Kate Thornton Equine Sports & Remedial Bodywork Norfolk

18/03/2026

10/03/2026

It’s taken a week and a day for me to get round to this but we are also busy prepping for courses and putting together a charity event for Redwings and Target Ovarian Cancer (please shout if you’d like raffle tickets, we have some AMAZING prizes!!) Buuut…. I did a thing…..

After many years my dream of another horse has been realised and I’m beside myself with joy (and disbelief) 💕 🐎

My new boy arrived last Monday and touch wood is settling so well into his new home. So many things are different for him so at the moment it’s about decompression and getting to know ♥️

Such a beautiful person, inside and out.
I am beyond lucky. I will take this chance to say more thanks than I actually can verbalise, to my parents who make things possible and shared my dream 🥰 , to Nicky for sharing her lovey horsey home and championing my cause 😘 , to Debs for her ongoing support and being here 😘 and to all my other friends for gifts and being so kind - you know who you are 🥰

And so the journey begins…
🥳 🐎

19/02/2026

I’m still here, working away, slipping in mud like everyone else, but haven’t had much Facebook time 🤦‍♀️
However, I’ve just been sent a picture taken by a friend/client this afternoon entitled “photo of the year”. To which I said…. (Apart from some exclamations/expletives) “this needs a caption”

So…. Thoughts? 🙈 😂 😂 🙄

01/02/2026

Well I know who my vote goes to….. 🥰🐎 Nicky Donohue
All categories are free to nominate and only take 5 minutes to show your appreciation to professionals who have positively contributed

No limit on how many people you can vote for across the categories 😊

Instructor of the Year – in association with Equinnect

Great instructors are often the reason people stay riding or build a bond with their horse. They build confidence, put safety and horse welfare first, and support riders through every stage, from nervous first lessons to long-term goals, be it in or out the saddle.

This award is about recognising those instructors who make a real difference. The freelance coaches, the riding school instructors, the quiet one-person operations, and the people who show up week after week with patience, knowledge, and genuine care.

If you know an instructor who goes the extra mile, someone who explains, encourages, challenges, and truly supports you, we’d love to hear about them.

Nominations are now open for Instructor of the Year, in association with Equinnect.

Whether they teach full-time, part-time, or independently, this is your chance to recognise their impact.

👉 Please share this post, tag your instructor in the comments and nominate someone who deserves recognition via our website

01/02/2026

I couldn’t agree more with this excellent post 🙌 🐎

I’m aware that this is probably an unpopular opinion but….knowing me as many of you do, I’m going to press ahead with it anyway! 🤷‍♀️😂

Horses Do Not EVER ‘Just Try It On’.

There, I said it.

And it’s a hill I will die on.

Horses are neurologically incapable of ‘trying it on’, their brain structure doesn’t give them the neural connections that would be needed to do it.

Please stop listening to your yard neighbour/owner/resident ‘expert’/FB keyboard warrior who tells you that your horse is taking you for a ride and that you just need to ‘push them through it’.

Any equine professional who tells you to simply ‘push them through it’ should raise a red flag to you.

YOU know YOUR horse better than anyone.

Some common behaviours that are often cited as the horse ‘just trying it on’:

* Napping
* Spooking
* Bucking
* Broncing
* Rearing
* Spinning
* Biting
* Kicking
* Struggling with canter leads
* Falling in or out on a circle
* Yanking on the reins
* Leaning on the bit
* Putting the tongue over the bit
* Opening the mouth against the bridle
* Head shaking
* Planting
* Reversing
* Refusing jumps
* Running out at jumps
* Rushing at jumps/poles
* Running off/bolting

There’s probably a lot more to add but the point is, these are sadly common behaviours that are so often written off as the horse ‘trying it on’, and the rider just needs to push them through it (or ‘show them who’s boss’ - oooh, my favourite phrase, NOT!!! 🤦‍♀️)

If the horse isn’t doing as they are asked, it’s because in THAT moment they CAN’T (not because they won’t) and it’s up to us to figure out why.

It might be due to pain/fear/confusion/fatigue/lack of confidence/misunderstanding/discomfort.

