Blackburn Equitation

This webinar is not to be missed if you own a horse that was started as a 2-3yo... Particularly if you own a TB or SB.

I'm hoping it will raise the question of why Wolff's Law isn't a strong enough argument to support the racing of 2, 3 or even 4yo horses.

"Understanding growth plates is not an academic exercise. It is the foundation for a horse's long-term soundness and athletic potential." Dr Carol Shwetz, DVM

A young horse can appear physically, while the deeper structures it relies on to carry a rider safely are still forming. The growth plates in the limbs get most of the attention, but the growth plates in the pelvis, spine, and sacrum, the ones doing the real work of carrying weight and absorbing load, close much later and are rarely imaged or accounted for in training decisions.

That mismatch, training built around appearance rather than actual skeletal readiness, is where a lot of what we see clinically seems to originate. And because the early signs rarely look dramatic, a bit of resistance, some reluctance to go forward, a vague lameness that doesn't quite resolve, they get misread as behaviour or minor issues rather than what they might truly be.

Tomorrow, in a live webinar presented by Dr Shwetz, we’ll cover what this looks like in practice, what the dissection findings reveal, and why chronological age and outward appearance tell us so little about what's ready to be worked.

We’ll also discuss whether removing the physical demands on a horse that’s been trained from an early age can bring about positive change and how we, as equine professionals and riders, can support and treat our horses.

This is not a definitive answer. It is a framework for asking better questions.

Join us live tomorrow, Thursday 25th June, 7pm GMT, or register and watch the replay.

https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/younghorse

A fairly common topic of conversation with my peers in the horse world is how we can have a meaningful influence in improving equine welfare. We often talk about "sowing seeds", being well aware we "can lead a horse to water - but we can't make it drink!"

Education plays a huge role - but many times it's not enough. We often assume that once we know better, we'll do better but human beings are far more complicated than that. Learning something new doesn't automatically lead to change!

Have you ever read an article or listened to a podcast and some new information you learned made you immediately feel uncomfortable? Not because it didn't make sense or because you disagreed with it - but because if it was true, it might mean you needed to do something differently?

Psychologists have found that when new information challenges an existing belief, it can create a feeling of psychological discomfort. Most of us have experienced it.

Perhaps we've thought:
"That's not how I was taught."
"That doesn't apply to my horse."
Or maybe we've simply changed the subject and moved on.

What's interesting is that this reaction isn't necessarily about the information itself. Sometimes it's about what accepting that information might mean - because changing a belief can be uncomfortable - but changing our behaviour can be even harder.

What if the new information requires us to rethink something we've been doing for years?
What if it challenges advice from people we respect?
What if it means stepping away from a community or friend group?
What if it means spending money we don't have?
Or letting go of a goal we've been working towards for years? Decades even?

At that point, we're no longer dealing with a knowledge problem. We're dealing with a human problem - or rather, problems of being human. Problems involving identity, belonging, finances, dreams, habits, relationships and emotions.

The more I've reflected on this, the more I believe that most horse people don't resist change because they don't care. They're often wrestling with competing priorities. Trying to reconcile what they've learned with the realities of their lives.

New information (knowledge) will only be acted upon if we believe it - but what if it doesn't align with our existing beliefs? With our friends? With our hopes and dreams? Our finances? What if it means we are no longer who we thought we were? Or we can no longer do what we want to do? Maybe we would rather not believe!

Can we be willing to sit with the discomfort?

Can we be brave enough to change what we believe, or how we behave?

That's not always easy. In fact, it can feel overwhelming.

Perhaps this is why meaningful change rarely happens overnight. Not because people are unwilling to learn. The harder part is working through what that knowledge means for us, our horses and the choices we make.

Perhaps improving equine welfare isn't simply about education. Perhaps it's also about helping people navigate the very human challenges that represent barriers to change, along with those that come with changing.

