Sue Falber Equine Touch Practitioner & Foundation Coach

12/01/2026

Such sad news having closed her lovely bricks and mortar shop a few years ago my lovely friend Seriously Tacky Ltd is now closing her on-line shop in order that she can focus on a new venture. Lots of bargains to be had but you need to be quick ....

The majority of Seriously Tacky's stock is now on SALE. Please share this news far and wide to help in the Closing Down my lovely tack shop :o( Take this opportunity to grab some Real Bargains. Do some rummaging. I'm still working to get organised post show and surgery so stock levels aren't 100% so...

09/01/2026

Horse ownership isn’t always therapeutic.
Sometimes it’s just exhausting.

Winter is where the fantasy really falls apart. Short days. Long mud. Frozen taps. Wet gloves that never dry. Everything takes twice as long and gives half the reward. What once felt grounding can start to feel relentless.

There are days when going to the yard does not calm you. It overloads you. Cold, dark, sensory-heavy, decision after decision after decision. Rugs. Feet. Feed. Weather checks. Guilt if you rush. Guilt if you don’t.

Horses do not pause for low energy, foggy thinking, or burnout. They still need the same steady care, delivered by a person who may feel anything but steady.

This is the part that rarely makes it into feel-good posts.

Loving your horse does not mean every visit feels healing. Some days it feels like work. Actual hard graft. Some days it feels like pressure. Some days it feels like dragging yourself through mud both very physically and mentally.

That does not make you ungrateful.
It does not mean horses are the wrong choice.
It means winter is hard and responsibility is heavy.

The therapeutic part of horses is not constant calm. It is showing up anyway. It is quiet moments that happen despite the exhaustion, not because of a picture-perfect version of it.

If winter has you questioning yourself, you are not failing. You are just in the season where survival mode does more of the talking than romance.

Spring will come 🌼 🌸 🌻

02/01/2026

Following on from yesterday's post and putting the horse first, some beautiful words of inspiration to open the year from Equine Touch's co-founder Ivana Ruddock.

To those who work with quiet hands,
who listen first, and understand.
Who chooses the soft way, slow and true,
and let the horse’s voice lead through.

May 2026 keep you aligned,
steady in body, clear in mind.
When change feels small, or progress is slow,
trust the seeds you gently sow.

You ease, you guide, you stay, you care —
even when no one sees you there.
In every horse you help to heal,
your calm intention leaves a seal.

Not loud heroes, yet strong and kind,
walking a path that few can find.
Your work is felt, your presence too —
Thank you for all that you do.

Best wishes for every new day!
Ivana

01/01/2026

Celebrating the start of 2026 and The Year of the Horse with the Japanese tradition of 'Hatsuhinode' watching the first sunrise of the year in my happy place with my best friend.
Wishing everyone a happier healthier year with the focus most certainly being on what is best for the horse !

25/12/2025

Wishing all my lovely clients and friends and followers past and present a wonderful Christmas. Thank you for all your support and patience throughout what has been a very difficult and challenging year and here is hoping that 2026 will be happier and healthier for all!🎅🦄🐴🦄🎅

24/11/2025

Rain is wet and mud sticks ! 🌧💦
Yep this is indeed stating the obvious. However as we head into the rainy muddy season please plan ahead for your Equine Touch session. 👍
It is great to see lots of horses out naked growing their own fluffy waterproof coats and using some of their own extra padding as insulation and many of my clients know how I hate overrugging and rugs that don't fit properly. (More on that in another post)
Now I don't mind getting my ✋🏻hands ✋🏻dirty from scurfy coats and grease it comes with the territory BUT trying to feel the fascia and what is going on under the horses skin is extremely difficult if I have to go through a layer of dried mud and practically impossible if it is wet mud or if the coat is wet and slippery! 😢 🤷‍♀️
Equine Touch is not massage - it has its unique three part move that addresses the 3D web of fascia that lies underneath the skin and wraps around and goes into the muscles, tendons, ligaments, organs and cells. In order for this to be as effective as possible the vibration of the move needs to be able to resonate through the body - if the surface is wet and slippy it cannot and can also be quite uncomfortable for your horse. ☹️
I really do not expect your horse to be bathed and gleaming before the session - just dry and reasonably mud free. So please plan ahead in order that your horse can achieve maximum benefit from the session and I don't have to change into yet another clean coat before my next client 🦄 🥰 🦄
[Picture is of my mare Tin at the beginning of April having ventured into the cow pond to cool off on an unseasonably warmer day !]

23/11/2025

I am endeavouring to keep my lovely clients on schedule and will be sending out the last few appointment dates for 2025 today.
I am planning on taking a complete break over the Christmas period as hoping my hubby will finally be home from hospital after a very long 3 months and so my last day will be 21st December and resuming on the 3rd Jan 2026 when hopefully the days will start to get lighter. 🦄🐴🦄
[Picture of Tin waiting patiently for her fieldmate Cloud to join her at Hill Farm Haven]

08/10/2025

Thank you to everyone who has been very patient and sent their support and best wishes through what has been a very challenging and difficult summer. I have started to slowly work my way through my backlog of clients but having to juggle afternoon appointments with hospital visiting hours and with the darker evenings my last appointment time will be 4pm.
Horse and Rider packages will continue to be offered providing you have the facilities.
For anyone who is interested in Equine Touch Foundation Courses these will be resuming in the Spring.
If I haven’t yet contacted you and you need an appointment for November then please get in touch with me and I can see what I can do.

04/10/2025

Environment is key when it comes to happy healthy horses ….. I have been so fortunate this year to have been able to spend time with the Tacky Central Livery herd and they have been instrumental in teaching new students the Foundation level of Equine Touch.

01/09/2025

Apologies ….to anyone who requested details for the forthcoming Equine Touch Foundation Course for Horse Owners or wanted further info on Equine Touch / VHT and where awaiting Health history forms and further details.
I have just been made aware that there appears to have been a problem with my email software and it appears to have duplicated one specific email instead of the personalised ones that I usually send out.
I can only apologise and will look to sort this out today.
To anyone who is awaiting appointment dates as you may already be aware I have had to pretty much put things on hold since June and whilst I am slowly catching up I am still having to fit in last minute hospital appointments so please bear with me.

26/08/2025

OOOO now this did brighten up my Tuesday - so happy to see the wonderful Stan the Man aka Mr Brown and his lovely owner Helen Southwell from 10K Training being awarded The Supreme Champion at Ashwell Show this weekend. I feel very privileged to have been part of 'the village' that has been able to assist on their journey over the last few years.
Anyone who knows Helen Southwell (who is also a RIde Wuth Your Mind Coach) will know that her ethos is always putting the needs of the horse first be it her own or her clients that have the fortunate pleasure of being taught by her - it is so good to see her patience and hard work paying off as she has been on quite a journey with the wonderful Mr Brown.

Thank you to everyone who attended this year's Horse Show.

Our Tyrrells Equine Clinic Supreme Champion of the Show was Stan Laurel ridden by Helen Southwell. Our Reserve Supreme Champion was Buckswood Cannon handled by Chris Heydon (pictured below)

We are also very grateful to the sponsors of the Horse Show this year, The Paddocks, Stewart Bullard & Son Ltd, C & G Trailers and Horseboxes and Hill view farm shop ltd whose generosity ensures we can provide the gorgeous rosettes and prizes to our winners!

Huge thanks also go to our horse show judges, stewards and volunteers on the day!

All the action from the horse show was captured by Fae Loudoun Photography 📷

Finally, thank you to all the competitors who attended this year, we hope to see you all back next year 🐴