Equilibrium horse healing

10/01/2026

Why is this normalised? Speak out to make a change. 😢

10/01/2026

This morning I worked with a beautiful young ex-racehorse. He is a super-sensitive, gentle soul who hadn’t succeeded on the track and had been through a huge amount in his short life.

I picked up patterns I see time and time again
• abrupt, early weaning
• the trauma of sudden separation
• bodies restrained and controlled
• restrictive equipment — bits and nosebands used to keep mouths shut rather than support comfort

As I worked with him, there was deep tension through his poll, neck and jaw and his body felt like a coiled spring. He used his rope to chew on like a comforter as he struggled at first to release the emotion he had stuffed deep down inside.

He nudged me with his nose, indicating that he needed support there. As I slowly moved my hand up his nose, I stopped where the noseband would sit. The pressure and restriction I felt there was overwhelming as if his nose was being crushed. Alongside that came a burning sensation through my throat, oesophagus and right down into my chest, and a surge of emotion that had clearly been held down for a long time.

I breathed slowly, helping that emotion rise and release. It was intense and deeply upsetting to feel and be shown what he’d endured. I was very close to tears.

As the emotion rose in me, he turned towards me, rested his head into my chest, and breathed deep. For a while we merged in total connection and it felt as if everything around us paused.
That beautiful indescribable moment where he held space for me to release 💛

While working around his chakra centres, he fully let down releasing tension held deep in his body. His eyes softened, head lowered, and he moved into a true resting state. His elderly field companion stood nearby yawning, licking and chewing, soaking it all in.

Afterwards it was confirmed that this horse had undergone wind surgery, which suddenly made complete sense of everything I had felt through his throat and chest. The restriction, the burning, the emotional weight held around breath and survival.

I was also shown a photo of him in the noseband he had worn when racing. It wasn’t a softly padded grackle, but a twisted, bungee-like cord crisscrossing directly on the bridge of his nose. I fully understood the crushing restriction I had felt during the healing.

My work helps horses release stored tension and emotion so their nervous systems can regulate more easily. Lasting change happens when their people come on that journey too. He’s in a safe place with someone who recognised his struggle and knew that he needed help.

Horses don’t need us to be perfect, all they ask for is presence. Healing happens when we become a place of safety, for them, and for ourselves 🤍

04/01/2026

❄️ Rugging horses

Temperatures have really dipped here in the UK and we’ve already hit zero this evening, so it’ll likely be around -3 by morning. There’s a lot of chat locally about rugging at the moment.

Personally, I tend to avoid rugging my two. They both grow lovely thick winter coats, and that coat is designed to keep them warm. When a horse isn’t rugged, the hairs can stand up and trap warm air close to the skin, those air pockets are what provide natural insulation. Rugging can flatten the coat and reduce that ability to self-regulate temperature.

Of course, every horse is individual. Elderly horses, stable and clipped horses, or those who struggle to maintain condition may well need rugs. But if you’ve got a healthy, fluffy, unclipped horse, sometimes the kindest thing is to let them be horses.

If they’re out 24/7, movement helps them stay warm, and plenty of hay is essential as that fibre is their internal heating system.

Listen to the horse in front of you, not the noise on social media. 💚

04/01/2026

Sadly whilst scrolling through social media you see posts where horses are being backed at 3, even younger in some industries. Then competing at high level below age 6. It’s no wonder there are so many in pain with irreversible conditions and early onset of arthritis. 😢

Before backing your youngster, please read.

🐴 Horses mature very differently to humans.
A rough way to understand it is that horses age around three times faster than us, but their bones, joints, and spine take much longer to fully develop than many people realise.

This is where things often go wrong.

Older horses for context:
•A 30 year old horse is like a 90 year old human.
Stiff, worn, and well into retirement. These horses deserve comfort, gentle movement, and rest but still to be active for the mind and joints

•A 25 year old horse is like a 75 year old human.
Still capable, still willing, but strength and recovery are limited. Careful management is key.

•A 20 year old horse is similar to a 60 year old person.
Mentally sharp, experienced, and often keen but the body may be sore, stiff, or slower to recover.

•A 9 years old to 13 year old horse is like a 39 year old adult.
This is prime time. Physically mature, mentally settled, and strong enough for consistent work.

Now the important part youngsters
This is where patience matters most.

•A 3 year old horse is like a 9 year old child.
Growth plates are still open, balance is poor, and muscles are underdeveloped. At this age, learning should be about handling, confidence, and calm exposure not carrying weight.

A 4 year old horse compares to a 12 year old child.
They can cope with very light work in short sessions. Their bodies are still changing, often unevenly, which is why they feel awkward and inconsistent.

•A 5 year old horse is like a 15 year old teenager.
This is the risky stage. They may look strong and capable, but internally they are still developing. The spine, joints, and soft tissues are not finished growing, even if the horse “seems fine.” Shouldn’t be jumping 110cm classes!!!!!

