Sam Taylor Equestrian Services

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Sam Taylor Equestrian Services

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Horse Riding Instructor ● Jumping and Flatwork Lessons ● Mobile Groom ● Horse Clipping and Trimming ● Bespoke Holiday Cover Service ● Groundwork and Handling ● Long Reining ● Lunging

05/06/2026

Beautiful Moon 🌙 he gives the best kisses 🥰

Under all that mane Moon is sporting a pretty neat hunter clip. He had his third ever clip today, and for the first time a half head too.

He loves the sensation of being clipped and stands beautifully. His lips twitch, and his little body wiggles with the vibration of the clippers while his eyes go all soft and dreamy.

Moon gets routinely clipped all year round. He gets super hot on warm days but clipping also helps him to drop some weight too. He does have a little more to loose but he looks fantastic compared to this time last year.

24/05/2026

Super speedy, emergency clip in the middle of the field for my girl this morning. She's 32 years old with cushings and she was an incredibly hot little horse🐴 🥵

I may well need to take a bit of her tummy off this evening but this clip will definitely be of benefit to her today.

I'm now heading out on the road for a day of gentle lessons. I'll be making sure both humans and horses are well watered and lessons will be slower paced due to the heat.

19/05/2026

Crystal's owner contacted me yesterday, her vet had suggested that she got in touch for clipping. Crystal has cushings and although she wasn't sweating the temperatures are due to rise into the mid 20's at the end of the week and she'd definitely have been uncomfortable.

I always fit cushings horses in as quickly as possible. I consider them a welfare clip. Not because the pony is neglected or a welfare case, but because it's important that the coat comes off for the well being of the horse or pony.

Cushings horses and ponies can't thermoregulate their body temperature. A thick coat is a perfect host to lice too. With or without the presence of lice cushings horses are often itchy just because they are hot. A hot damp horse is prone to skin conditions and infections, and hot horses can also colic and loose weight too.

The moment I saw Crystal I suspected that I would find lice on her. She had the tell tail signs of rubbed patches and a dull coat. Sure enough there were crawlies to been seen and treatment is on the way from her vet for Crystal and her shetland companion.

Crystal has one eye. When her owner got her she was in a sorry state with a burst eye and she took her straight to the vets to have it removed. She wasn't keen on the clipping process to start with, in fact I'm certain she thought I was going to chop her into tiny pieces. My calm nature and patience along with excellent and honest handling from her owner soon meant that she settled and allowed me to take her coat off. The clip is not perfect, but it's pretty close. I didn't aim for perfect in the areas where she was unsure, as giving her a good experience was more important.

Crystal is around 35 years old, and it sounds like she hasn't always had the best of experiences with humans. She's certainly a lucky pony to have the home that she is in now. Hopefully she's feeling much more comfortable and won't be so worried should she need another clip.

15/05/2026

What a cute little pony! This is Dinky, she is small but mighty and a little bit sassy. She's also the second Dinky I've seen this week - the other Dinky does not live up to his name though and he's absolutely enormous!

I've had a busy week. I had Dinky and her field mates booked in as cover for a scheduled hoof trimming appointment, I've taught lots of lessons, and had regular yard cover too.

I've also been a bit excited this week. The countdown has been on until one of my favourite days of the year, and now I've got just one more sleep until The Hadleigh Show!

Who else is going to the Hadleigh Show tomorrow? Are you competing, or spectating? I've got a few clients and their horses that I'll be looking out for in the rings throughout the day, and I'm also looking forward to seeing all the other animals and displays too.

On a side note, you'll see I've tied up in a rope halter - there are no other headcollars available for this little gang. If you tie up in a rope halter, never tie up and leave unattended. I was always with this girl, giving scratches and fuss. I knew if she did panic or pull back for any reason I could immediately untie her lead rope and she would be safe.

09/05/2026

If ever I go missing on a yard at this time of year don't panic - I won't be far, in fact you'll probably find me foraging in a hedgerow somewhere.

Who else is bringing back sticky w**d, cow parsley and nettles in abundance? Are you foraging for anything else for your horses and ponies?

I love the spring and summer as nature provides us with so much that we can feed as a tasty treat and enrichment.

If you are out foraging, make sure you are 100% certain that what you're picking and feeding is horse friendly.

04/05/2026

This afternoon saw me seeing this gorgeous girl and her mum. I'd only seen them yesterday but not so long ago for an 'unknown' reason (we've got a good idea what happened though) this little mare ran into difficulty. She became impossible to put a bridle on and really didn't like having her headcollar on or being touched around her head either. These symptoms were just the tip of the iceberg - when the physio came Dusty's discomfort was far worse than we'd initially thought, and she desperately needed to be helped.

Horses get in to all sorts of mischief. Sometimes we know exactly what type of mischief, other times we do not. It's our job to put the puzzle pieces together though, and always do best by the horse. Upon realising something was very wrong a physio appointment was booked and Dusty was turned away until the physio could come and work her magic.

Time off and physio visit complete it was time to tack up again. Sometimes the physical pain is released but the memory remains. This is very much the case with this girl. Thinking outside the box is a must in this job. Step by step, gently and somewhat creatively we managed yesterday to pop the bridle on and get Dusty to realise that it was all ok again. Lots of treats and rewards, and short walk under saddle our job was done.

