This might sound a bit blunt, but I can often tell quite a lot about a person’s horsemanship just by looking at their equipment. Especially their halter and lead rope. Not the brand, the color or how “nice” it looks - but how used it is. Because the ones who are really getting stuck in tells a story. It’s a bit worn, dirty, soft in the right places. It’s been handled, tested, used in real situations… not just kept clean for the next session. And on the flip side… When I see a collection of pristine halters, ropes, gadgets all looking brand new, more often than not, I find that person is busy buying horsemanship rather than studying it and it shows. Trying things, switching things, looking for the next answer in the next piece of equipment. But the equipment rarely gets used long enough… or consistently enough…to actually create understanding. Because at the end of the day and as you know by now - It’s not about the equipment which doesn’t need to be fancy - but it should probably be a little bit dirty 😉 So I’m curious… ❓If I looked at your equipment right now - what story would they tell about you? 🐴✨🫶

✨ Whether you realize it or not, you already are. To your horse, you are their constant and the one they look to, learn from, try to understand. That’s a big responsibility, but also a really powerful thing because it means your horse doesn’t need someone else. They need you, getting more aware, getting better and getting good. It’s easy to look outside of ourselves and to think the answer is a different horse, different tack, different situation, or that someone else could do it better. But your horse isn’t waiting for someone else, they’re responding to what they feel from you, every single day and the more you understand, the more you improve your timing, your feel and your general skills the more your horse can relax into that. It’s never been about being perfect, but it is about recognizing that you already matter more than you think in your horse’s world. And that when you choose to get good, even in the smallest ways, your horse benefits from every single bit of it. You’re already their best asset, so by getting good - they can too. ❓If your horse could ask you to improve one thing, what do you think it would be? 🐴✨🫶

✨ Did you know besides Online Coaching I’m available for clinics combined with private lessons? Over the years, this work has taken me to some pretty incredible places…and the next one is coming up very soon.🥳 From 7–27 April, I’ll be travelling to Namibia, where I’ll be finishing the trip teaching private lessons and a 1-day clinic which I’m really looking forward to with huge thanks to our @Jenny Randall And it got me thinking…there’s already some interest for me to come over to teach in a few places this year - Ireland (possibly May), Denmark, Italy (just outside Rome), and the UK. Also Australia 2027/2028. For the UK, I’ll be attending The Horsemanship Showcase in Bedfordshire (25–27 September), and I’d love to combine that with teaching along the way - ideally within about 50 miles of the venue or on route from London. But honestly, it doesn’t have to stop there, if you’ve ever thought about organizing a clinic, hosting lessons, or bringing me over to your barn…no matter where you are in the world, I’m always open to it. Sometimes it just starts with a conversation, so if it’s something you’ve been thinking about, please feel free to reach out here or privately. With high gratitude, Zoë🐴✨🫶

✨ Let’s share some wins 🥳 What’s something you and your horse did this week that went right and / or felt good? 🐴✨🫶

✨ I’m always genuinely interested in this. It comes up weekly if not more in my work: What people feed their horses and more importantly, why they choose it. Because behind every feeding routine is a thought process, experience, and intention. I’ll share mine first. My boys get hay 24/7. I feed the Ultimate Balancer by Dodson & Horrell, which I’ve used successfully for almost 10 years now. To stimulate chewing, I add a handful of naked chaff and through the winter months I include soaked hay pellets (Hartog) for extra support (I’ve actually just dropped this this week). Neither of my boys are go to grass. It is far to rich at our stables and causes more complications than anything. Lenny can go out during the late season if he wants, but he prefers not to - he knows there’s shade and fewer flies in the paddock plus he is very happy there, so I support that choice but offer every year. Benny had full blown laminitis when I got him, terrible hooves and pain. So I cannot allow this to happen again. Unless of course we ever move and have other options. Even though the balancer is high in essential vitamins compared to most brands, for our environment - sand soil - it’s still not quite enough. So I supplement (dope & sugar free): • Selenium & Vitamin E (around 8 months of the year) • Magnesium (Nov–March and during rough weather) • A teaspoon of salt daily • Natural Psyllium husks every 6 weeks for 1 week (due to sand ground) • Benny prebiotics 3 of 4 weeks per month (has hind gut damage from former neglect) • Lenny Prebiotics 1 week per month for hind gut maintenance although if he looks like he does not need I will skip. Occasionally I’ll add a herbal detox after illness or medication. And I always add water to feeds - I’ve done that since the late 80s. Not soaking everything into soup (my absolute pet hate 😅 - it’s so frustrating for them), but just enough to bind powders and lightly dampen the feed. Personally, I try to stay away from trends - yes, some supplements can support specific issues, but I always ask why the horse needs them in the first place. Often it comes back to something missing in the basics. I see many horses on 6-7 supplements a day simply because the owner heard it is good for them when in reality they can be counterproductive, unnecessary, or just money wasted.