Woodlands Training Sarah Simpson British Eventing Accredited Trainer BHSI

17/09/2026

BHS Stage 4 Business Management Qualification
👩‍🎓🧑‍🎓YOU can do this🧑‍🎓👩‍🎓
This is a standalone qualification which can be trained for online & is assessed online. The syllabus has been broken down into four weekly online 2hr training sessions.
Oct 1st Business Management Lecture
Oct 8th Overheads, Costings & Scenarios
Oct 15th Interpersonal Skills, Debates
Oct 29th Grassland Lecture, Scenarios
All start at 7pm, cost £23 each &count 2pts CPD each. When the training is completed, you book a one2one session with me to be assessed on the required knowledge to have your skills record signed off (approx 2hrs, revision questions are provided), you will then be ready for your formal online assessment with the BHS, (more revision questions are provided to help you prepare). This qualification is open to all BHS Gold members. There is an NO qualification prerequisite. Many people attend purely to update their business management knowledge, everybody is welcome, to book go to the Woodlands Training website. On Facebook, click "Woodlands Training" at the top of the page & go to links for the website. For more explanation or to request a free info VT text Sarah (07979) 806705
Sessions 1 & 4 are recorded if attending live is tricky, sessions 2 & 3 need to be attended live to get full benefit & enable your skills record to be signed off.

17/09/2026

Diseases affecting "Bones Muscles Tendons Ligaments" 7pm 2hrs Online 30th September. Essential training for those taking higher level BHS & PC Qualifications, all welcome, counts 2pts CPD. Carrying on from this weeks presentation on Conformation we identify the damage & diseases that affect these structures & the implication on the horses future use. Covering OCD, epiphysitis, navicular, ringbone, side bone, splints, spavins, wobbler & shiverer syndrome, kissing spines, TMJ issues & sacroiliac issues, fractures, tendon damage, suspensory desmitis & the use of autologout treatments PRP, IRAP & stem cell. £23 the session will be recorded & can be sent on the following day if you're unable to attend live. All presentations are recorded & can be purchased for training or CPD (on demand CPD), at any time, scroll to January 1, 2027 to see a list of recordings available. To book go to the Woodlands Training website & go to online training. Contact Sarah for more info (07979) 806705

16/09/2026

16/09/2026

"Coaching & Riding Cross Country" 29th September 7pm 2 hours, online, counts 2 pts CPD, all welcome. Essential training for those training towards BHS, PC & Cert. Coaching Qualifications. Covering; developing rider balance, security, feel & effectiveness, the importance of lines of approach & departure, establishing the canter (gear) required to negotiate fences on angles, corners, water, ditches, skinnies, banks, linked fences, jumping up & down Hill, £23, to book go to the Woodlands Training website & click online training. On Facebook click “Woodlands Training” at the top of this ad & go to links for the website. All sessions are recorded & can be sent to you at any time, still counting as CPD. Contact Sarah for more info (07979) 806705

09/09/2026

*** MYTH BUSTING: MY ARTHRITIC HORSE IS MUCH BETTER OFF OUT IN THE FIELD, WHATEVER THE WEATHER ***

It is absolutely true that gentle movement most definitely is the best management option for arthritic horses and ponies, but there are always variables to consider, and the blanket statement in the title is definitely not always true.

If the fields were always perfect, with a gentle cut in the ground, didn’t ever get rock hard and rutted, and at the opposite end didn’t turn to deep bog, then keeping arthritic horses out 24/7 would be ideal. Possibly a topic in its own right, but every paddock should also have shelter, whether natural (big trees to offer shade throughout the day, not a 4 foot hedge) or man made.

As we head into winter, we will start to see many horses standing around in deep mud, with no hard standing area to rest on. This isn’t acceptable for fit, healthy horses, let alone our arthritic oldies. Some owners feel pressurised into keeping their arthritic horses out 24/7, and unfortunately don’t take their facilities into consideration. An old pony standing in deep mud with horizontal rain whipping across his face, and no dry area to get out of the mud, is not going to reap any benefits that turnout should give; he would be better off coming into a dry, warm stable every night than spending 24 hours a day like that. Likewise, the dry summer this year left many paddocks rock hard, and when the rolling window had been missed, rutted. Once again, movement is ideal for arthritic horses, but not on rock hard rutted ground, with no flat/comfy area to rest.

I’ll post more on arthritis, as it’s a widespread problem in the horse world, but I wanted to make people think as we head into winter. 24/7 movement is the best option for arthritic horses/ponies, but standing in deep mud (=cold joints, too) with no area to rest and shelter, definitely isn’t a good option for them.