We decided that we should have another session today, and it was absolutely the best decision. Dusty was tacked up within a few minutes and stood nicely to be mounted. A little nappy under saddle to start and she soon settled. Today was all about walking, walk poles and stretching. The next few weeks will consist of building her up correctly in walk and then gently asking for trot when she's ready.

We've got a little way to go until we're back where we'd like to be with this sweet girl. One thing I'm certain of though, is that we will absolutely get there. I know Dusty well, she trusts me and I understand her. Most importantly though, Dusty's mum and I work well together. She trusts me, and we understand each other.

Team work really does make the dream work and Dusty has a great and ever building team around her. Next team member to introduce her to is my saddle fitter, not because there's anything wrong with her saddle but because we want this girl as comfortable as possible.

Last summer we created so many memories, and we intend to do the same this summer despite having had a little bump in the road.

Here's to team Dusty and better days ahead.

02/05/2026

🤗It's another bank holiday weekend folks!🤗

What are you all up to?

I'm out teaching and enjoying the lovely weather. It looks like we might be in for some showers which is typical bank holiday weather eh? We do desperately need some rain for the hay crop though.

Here's some snaps of one of yesterday's lessons. Dinky (who is actually pretty enormous!) and his human are coming along quite nicely. He has a really pingy trot and not long ago his human felt like she was being catapulted into space when we were doing pole work. Now she rides him beautifully over raised poles and she's also starting to get the hang of medium trot - now that is a pingy trot!

Clever little Dinky gave me two bottles of red wine as a bank holiday treat. Or maybe it was his human trying to butter me up so I didn't make her too hot, sweaty and stinky - which of course I did, and she loved it!

Have a fabulous horsey weekend! X

23/04/2026

💙 This week is full of boys for cover jobs 💙
I've got regular cover George, and regular cover for Jenson and Jester, as well as holiday cover for Eddie and Dave.

It's great to see them under glorious blue skies and sunshine. Jester and Jenson enjoyed a session with the shedding blade while they were eating last night. George enjoyed the shedding blade and a pedicure at lunch time today. This morning Eddie and Dave enjoyed scratches and getting to know me while I was picking feet and applying fly spray - they are a new holiday cover and they soon approved of their auntie Sam and their noses found the pocket with the treats instantly.

I've managed to wash my own girls tail this evening and get out some of the winter grime. I've booked in more cover for returning clients, including holding three horses for their pedicures in Dedham next month, and I'm just sending out lesson times for the next few days.

What a busy day, soon be time to head home grab some dinner and rest before doing it all again tomorrow.

I love being trusted to care for your horses and ponies while you are on holiday or just busy for a day or two. It's an absolute honour to have so many long standing and returning clients.

22/04/2026

My girl might be a very old horse now but she's still gorgeous 😍. I was just driving past my yard on route to my next client and I just had to stop off and give her a fuss and one of her favourite treats - an extra strong mint.

It's been a busy morning of lessons, this afternoon is full of regular cover and this evening one of my lesson ladies has asked me to attend while her physio treats her horse.

The rest of my week and weekend is looking pretty busy too. Tomorrow sees me starting a new holiday cover - I'm looking forward to getting to know the ponies and give them the very best care. The next few days also include a farrier visit for one of my regular cover horses, a lot of lessons and some clipping and trimming to start getting horses looking smart for the Woodbridge Horse Show which is on bank holiday Monday 4th May.

16/04/2026

We are well and truly into shedding season. That means we should pretty much all be grooming like mad at the moment to get out all that winter hair. Sometimes it seems never ending but that smooth sleek summer coat will soon reveal itself.

Who actually gives their horse a thorough grooming on a regular basis all year round?Sometimes I feel like a thorough grooming or a good old strapping is a bit of a lost art.

It's a hustle and bustle world and we're mostly always against the clock. So often I'll see horses just given a quick flick over before exercise just in the areas where the tack goes. After exercise it's the same quick flick or sponge down if the horse is lucky - most times I see them get turned straight out once they have been untacked. I've noticed that as soon as the weather is warm people reach for hose pipes to wash and clean and rarely reach for a grooming brush.

The benefits of taking time to throughly groom at least a couple of times a week are absolutely enormous. I'll list just a few...
◇It's relaxing and good for the mind - yours and well as your horse. It helps with bonding and connection too.
◇Regular grooming helps prevent tack and rugs from rubbing.
◇It is a great way at finding the smallest cut or swelling early - I found a wound on my own old mare on Sunday which I knew wasn't there the day before. Her leg had already begun to swell a little from the wound but my early detection meant I could treat it straight away. Keeping the wound clean and treated whilst it's healing as well as regular cold hosing is doing the job and I'm pleased to report the leg is now back to normal size.
◇Regular grooming and strapping is fantastic for circulation - improving blood flow encourages healing and condition.
◇Regular strapping is great for muscle recovery and eases stiffness.
◇Regular grooming stimulates natural oils improving coat and skin condition.
◇It's a fantastic way to notice unusual sore spots and sensitivities.

This photo is of 35 year Mara - I've recently had her for holiday cover. She always gets regular grooming while her owner is away, but as it's shedding season she got a little more. I know this mare well, and I know her sweet spots where she likes a scratch. Through our shedding grooming sessions on this cover I discovered she quites likes the shedding blade to give her a scratch in her girth area just behind her elbows.

So come on people, get your grooming brushes out a bit more often and groom thoroughly. You might find you actually quite enjoy it.

Address

Colchester

Website

http://www.equestrian-services.co.uk/

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