Sue Falber Equine Touch Practitioner & Foundation Coach

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 🐴

24/08/2025

Equine Touch's co-founder, Ivana Ruddock of Equine Anatomy in Layers shared a recent podcast she did with Live Bonnevie in Norway. In Live’s opening words she credits Ivana saying, “she’s one of the most interesting clinicians I’ve ever met, and her insight and understanding of the equine anatomy, is simply, mindblowing. I learned more in three days with her, than two years in school”;
and
“I will never again settle, for the conclusion that there is nothing physically wrong with the horse that shows conflict behaviour or act-out, because we will never be able to know for sure”.
We are incredibly fortunate that Ivana shared her wealth of knowledge to create The Equine Touch bodywork modality alongside our late founder, Jock Ruddock nearly 30 years ago, with the mission to ‘Help Horses by Educating Humans’…
I have personally throughly enjoyed being taught by Ivana over the years - sitting in a 3 day Anatomy Class many years ago my attention was 100% for every single moment she was teaching Enjoy listening to this insightful podcast 😊 and feel free to contact me if you want to know more about the wonderful modality of Equine Touch.

It's crucial to bring this perspective with us: we must remain humble and remember that horses expressing pain, discomfort, or uncertainty should always be taken seriously. Just because we don't always understand what triggers a horse's behaviour, doesn't mean it originates from nothing. It never...

24/08/2025

🐴 Do you want to build a better relationship with your horse?

🐴 Are you new to pony ownership and want to know more on how you can help your new family friend?

🐴 Are you a longstanding horse owner who is looking for something different and more holistic to do with your horse?

🐴 Do you want to help improve your horse’s suppleness, willingness and balance and relieve muscle tightness & lessen asymmetry ?

🐴 Do you want to learn how to help your own horse using simple but incredibly powerful bodywork moves.

Then why not take a 2 day Horse Owners Equine Touch Foundation Course?

Anyone can learn Equine Touch.
You do not need a knowledge of equine anatomy, just a willingness to learn to help your horse and give the gift of Equine Touch.
Courses are suitable for the young or old, those new to horse ownership or born in the saddle, the equine professional or the struggling amateur.

Course numbers are kept small (max 4) and I try and keep students with the same experience and ability together.
Based on the edge of the Chilterns near Chesham (HP5) in Bucks a lovely group of barefoot geldings are looking forward to helping you with your holistic horse journey.

I have just released the next two dates for this year Sat & Sun 13th & 14th Sept and Sat & Sun Oct 11th & 12th October.
Cost is £200 which can be paid in instalments
For further details and to request a booking form - either message me with your email address or go to my website https://www.4countiesholistics.co.uk/coaching

09/08/2025

12 years ago today I qualified as an Equine Touch Practitioner after 4 years of continuous study, courses, practical case studies and assessments, numerous theory papers, essays and exams. The study and learning did not stop on completion of attaining this qualification in fact it had only just started. Last July I decided to undertake my Foundation Coach training which has added an extra layer to my learning and understanding of this wonderful modality and the ethos of 'helping horses' in fact in recent weeks I have had quite a change in how I practice and work with the horse.
I want to thank all the owners and their horses who have put their trust and faith in me over the last 12 years and have seen the wonderful results that The Equine Touch and it's unique three part move working with the fascia can provide.
I also want to take this opportunity to apologise that I have been rather quiet over the last few weeks as I have had to take some time out to focus on family matters. I will be looking to catch up with clients and appointment dates from next weekend so please be patient and thank you to all those that have sent well wishes your support and kindness means so much. 🦄🐴🦄

27/07/2025

Sometimes you need the Silence of Animals to Recover from Humans.

19/07/2025

🐴 Do you want to build a better relationship with your horse?

🐴 Are you new to pony ownership and want to know more on how you can help your new family friend?

🐴 Are you a longstanding horse owner who is looking for something different and more holistic to do with your horse?

🐴 Do you want to help improve your horse’s suppleness, willingness and balance and relieve muscle tightness & lessen asymmetry ?

🐴 Do you want to learn how to help your own horse using simple but incredibly powerful bodywork moves.

Then why not take a 2 day Horse Owners Equine Touch Foundation Course?

Anyone can learn Equine Touch.
You do not need a knowledge of equine anatomy, just a willingness to learn to help your horse and give the gift of Equine Touch.
Courses are suitable for the young or old, those new to horse ownership or born in the saddle, the equine professional or the struggling amateur.

Course numbers are kept small (max 4) and I try and keep students with the same experience and ability together.
Based on the edge of the Chilterns near Chesham in Bucks a lovely group of barefoot geldings are looking forward to helping you with your holistic horse journey.

I have just released the next two dates for this year Sat & Sun 13th & 14th Sept and Sat & Sun Oct 11th & 12th October.
Cost is £200 which can be paid in instalments
For further details and to request a booking form - either message me with your email address or go to my website https://www.4countiesholistics.co.uk/coaching and use the contact form.