What it is NOT due to is this ridiculous myth that the horse is simply ‘trying it on’ with the rider, to see what they can get away with.

If you think it might be pain/discomfort related, speak to your vet/farrier/dentist/bodyworker/saddle fitter/bridle fitter.

If you think it’s a confidence/learning issue, get help from a reputable source (who doesn’t tell you the horse is ‘just trying it on’!!!)

Don’t do your horse the injustice of presuming they are doing something that they are just not built to do.

26/01/2026

Current February Availability

I currently have some availability for the following dates in February in and around these areas (including the route from Stanhoe/PE31 8 - I can deviate slightly depending on timings etc!)

Tuesday 3rd - Fakenham - Wymondham
Friday 6th - Fakenham - Wymondham - Bungay
Monday 9th - Heacham - Kings Lynn - Wisbech
Wednesday 11th - Heacham - Kings Lynn
Tuesday 17th - Feltwell - Swaffham
Wednesday 18th - Heacham - Kings Lynn

Have a good week!!

26/01/2026

Articles and Research Papers from IEP members and guests on a variety of equine related subjects

23/01/2026

Fabulous - if tomorrow’s horses and ponies (all animals) are to have a better all round quality of life, we need to nurture today’s young minds 🙏

22/01/2026

April, May and September are now fully booked! Limited spaces available for June, July and August 😁 Link to our course information and booking in the comments 👇👇👇

Have a good day everyone 🐴

18/01/2026

Behind the scenes I've been working away this month to complete the theory elements of INDIBA training. As some of you know, I have been working in tandem with Kirsty Bolderston Veterinary Physiotherapist MSc MRAMP for certain clients - sometimes referring people to her and others she has referred to me, depending on what the individual horses need.

This has led to a huge honour as she asked me to help some of her INDIBA clients (demand is high) 🥹🥹 So I have spent some days with her doing some practical training and have today just completed the theory side - a revisiting of cell biology among other things 🤯

Thank you Kirsty, for placing your trust in me - and you know how I do love more learning 🐎I'll carry on buying my lottery ticket - if I get lucky I may just add this modality to my toolkit 😅

11/01/2026

When a “better life” feels hard for the horse 🐴💭

This is something I see often.

A kind, ethical person brings home a horse from a background that may have involved pressure, physical or emotional punishment, restriction, or limited choice — and offers what we’d all consider a much better life.

And yet… the horse struggles – you see various behaviours, gut disturbances, withdrawal, difficulty settling with new friends, reluctance to exercise, refusal to leave the yard – yikes, “what more can I do?!”

This doesn’t mean they’re ungrateful, difficult, or that you’ve done something wrong.

For some horses, the shift is huge:

• Loss of familiar horses, routines, and environments (even if they weren’t ideal)
• Nervous systems shaped by pressure or punishment (which may contribute to a lasting affective state/carry trauma, and also may make the contrast more stark)
• No experience of choice, agency, or freedom (as above)
• Turnout, herd life, or autonomy that feels confusing or unsafe
It can help to look closely at the horse’s previous life and compare it to the new one:
• How many things have changed at once?
• Which aspects might feel most unfamiliar or overwhelming?

What looks like an upgrade to us can feel so foreign that it puts them outside of their comfort zone. This is where I sometimes see people feeling upset, frustrated or in despair – they are trying so hard to make life amazing for their horse.

How you can help in the early months:

• Keep life simple, calm, and predictable
• Understand that there may be an element of grieving happening – having left horses and people they have been close with - there is growing evidence in equine welfare and comparative cognition research that horses can experience grief-like affective states following both the death of a bonded companion and the loss of social contact through separation.
• Reduce expectations and training pressure
• Introduce change gradually where possible
• Spend time with no agenda — relationship before requests
• Listen to subtle signs of stress or shutdown
• Seek support from professionals who understand pain, trauma, and nervous systems

And if you’re feeling discouraged or guilty:
This isn’t a failure — it’s a transition.

Your horse isn’t rejecting what will likely end up being a wonderful life

They’re learning how to feel safe inside it.
Patience, compassion, and time will ultimately pay off (and go easy on yourself too!)😊🐎