When my mare Sun came to live with me in the UK she was at first kept in a single paddock with some other horses over the fence. Pretty soon I realised that she became depressed and everything turned into either a battle or a complete freakout. Sun was wilting away in front of my eyes. Something HAD to change. Pretty much NOW.

I soon found a little Exmoor Pony which was looking for a new home on loan. We went to see her and she seemed perfect, so she moved in. At that stage I had my own little DIY paddock trail. Bee was perfect for Sun, they never fought and instantly connected. Sun was happy and so was I.

Not long after Bee’s arrival everything changed again. This time, for me. The horses were best of friends, but all of a sudden I could no longer touch Bee. She showed me more than once that people had not best treated her in the past. Everything sent her into fight/flight/freeze/fawn. She showed a strong dislike for the farrier, vets, enclosed spaces, saddles (even just from observation perspective) and so much more. Everything turned into to an attack. I was even unable to put on a headcollar for 6 months. Every form of pressure lead to her bolting, rearing, biting or kicking.

Bee encouraged me to question and completely re-think everything I learned and believed about horses to this point. I thought I’d always questioned methods and beliefs, but this was when I knew I had to become the change myself.

And so with the help of my two girls and some incredible like-minded people, my journey to Holistic Horsemanship started.

Science for Soundness was born out of the idea to share this journey, help other likeminded horse owners establish a true connection with their horses and encourage their horses to feel and do better in themselves. Horsemanship is not about dominating another living breathing being, it’s about a mutual dialogue founded on trust and an understanding for each other. Once you’ve entered this magic space, you’ll never want to go back!