The Freedom Track

21/06/2026

Good morning from the Freedom Track ☀️🐴

One of my favourite parts of the day is the morning feed routine. Some horses like to tuck straight in and enjoy their breakfast in peace, while others are keen to see what everyone else is having first! 😂

What I love most is how relaxed and settled everyone is. There’s no rushing, no drama, just a herd of happy horses starting their day in a way that works for them. Each horse has their own personality and preferences, and it’s lovely to see them express those choices while remaining calm and content.

This morning was one of those moments that reminds me why I love this lifestyle so much—happy horses, peaceful surroundings, and a herd that simply enjoys being together. ❤️

🐎🌿☀️

20/06/2026

18/06/2026

🌱⛰️ Following on from my recent post about simple, cost-effective ways to create more of a track feel, here’s a great example of making the most of what you already have.

After some drainage work, we were left with a large amount of spare soil. Rather than paying to have it removed, we used it to create two mounds within our track system. 🐴

The horses absolutely love them! ❤️ They’ve become natural vantage points where they can stand, watch the world go by, and generally keep an eye on everything happening around them. If you’ve seen some of my previous reels, you’ll probably have spotted horses happily hanging out on top, surveying their kingdom! 👑👀

In this video, you can see Mickey enjoying one of the mounds, playing, exploring and making full use of the varied terrain. 🏇✨

I also have a second mound away from the fence line which I use regularly for rehabilitation work. Gentle walking up and down the slope can be fantastic for encouraging engagement of the topline and hindquarters. We keep everything slow and controlled, sometimes incorporating backing up or down the slope to recruit different muscle groups and build strength in a functional way. 💪🐎

It’s such a simple feature, but it provides enrichment, movement variety, different terrain, and training opportunities—all from something that would otherwise have been waste soil.

Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ones! 🌿💚

17/06/2026

Meet our gelding herd! 🤠🐴

These three boys may be young and active, but they’re a great example of how we tailor environments to suit the horses in our care.

🌿 Our full-time Freedom Track retirement and rehabilitation herd, where horses live on track systems 24/7.

🌿 Our gelding herd, who enjoy a varied lifestyle with access to larger grassy fields, mini tracks, and their own stables. During the winter months, they still enjoy daily turnout but come into their stables on the colder, wetter nights.

Introducing the boys…

🐴 Raya – our handsome grey ex-racehorse. A laid-back soul who is currently enjoying a slower pace of life while rehabbing and preparing for a future as a happy hacker.

🐴 Mickey – another ex-racehorse who keeps us entertained daily! Since leaving racing, he’s discovered a talent for Western riding and has even started herding cattle.

🐴 Nickel – our newest addition and our first American Quarter Horse. At just three years old, he has an exciting future ahead in cattle-working competitions and we’re looking forward to seeing where his journey takes him.

We’re opening up one space for a compatible gelding to join this lovely herd.

If you would like to know more, send us a message. 📩

07/06/2026

Freedom Track Rehab Update – Long Reining Lesson #1

Today was a bit of a milestone in Mickey’s rehab journey – our very first attempt at long reining.

It’s actually something I never did with him when he was two. At the time, I didn’t feel we needed it, but now it’s become a really useful tool. Being able to watch him move from behind gives me a completely different perspective on how his body is working, and as we continue his rehabilitation, that information is invaluable.

Mickey wasn’t entirely convinced by the whole idea! Having a rope behind him and me walking behind him was definitely outside of his comfort zone. There were a few moments where he questioned my life choices, but he tried hard and kept thinking his way through it.

For this first session, my expectations were simple: move forward from my voice, halt when asked, and back up without me needing to pull on him. Nothing fancy, just the foundations.

Considering it was his very first go, I think he did a pretty good job.

This is a skill that I think will benefit us in so many ways as we move through the Freedom Track rehab programme. Another small step forward, building strength, confidence and communication together.

06/06/2026

Today marks Day 1 of Mickey’s active rehabilitation.

Mickey has SI discomfort and some changes in his hocks. Given his history as an ex-racer, the findings themselves weren’t particularly surprising, and thankfully the issues identified were relatively minor. However, I knew there was something going on, and it feels good to finally have some answers and a clear plan moving forward.

We’ve worked with the vet to reset the area using targeted injections, giving us the best possible opportunity to begin rehab with reduced inflammation and discomfort from the outset.

I seriously considered taking Mickey barefoot at this stage. However, after looking at his feet, his conformation, and discussing the options with the vet, I agreed that some additional support would be beneficial during rehabilitation. So, he’s now sporting some rather fancy therapeutic shoes designed to help him stay comfortable and move as effectively as possible.

Today my physio is coming to assess him and make sure everything is soft, relaxed, and functioning well throughout his body, particularly around the SI region. I’ll report back on that later.

Throughout this process I’ll be assessing his biomechanics in every session, making sure the rehabilitation is effective and guided by what Mickey tells me. His environment will remain as close to track life as possible, with a strong emphasis on comfort, relaxation, movement, and allowing him to stand and recover when he needs to.

As always, I’ll be approaching this through the lens of training as well as rehabilitation. Horses learn best when things are introduced in the right order, and that doesn’t change just because they’re rehabbing. I’ll be drawing on everything I’ve learned from my trainer about the horse’s mental and emotional experience throughout the process. No repetitive drilling, no doing the same thing day after day—just thoughtful, progressive work designed to support both body and mind.

I’ll be documenting as much of this journey as possible. Specialist rehabilitation is a service I hope to offer more of in the future, and I hope sharing Mickey’s progress will be useful to others navigating similar challenges.

Watch this space…
🐴❤️

05/06/2026

People often say that horses weren’t designed to be ridden. That they don’t really want to work with us, and that everything we ask of them goes against their nature.

But I don’t think you can watch this and believe that.

Look at Mickey. His ears are locked onto the cattle. His stride is purposeful. The reins are loose, his body is relaxed, and he’s marching forward with confidence alongside the others. Nobody can force a horse to feel like that.

Especially not a Thoroughbred.

What you’re seeing here isn’t obedience. It’s partnership.

For me, horses need a purpose. I need a purpose too. Functional riding changes everything. When horse and rider come together to complete a job, something shifts. The relationship becomes about far more than simply sitting in the saddle.

It’s communication. Trust. Understanding.

Every movement has meaning. Every decision is shared.

Out here, moving cattle across a field, Mickey isn’t carrying me because he has to. He’s engaged in the task. Thinking, watching, anticipating. Just as I am.

This is where I find the magic of horses.

Not in perfect circles or polished performances, but in those moments when horse and human come together with a common purpose and simply get the job done.

That’s when the partnership becomes something deeper.

Built on respect.

Built on trust.

Built on love.

31/05/2026

Gigha having an itchy roll- can’t wait to get rid of the straw!
I’m debating extending this and making it a big sand area for rolling and sleeping either that or my favourite h**p Aubiose Horse Bedding

28/05/2026

This… this is my happy place. 🤍🐄🐎

A little bit more about me and my favourite times …….Working cows and working with thoroughbreds — maybe not the most obvious partnership for some, but it just goes to show how incredibly versatile these horses can be with the right training, patience and understanding.

There’s something about moving cattle from one place to another that feels deeply grounding, just being out in nature, doing a job together.

Functional riding at its best.

The horse, the cow and me — everyone has a role, everyone is working together. It asks you to be present, to read the moment, to communicate quietly and trust each other.

For me, it feels like a real reconnection with nature and with the kind of horsemanship I love most. Purposeful, thoughtful and completely alive in the moment.

Honestly, I can’t think of anything better. Hallelujah ✨