Lucy Butt - Equine Behaviourist

10/09/2026

PAIN IN THE YOUNG, UNRIDDEN HORSE

Pain is usually associated with horses who are in intense work and less thought it put on pain being seen in young horses or those who are in light work, however pain can be just as relevant in these horses.

A staggering 90% of racehorses had EGUS (Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome) in a study from 2007 by Bell et al. These numbers are significantly lower in feral horses at around 20-25% (Camacho-Luna et al., 2018). In foals the statistics range from 22-57% and as high as 97% shortly after weaning (Hewetson et al, 2018). These statistics highlight the importance of being aware of the impact of stress on all horses, not just those who are ridden and ensuring young horses are sound and able to start ridden work before beginning.

We must remember that some pain is difficult or nearly impossible to detect even with veterinary care, so we need to be able to understand and listen to our horses behavioural signs too. Usually behavioural signs come from more severe discomfort and so should be taken seriously.

Most young horses are motivated and keen to work with us, this obviously varies from horse to horse and is linked to their previous experiences. If we attempt to start a young horse under saddle that has undiagnosed pain, we risk creating negative associations from the start. This can be difficult to undo at a later stage when the cause of pain has been solved. This is why it is vital that your horse is regularly checked by qualified professionals and training is only started when the horse is physically and emotionally ready and changes in behaviour are noticed and acted upon quickly.

References:

Bell, R., Kingston, J., Mogg, T., & Perkins, N. (2007). The prevalence of gastric ulceration in racehorses in New Zealand. New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 55(1), 13–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2007.36729

Pilar Camacho-Luna, Benjamin Buchanan, Frank M. Andrews,
Advances in Diagnostics and Treatments in Horses and Foals with Gastric and Duodenal Ulcers,
Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice,
Volume 34, Issue 1,
2018,
Pages 97-111,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cveq.2017.11.007.

Hewetson M, Venner M, Volquardsen J Diagnostic accuracy of blood sucrose as a screening test for equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) in weanling foals. Acta Vet Scand. 2018; 60:(1) https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-018-0377-5



📷by Jessica Grange Photography

07/09/2026

PATIENCE AND TIME IN HORSE TRAINING

Something I am seeing so often within the horse world is that most people are in a rush to get things done and have quick results. But this can be so detrimental to horses from a physical, emotional and behavioural stand point.

Somewhere along the way we have lost what horse training is truly about, helping the horse to understand what we are asking and be keen to work with us. Adding extra stress and rushing steps results in horses who are worried, lack motivation or seeing gaps in training further down the line.

Currently I have several owners who I am helping to start their horses under saddle. Now these have never been quick and the owners know and understand this. We have taken as much time as the individual horse needs and for some of them that is an entire extra year of ground work because even though they are physically 'mature enough' to be ridden, they are not emotionally ready to take on all that ridden life can mean. The majority make quick progress because of the amount of work their wonderful owners put in on the ground, some struggle with certain areas so we take our time and help make it clearer and easier for them to achieve. Most importantly we help find what the individual horse finds motivating and enjoys...for most this is getting out and about hacking.

It isn't straight forward as humans for us to step back and take our time, but sometimes we need to remember that our horses only have the information we are giving them and if that information isn't clear and motivating for them we need to adjust things. It is also vital that all horses, but especially young horses have regular physiotherapy, tack fittings, veterinary care, dental care and anything else that the individual requires.

The next time you work with your horse, I encourage you to take the time to allow them to explore their surroundings and give them the time and patience they deserve. It's a great skill for humans to develop too..especially in this fast paced world we are living in.

03/09/2026

OBSTACLE/DESENSITISATION CLINIC

PERFECT FOR YOUNG HORSES!

Come along for an informative session with a variety of novel obstacles and tips on how to help your horse stay relaxed and below threshold in a new environment.
Perfect for all young (or old) horses that need some help building their confidence and curiosity in a calm, relaxed and supportive environment.

All sessions involve learning how to successfully apply positive reinforcement techniques to help your horses feel confident around new obstacles!

All clinics are groundwork based but if you fancy trying them ridden then these can be done at private clinics at your yard!

Monday 7th September at Water Farm EC, Suffolk - 6:15-7:45pm

All sessions are £45 per combination, this deposit is non-refundable unless we can fill your space.

Message me to get booked in today!
Lucy Butt - Equine Behaviourist

24/08/2026

OBSTACLE/DESENSITISATION CLINIC

PERFECT FOR YOUNG HORSES!

Come along for an informative session with a variety of novel obstacles and tips on how to help your horse stay relaxed and below threshold in a new environment.
Perfect for all young (or old) horses that need some help building their confidence and curiosity in a calm, relaxed and supportive environment.

All sessions involve learning how to successfully apply positive reinforcement techniques to help your horses feel confident around new obstacles!

All clinics are groundwork based but if you fancy trying them ridden then these can be done at private clinics at your yard!