17/07/2025

Apologies once again to this weekends planned clients ....I am just revisting timings due to another closure of the A413 between Great Missenden and the Shardeloes Roundabout as this will obviously have an impact on travel times and yes I am having deja vue !

UPDATE: The A413 has been closed near the Deep Mill Diner in Little Missenden by Affinity Water. Affinity Water are investigating multiple bursts outside the pumping station, resulting in flooding of the road and making it unsafe for road users.

The road will need to remain closed to enable Affinity Water to fix their pipes and then repair the road structure and surface. Due to the extent of the damage, Affinity Water have advised that the closure may need to be in place for up to 10 days. We will continue to provide updates as they become available and you can monitor their progress via One Network: https://one.network.

We ask that you continue to use alternative routes where possible and allow additional time for your journey.

17/07/2025

FAT is FAT ! FAT does not build muscle ! Thank you Clare MacLeod MSc RNutr Independent Equine Nutritionist once again. Lets ban the fluff and stick with the facts !

FAT IS FAT; STOP FLUFFING ABOUT NONSENSE!!

'You might find your Shetland is lymphatic, not fat' (whatever that is meant to mean?! ). 'It could easily be bloating from a poor hindgut as well'

No. Nope. Nay.

I posted this a while ago but similar nutribaloney has been coming up lately, so I wanted to share again.

The pony in the picture is unhealthily fat (and credit to the owner for posting about it and asking for help).

He has simply overeaten the amount of calories he needs (from ad lib hay on a track system.....yep, another one) and those excess calories have been stored as body fat.

It' s very clear he is fat - there is no sign of his withers or his shoulder bones, both of which are buried underneath fat.

Regardless of what's going on with his lymphatics or his hindgut.

These may well be relevant to his health, but fat is fat and with it comes a risk of a number of health problems including laminitis.

The ridiculous crazy comment was in response to the post.

Not only is it ridiculous but it is cruel to the pony and unfair to the owners, who knows her pony is unhealthy and wants to make improvements for him.

Don't be deluded. It's simple at least in theory - large fat stores. It's not easy to get them to lose it but it is possible.....

With a calorie deficit. Not hindgut herbs, not lymphatic drainage or any other fluffy nonsense.

Stay strong against the fluff & nutribaloney nonsense!!

Please do not take advice from who-knows-who on the internet, who probably knows less than you (and in this case, makes up fairy stories as well).

And share away, please... 🐴🍏

14/07/2025

So this weekend on what was recorded as the hottest day of the year I was taking part in The Equine Touch Foundation Coach CPD review at Equine Touch HQ in Glastonbury with fellow coaches and the wonderful Senior Instructor Team.
We covered the entire Foundation Level ...Theory, Human practice, Equine observation, branding, Basic Body Balance and the 5 Area's of Concern taught at Foundation Level and were assessed on each part to ensure the uniformity and consistency in teaching of the modality remains the same wherever you are not just in the UK, but around the world.
Whilst I have attended Practitioner CPD days over the years as part of our organisations re-licencing this was far more intense (and that wasn't just the heat, lack of a breeze and the flies !) and yet I sadistically enjoyed it ! It has opened up a whole new world for me to explore and another lot of rabbit holes for me to vanish down.
The quote below is taken from the first page of the Foundation Students Manual and something that our founder Jock Ruddock used quite often and It is also something that as both an Equine Touch Practitioner who has studied various modalities over my 15 years as an Equine bodyworker has reminded me when I come across a horse that has been abused or seems to have an issue that no one can quite put their finger on... less is always more.
Stepping back giving the horse space and time to process and just completing a Basic Body Balance can have amazing effects. I don't need to think over the heat and the flies as to what the advanced special move was that is lurking at the back of my melting brain cell, I just need to focus on my hands and what the body is saying to me, my breath and my body position and let the work do it's magic.
It is so lovely to hear the feedback from students who have been on the Foundation Course and have not only gotten amazing reactions from our lovely demo horses at Tacky Central Livery but listening to what happens when they can then achieve the same results with their own horses and ponies has only inspired me even more to carry on bringing this wonderful bodywork modality to more and more horses and ponies.
All that said I do much rather prefer working with horses when it is under 24 degrees ☀️🔥🥵
I will shortly be releasing dates for my next Foundation Course for Horse Owners in September and October in the hopefully cooler Chilterns so if you are interested and not yet on my mailing list then please message me and I will add you to it.
Learning Equine Touch can and will change your and your horses life for the better ! 🦄😍🦄

08/07/2025

Fat horses should not be the normal….a sentiment which is echoed by Equine Touch’s Co-Founder Ivana Ruddock.
I am always honest with my clients and will let them know my thoughts if their horse is over weight. Fat does not build muscle !
If you are trying to manage the weight of your horse and what you are doing is not working then you need to change what you are doing. (Einstein quote echoes in my head!) Additionally ‘Boot camp’ is not the answer as exercise particularly with overweight horses needs to be built up slowly in order to prevent strain on heart and joints, ligaments and tendons. Muzzling is not cruel it is often the only answer to save your beloved horse or pony going down the route of laminitis or metabolic issues.