•A 6 year old horse is like an 18 year old adult.
The skeleton is far more mature, muscles can be developed safely, and the horse is mentally better able to cope with pressure.
This is the correct age to begin proper, consistent work.

Pushing young horses too hard, too early doesn’t always show immediate damage.
The problems often appear later as:
•Lameness
•Joint disease
•Kissing spines
•Behaviour issues labelled as naughty or lazy
•Horses breaking down far too young

One extra year of patience can easily add ten more years of sound, useful working life. Good training isn’t about how early you start.
It’s about how long the horse stays comfortable, willing, and happy. And it’s bloody high time age classes at big highs at young ages were banned!!

My own Connie Storm, age 6❤️

03/01/2026

Supporting a Horse Through Change

Moving home is a huge transition for a horse. A new environment brings a different routine, unfamiliar smells, new companions and new expectations, all of which can be very stimulating for the nervous system.

Yesterday I visited Barney to support him as he settles into his new home. When I arrived, he was quite unregulated, pacing in his stable and not eating his hay, all indicating a horse that isn’t feeling safe enough to fully relax.

Shortly after beginning his healing session, he began to eat. He was holding a lot of tension in his neck and shoulders and as we continued, his body started to soften. He began to release, soft yawns, head lowered and his eyes became calmer and more settled. These are all signs that his nervous system was beginning to regulate and that he was finding safety again in his body.

When horses move, it’s important not to overface them. Keeping as much familiarity as possible can make a big difference. I suggested waiting a couple of weeks before hacking out in his new surroundings and, for now, keeping exercise to the arena. This allows the horse time to settle into a new routine without adding further layers of stimulation or pressure.

We play a huge role during times of transition too. Horses are incredibly sensitive to our internal state. Worry lives in the future, just as regret lives in the past and neither allows us to be fully present. One simple way to recognise how unhelpful worry can be is to begin the new year by reflecting back on the previous one. Think about your main worries from last year and notice how many of them never actually came to fruition. So much energy and attention can be directed on things that never happen, rather than on being grounded, mindful and present.

When we stay regulated in our own bodies, through breathwork, mindfulness and conscious presence our horses feel that. Supporting ourselves in this way is one of the most powerful ways we can support them as they navigate change. 🌱🫶🏻

29/12/2025

Another insightful piece from Becks Nairn. Read and watch the utube video if you have a young horse you are thinking of backing before it’s fully developed at age 5/6.
The race industry needs to give its head a wobble as they start them at only 2 years old. It’s no wonder they are so broken before they reach the age they should even be started. All for entertainment 😣

27/12/2025

This year has been one of growth, learning, and profound connection.
The horses and dogs I’ve worked with have been my greatest teachers, each session a reminder of how deeply animals communicate when we truly listen.

Thank you to my wonderful clients for trusting me and holding space for this work. This time last year I hadn’t even started Equilibrium Horse Healing… and now I’m heading into a fully booked January.
I’m so excited for the year ahead l, to reunite with familiar faces, meet new horses and dogs, and continue this journey of healing together 🤍
Wishing you all a wonderful and magical 2026. The year of the Horse awaits ✨

20/12/2025

✨ My last healing session of the year ✨

Yesterday I finished my final healing of the year with a little pack of Dachshunds, four boys and one girl, who I’ve worked with previously.

What stood out straight away was how much quicker all of them settled this time. Their bodies softened, the room became quieter, and their nervous systems moved into regulation far more easily. Familiarity and repeated safe experiences really do matter.

The boys relaxed quite quickly and stayed settled. The girl, however, always finds things harder. She’s very sensitive, often on high alert, and she’s usually the one who triggers the others when she becomes overwhelmed.

During her session she yawned, licked her lips, began to soften and then started gently drooling while her body trembled slightly. This can happen when a dog who lives in a constant state of vigilance begins to come out of “fight or flight”. As the nervous system starts to switch towards a calmer, rest-and-digest state, digestion and salivation can switch back on, and stored tension can release through shaking. After some releasing yawns she gently dosed off.

Later she was quieter and stopped barking for a while, although she found it difficult to maintain this and slipped into her old pattern. That’s very common for dogs who are chronically stressed, they can touch calm briefly, but it takes time and repeated support for it to feel safe and sustainable.

What was encouraging was that even when she became unsettled again, the rest of the pack settled much more quickly than they would have before. Usually her barking would set them all off. That tells me real progress is happening.

These are lovely dogs doing their very best in a complex environment. Healing work isn’t about switching behaviour off, it’s about gently supporting the nervous system so regulation becomes easier over time. Today I’ve heard they’ve all been noticeably calmer, something that is much harder to achieve within a pack environment especially with one running on high anxiety. It would appear that rather than the boys mirroring and coming into coherence with her energy the opposite happened with their more regulated energy calming her.

Grateful to end the year with such honest, sensitive souls. 💛