Completely unrelated photo of Molly (Mabel and Alfred’s mum), en route to a super double clear in the 2*Long at Hartpury quite a few years ago now!

Feel free to share, but not to copy and paste.

09/09/2026

07/09/2026

DSLD, what an awful disease!

Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis is a progressive disease.

Why the Suspensory ligaments show the first break down, The core biochemical defect is an abnormal accumulation of proteoglycans (carbohydrate-protein molecules) within the extracellular matrix of connective tissue.

Because the suspensory is under extreme continuous tension during weight-bearing, the proteoglycan accumulation causes it to lose elasticity and fail structurally here first. This results in the dropped fetlock appearance first.

DSLD has recently been renamed to ESPA, Equine Systemic Proteoglycan Accumulation which affects all the soft tissues in the body. However still more research is needed because I see older horses who seem to just have stand alone DSLD and do not look to have ESPA. The way these problems appear to break down structures in the horses body is different in each horse. I note that in the ESPA horses they seem to be hypermobile generally in their body. Reading about Ehlors danlos syndrome in humans I can’t help but see the similarities to ESPA in horses.

I suspect we are dealing with these problems on a spectrum of severity and this is why it shows up slightly differently in every horse. These photos below are from a 24 year old unridden carriage horse who’s suspensory branch’s in all four legs where a mess. But the rest of his soft tissues in his body including the nuchal ligaments were in tact. The SDFT and DDFT showed aged related changes but not replacement with scar tissue like the suspensory.

So much more research is needed and genetic testing so we can test for these diseases.

To see cases of DSLD including movement assessments and palpations head to patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/Becks_nairn/posts/america-update-155906247

https://www.patreon.com/Becks_nairn/posts/hypermobility-in-150520409

Thank you to Shibumi Equestrian Centre for graciously sharing these horses stories and always hosting professional clinics.

06/09/2026

Coaching & Riding Showjumping 15th September 7pm 2hrs Online Counts 2pts CPD. All welcome. Ideal for those training towards BHS, PC & Coaching Certificate qualifications. Covering how we develop rider feel, knowledge & influence, producing & maintaining a quality jumping canter, establishing the riders security, balance & judgement of pace & stride, their awareness as to the importance of straightness on the approach, over a fence & on departure, correct riding of related distances & dog legs gymnastic exercises to improve rider balance & the horses technique, & how to manage rider expectations. £23 The session will be recorded & can be sent on the next day if you are not able to attend live. All
presentations are recorded & can be purchased at any time for training or to count as CPD, this is called "on demand" CPD, click the “online training” link on the website & go to January 1, 2027 to see a list of recordings available. This is the 2nd session of 3 covering Coaching & Riding Dressage, Coaching & Riding Showjumping, & Coaching & Riding Cross Country. To Book click “Woodlands Training” at the top of the page, then go to “links” for the website. Call Sarah for more info
(07979) 806705

06/09/2026

“Conformation” 7pm 21st September 2hrs Online Counts 2pts CPD everyone welcome. Ideal training for those working for BHS Stg 4/5 & PC exams. Every aspect of static & dynamic conformation is covered with numerous case studies. This session will give you a clear logical plan for evaluating the horses, strengths & weaknesses & an understanding of the impact of these, the vocabulary to express yourself & the confidence to give an opinion. Linear scoring & identifying unlevelness explained. If you ever wondered about the impact of a horse being base wide/narrow, over/back at the knee, sickle hicked, sway/roach backed, long or short backed, slab sided, built uphill downhill & many more issues you’ll be able to identify these & understand the impact on the horses, soundness & longevity. A linked session the following week covers diseases affecting the horses, “bones, muscles, tendons, & ligaments”, we cover a vast range of osteoarthritic & soft tissue conditions that a horse with weak conformation will be prone to, you need to be able to identify these & be aware of their impact. A very popular presentation not to be missed. £23, the session will be recorded and can be sent on the following day if you’re unable to attend live. To Book click “Woodlands Training” at the top of the page to be taken to the page,then go to “links” for the website. Recordings can be viewed at any time for training or CPD, this is called “on demand”, for a list of what’s available go to the website & scroll to January 1st 2027. For more info or a “click & pay” link text Sarah 07979 806705

05/09/2026

VET RECORD PUBLISHES ARTICLE ON HOOFING MARVELLOUS!

The Veterinary Record has published an article around information being disseminated by Hoofing Marvellous. This is a barefoot trimming group that claimed earlier in the summer that laminitis is not an endocrine/metabolic condition but purely the result of incorrect hoofcare. A wealth of published peer-reviewed evidence directly contradicts this view.