Welcome to the - slightly belated - September newsletter! 
 
September is about making the most of the last perks of summer time. As the nights begin to draw in little by little, we are reminded to give extra time to our horses and another animals, before we are limited by daylight hours. In fact, I may use that for an almost-valid excuse for this newsletter being so late. I have been so busy doing things outside, laptop time has been fairly limited. 
 

Black Beauties Blurb

Spirit and Skylark are soon to move on to winter grazing. They had to bid a sad farewell to Pebbles and Bam Bam from Munchkins Miniature Shetland Rescue Centre today, both of whom will be greatly missed. When it is possible to have more of a herd, it is clear to see how much all of the equines involved benefit psychologically from the group dynamics. 

In the picture above the girls are eating leaves from an Ash tree in the field, earlier this summer. It is worth noting that your horses may still not be able to get the variety of bark and leaves that they need at this time of year, despite everything being in full bloom. In fields with hedges it is common for them to eat from all of the branches within their reach, and then be left with nothing. 
Today I brought them a tasty treat of some Hazel branches and some fennel tops. 

Now is also a good time of year to get out for some extra walks with your horse and perhaps even do some hedgerow foraging if you like blackberries! 
 
BHS welfare conference. 
Last week I spent a fantastic day at the BHS welfare conference at Hartpury college. The focus was all about stress - in both horses, and in humans! 

It was great to spend the day catching up with fellow members of the Equine Behaviour and Training Association.

We all mutually felt that the BHS had done a great job at putting together a very well rounded day, covering a huge cross section of subjects. 

Theresa Holland spoke first, talking about nutrition. She highlighted the intimate connection between the brain and the gut. Think of the term “feeling it in your gut” and “gut instinct.” Or, “you are what you eat.” Her talk also highlighted to me the complexity of the nutrition. This certainly is an area which is rapidly changing as we learn more. 

Ben Hart provided an entertaining yet thought provoking talk-come-performance. He often uses effective analogies to put across important day to day issues that the domestic horse has to deal with. This time, he took us all on a ‘mindfulness journey’. Much like a quiet meditation, although rather than visualising a beautiful clearing in a forest, we were to visualise detail by detail, an experience of being stuck in a lift. Not stuck just anywhere either, stuck very high up in a block of flats. As time goes on, the experience gets worse. Rather stressful to say the least. We were also asked to measure our pulse before, then do the same afterwards. Mine was definitely a little higher! 
The crux of his message was, what could have been added into the lift or changed about the lift, to make that experience a little more bearable. Every person in the room would probably have a different answer, but there is always something which can help make the experience more bearable. 
This is likened to stabling horses. Great food for thought. 

Natalie Waran went into detail about how we recognise stress in our horses and also apply effective learning theory into practical situations. 

Charlie Unwin, a performance coach, was a true inspiration. He talked about the human side of stress. It is well worth checking out his website here.

David Marlin presented “Is stress always bad for horses.” Two super facts for the day stuck with me: Horses produce 10 times more adrenaline than humans. It then takes 30 to 40 seconds for that adrenaline spike to clear. 
The second fact is illustrated in the picture below, designed by fellow EBTA member Jenni Nellist. Please click the picture for a link to her website. 
 
 
 
A Shout-Out to Munchkins Miniature Shetland Rescue Centre.


Munchkins is set in the beautiful countryside of East Devon, and is currently home to 27 Miniature Shetland ponies. This number fluctuates of course, as ponies come and go. The rescue centre was set up in June 2014 and they gained charitable status in February 2015. It has been full steam ahead for this charity, with some necessary expansion and growth to keep up with the demand. A rescue centre for Shetland ponies is very welcome in the midst of what has been described as a ‘horse crisis’. Thousands of equines are at risk of abandonment and neglect throughout the UK. Some of the reasons for this include overbreeding, fly grazing, and horses dropping in value. 


Of course, more ponies means more mouths to feed and more funds needed! Each summer is jam packed full of fundraising events as a result, and in the winter months they then need to rely more heavily on one-off donations. This summer they had their first open day, which turned out to be an absolute success. There was a constant stream of people throughout the day, taking in the sights and sounds- rides on a miniature steam train, tasty cakes, pony grooming, and a very popular dog show were just some of the attractions on the day. 


Many of the ponies who come in have not only had chequered pasts, but also complex health issues. The combination of health issues and various behavioural issues means that a large amount of time and effort is put into every individual who falls into Munchkins’ care. An individualistic approach is very important in this respect, alongside the stability of living within a herd. All of the ponies are also provided with plenty of love and attention from Munchkins’ dedicated team of volunteers.


Both Tammy and Paul put a huge amount of thought into the care of the ponies at Munchkins Miniature Shetland Rescue Centre. Ponies who arrive in a bonded pair may always have the option to be with their friend, if that is the best thing for that pair. Sometimes however, when they join the herd, they actually find another who they can ‘relate to’ more than their original friend. Introductions may also be complicated by past history and specialist behavioural needs. I have sometimes helped in what can possibly be described as complex detective work, in what needs best suit each individual.


As a new charity, Munchkins is constantly in evolution as it changes and improves on itself. At the moment they are creating a track system for their group of ponies with cushings disease, Equine Metabolic Syndrome, and/or lamintic tendencies. This will be an excellent facility for this herd to have more scope for exercise, without the health risks involved in simply grazing on lush grass. Currently this specialist group have a large bare area, with a sturdy shelter and an adjoining sand school. They have constant access to forage, but grazing on fresh grass is always restricted. 


It was in January 2015 that I first approached Tammy about using some of the Munchkins ponies as case studies. I began visiting weekly, massaging a handful of regular ponies and helping with some behavioural cases. I clearly became hooked on everything that this friendly and forward thinking charity had to offer. It is wonderful to think that one year and eight months have now gone by, and I am still regularly working with Tammy and Paul at Munchkins, helping their ponies to flourish and grow. It is not just the ponies with have flourished however, Tammy and Paul have given me the space to grow myself, building on my knowledge and expertise. It is about time I wrote a little about what they do, and why I am still happily coming back each week!

 

Barney

Barney is a nervous pony who I am currently working with, to help him gain confidence and trust in humans. He arrived at Munchkins last year in a very bad way.  He had lacerations all over his face and body. He also was left with a painful indentation from an ill-fitting rope halter, which had embedded into his face. 

Barney tested positive for strangles during his quarantine period. Munchkins was put into lockdown. This was a huge challenge for the charity, because it put on hold, all of the vital fundraising events that had been lined up. Unexpected events like this will always test a small charity to their limits, and Munchkins was no exception. 

Through stringent isolation protocol and immaculate cleanliness, the disease was thankfully contained. Barney was re-tested and the results came back negative.  Life at Munchkins was able to resume some kind of normality again… But there is still never a dull moment! 
 
Barney is doing very well now and is slowly and steadily building in confidence every day. 

 
 
Only two spaces left! Well worth making a last minute booking
 
I fully recommend making a last minute booking for the above workshop, which is being run by Alize Vuillard Muckensturm of Fairhorsemanship. 

Only two spaces left! 



The workshop to the right is a collaborative effort. It is set over two dates in different venues. Both are in fantastic locations:

Saturday 17th September at Munchkins Miniature Shetland Rescue Centre, Colyton. 

Sunday 18th September at Conquest Centre, Taunton. 

 
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This talk will cover the external and internal structures of the lower limb and their functions.  Learn a little about the blood supply and nerves present in the foot, and how the shape of the hoof provides traction.

Donations to go to Equine Grass Sickness Fund.  To book your place please contact Catherine at fitforaqueenie@yahoo.co.uk