Change isn't always comfortable, but without it there can be no growth or transformation. 😍🦋

It's widely accepted that knowledge is power, but one of the most interesting things I've noticed in the horse world is that knowledge alone doesn't create change.

If it did, improving equine welfare would be easy. Someone would learn something new, change what they do, and move on. But that's rarely how it works.

Think back to something you did with horses 10 or 20 years ago that you wouldn't do today. Most of us can think of at least one example. Heck - I can think of several! Not because we didn't care. Not because we were bad horse owners - but because we knew something different then.

I've come to realise that learning isn't just about acquiring new information. Sometimes the biggest challenge is letting go of an old belief.

Perhaps we were taught that a horse refusing to go forward was being stubborn. Then we learn more about pain, fear, confusion, stress, or communication.

Suddenly we are faced with a choice. Do we hold onto our existing belief, or do we change it? Changing a belief sounds simple, but often it isn't - because our beliefs are connected to our identity.

If I've always thought of myself as a knowledgeable horse person, what happens when I discover there is something important I didn't know?

If I've spent years doing something one way, what happens when I realise there may be a better way?

That can feel uncomfortable. Maybe even unbearable.

And yet, every experienced horse person I admire has one thing in common:

When provided with new information, they have been willing to change their minds. Again and again.

They remain open-minded. They remain curious.

I wonder if one of the most valuable skills we can develop is not learning how to be right, but learning how to grow.

To be able to say:

"I didn't know that before."

"I see that differently now."

"My horse is telling me something I hadn't noticed before."

Reframing, updating or even erasing something we thought we knew isn't failure.

That's learning. That's transforming!

And perhaps that's where meaningful improvements in horse welfare begin - not when we acquire more knowledge, but when we become willing to let that knowledge change us. That's where the real power lies.

"I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better" - Maya Angelou.

A webinar not to be missed! I've so been looking forward to this!

Great opportunity for Canterbury people to attend a dissection!

Upgrade your knowledge of equine anatomy and function to better understand and care for your horses...

Bodyworkers, hoof-care professionals, trainers, coaches and re-homers especially!

Dissection opportunity!

This is a great opportunity to get a better understanding of equine form and function... under the skin.

On March 18th the facility (located in North Canterbury) will be hosting an equine anatomy study session led by Becks Nairn.

This full-day session will involve the examination and dissection of an equine specimen, to support a deeper understanding of structure, function, and movement.

A limited number of spaces are being offered to observers - (6 maximum), to allow for questions and discussion.

This is an educational workshop designed for meaningful learning in a respectful setting. It does not constitute veterinary training or clinical instruction.

If you are genuinely interested in attending as an observer, please send the page a private message for further details.

Please also reach out if you are keen to be advised of future opportunities to observe.

Need a few more people to make this happen!
Taking registrations up til March 8th. 🤞🤞

🐴 Obstacle Workshop & Ribbon Day – March 14–15 🐴

Venue: Christchurch Riding For the Disabled Arena

✨ Attend one day or both – your choice!

🏇 Ride or bring your horse in-hand.

➡️ Saturday – Obstacle Workshop
• Two coached group sessions
• Maneuverability & flatwork with Liz Brown
• Obstacles & course riding with Sarah Blackburn
• Small groups (max 6)

➡️ Sunday - Obstacle Training Ribbon Day
• In-hand and ridden classes
• STYLE Course - Judged on harmony, smooth transitions, balance, accuracy and overall ease. Calm, confident, willing horses are rewarded.
• SPEED Course (Preparatory & Preliminary only) - Ride the same obstacles but choose your own line. Harmony and quality of ex*****on are rewarded with time deductions - this phase is not simply about speed.

This weekend is about learning, confidence and enjoyment in a supportive, no-stress environment.

📩 Details & entries via Jotform ⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://form.jotform.com/sarahjsb/March_obstacles

❓ Questions? Email [email protected]

Join us for a fun, relaxed, confidence-building obstacle weekend. 💚

Great info from HHIO on Omega balance.