Monday 7th September at Water Farm EC, Suffolk - 6:15-7:45pm

All sessions are £45 per combination, this deposit is non-refundable unless we can fill your space.

Message me to get booked in today!

03/08/2026

INITIAL CONSULTATIONS AND HOW THEY WORK:

I have a lot of messages from people wondering how initial consultations work and if one would be appropriate for their horse. I have put together a post about how they work and what is included in a consultation.

If you would like to get a consultation or lesson booked in then pop me a message. I have limited availability for August and September is also filling up!

02/08/2026

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY TO US!

I can't believe that Lucy Butt Equine Behaviourist has been running for 3 years now. Time flies when you are having fun!

A huge thank you to all of my wonderful clients and horses along the way that I have been able to help. I have truly loved working with every single horse and owner.

I can't wait to see what the next 3 years brings!

To celebrate our birthday we are offering 15% of all INITIAL CONSULTATIONS for the WHOLE of August!!

In order to claim your discount, your initial consultation needs to be booked in August (but it can take place outside of August).

Don't forget we also offer many other services including:

✅Groundwork
✅Liberty
✅Introduction to R+ training
✅Backing
✅Young Horse Handling
✅Desensitisation Clinics/Training
✅Feral/Unhandled Horse Training
✅Management/Track System Consultations
Plus much more!

Pop me a message to see how we can help you :)

22/07/2026

What a sad loss for the equine industry. 💔

My heart is broken today.

Alexandra Kurland is gone, and I don’t quite have the words — but I want to try, because she gave me so many.

I found Alex’s work in 2010, recovering from a fall, not expecting much. Within weeks I had a different horse. He nickered when he saw me. He met me at the gate because he wanted to. He offered, instead of bracing. And slowly I understood: Alex hadn’t taught me how to make a horse do things. She’d taught me how to ask — and then how to listen, really listen, for the answer. That changed my horses. It also changed me.

This photo is one of the happiest of my whole life. It’s from a day at Anja Beran’s, and I’m glowing in it because I had somehow brought my two greatest teachers into the same room — the two people who shaped how I think about horses, and honestly, how I try to move through the world. I felt so lucky. I still do.

Everyone will call her a pioneer, and she was. But that word feels too tidy for who she actually was: warm, funny, endlessly curious, and good — someone who spent her whole life making things gentler for horses and for the people who love them. So many of us are kinder, more patient, more awake because of her. So many horses have had softer, happier lives because she existed.

Thank you, Alex. For the clicker, yes — but so much more for the way of seeing. I will miss you more than I can say, and I know I am far from alone. 💛

13/07/2026

WHY 'QUICK FIXES' ARE DAMAGING TO HORSES

In an age where you can order something online and it is delivered less than 24 hours and everything is available at the press of a button, it is easy to see why owners expect the same rapid response in horse training.

BUT....is this more damaging?

I have seen a few posts about burn out in the equine industry but especially within the equine behaviour sector and for good reason. It is becoming increasingly exhausting to work within an industry that wants to see instant results in order for a trainer to be 'good'. And yes, sometimes we can see big break throughs in session one but the reality is that behaviour is complex and multi layered, especially if the behaviour is deep-rooted and linked to trauma.

Horses can take days, weeks, months or even years to achieve human desired behaviours. Now, this isn't always the case, especially if the horse you are working with is young or has no underlying trauma. Those trainers offering quick solutions or one time sessions to fix deep-rooted behaviour could result in a shut-down horse who may display more extreme behaviours sometime in the future, especially if factors such as, pain haven't been explored.

I have had increasing conversations with owners who are so desperate for their horses behaviour to improve but they want results today...that will never be how I work. Especially if pain or management need to be assessed and addressed, in many cases these changes already make a dramatic improvement to the horses behaviour...it's amazing what meeting needs can do 😄

Now, I think the majority of this comes from lack of knowledge and education of how horses brains actually work and the repeated use of anthropomorphic language used within the industry. Plus the promise of fast results, for usually a high cost.

So please remember that equine behaviour is extremely complicated and they deserve to be understood. Please take into account qualifications your trainer/behaviourist has and how they approach behavioural challenges your horse faces.

Please feel free to reach out if you would like to chat about how I work and how I can help you and your horse.

Photo by the amazing Jessica Grange Photography.

24/06/2026

HEAT WARNINGS

All lessons for the rest of this week are cancelled. The only exceptions are if you want to work on your horse being hosed down!

Please pop me a message if you would like help with this :)

I hope you and your horses all stay cool and safe ❤️

23/06/2026

PRIVATE OBSTACLE CLINIC

A lovely return from my holiday to a obstacle clinic at a private yard. Some familiar faces and new horses too. It was lovely to see how much more confident the two that had previously done the obstacles were. And some great successes, including some owners who weren't sure their horses would even make it into the arena. It was great to be able to take it at each individual horses pace.

Well done everyone 🥳