Hands On Horses

20/05/2026

25/04/2026

Flemington, the wellsford ANZAC horse.

You did all your lost ancestors proud today...
With crowds of people, in the dark you managed multiple flags, drums, bagpipes, the bugels, prams and the traffic management truck. You stood impeccably still during speeches and stood tall with our flag during the anthems.
You brought a tear to my eye.

We will remember them.

22/04/2026

Then we did the bagpipes... just cause we can 🥰

22/04/2026

Music update for those concerned about the ANZAC horse with bagpipes and bugels 😎
Warmbloods can be war horses too you know 🤣

18/04/2026

So about 3-4 weeks ago, I got asked if I would ride my horse in the dawn parade on ANZAC day.... dress up in the rig-marole and carry the ANZAC flag..... s**t yeah what an honor

So naturally I left it till today to see how Flemington feels about flappy flags. I work better under pressure.

In short..... NO! That was his initial response.
So I spent 10mins clicker training him to touch with his nose, and then actually chase the flag. When he touches it, I click, then he gets the treat. Also naturally..... I've lost my clicker so im manually making these clicker noises with my mouth 🙄 doesn't matter, still works.

Then I climbed on and did it all again.

He was trotting after it, chasing it above his head and all over the place. So I called dad out to video a quick blurb about the process and to show the steps. Posted below.


Three takeaways from today's training.
1. My horse is a legend
2. I learnt from the best right Jody Hartstone 😉
3. Dad needs to learn the difference between video and photo 🙄

May I present your ANZAC dawn parade horse!

17/04/2026

A couple of Saturday spots just opened up 👀
North West Auckland area tomorrow! 🐎

If your horse has been dropping hints…
(feeling tight, a bit grumpy, or just not quite themselves 😅)
This might be their way of saying it’s time for a bodywork session.
Flick me a message and I’ll get you booked in 👍

— Tash

16/04/2026

✨ More stretchin’ — less stressin’

So… if grooming and plenty of walking is the answer to warming up muscles before we really ride our horses…
What’s the answer to cooling them down?
Let me (briefly 😅) put my science hat on…
When muscles are working — yours and your horse’s — they need oxygen to produce energy.
But when the work gets more intense and energy is needed faster than oxygen can supply it… the body does something pretty clever.
It switches to a backup system.
(Stay with me… this is the useful bit 😄)
Your cells start breaking down glucose to keep up with demand — a process called anaerobic glycolysis.
Now, we could go way deeper into that…
but I’ll spare you the full science class today.
What matters is this:
This process produces lactate (often called lactic acid — but not quite the same thing 😉).
Your horse’s body is actually pretty smart — it can reuse that lactate as fuel.
But… there’s a tipping point.
If more lactate is produced than the body can use, it starts to build up — and that’s when muscles can feel tight, fatigued, and a bit unhappy.
So, what’s the fix?
Not jumping off straight away.
Not untacking and heading for the gate.
It’s cooling down properly.
A slow walk (or even a gentle jog) after work helps the body keep using that lactate, gradually shifting back to oxygen-based energy again.
Basically — you’re helping the system reset.
And then comes the part I really want you to remember…
Stretching after work is more important than stretching before.
Think of it like chewing gum.
Straight out of the packet — it’s firm, a bit stiff.
Chew it for a while — it warms up, softens, stretches easily.
But leave it sitting on the table again…
Try stretch it — and it just snaps.
Muscles are exactly the same.
When they’re warm, they’re far more responsive to stretching.
You can lengthen them, open things up, and encourage better blood flow, oxygen, and recovery.
When they’re cold… not so much.
So instead of rushing off after your ride…
Take a bit of time to:
• walk your horse out properly
• let their body come back to baseline
• and add in some simple stretches from the ground
(Carrot stretches are still my favourite… all these years on 🥕)
Because a horse that’s allowed to properly cool down and stretch…
Is far less likely to carry tension,
hold onto soreness,
or come out stiff the next day.

16/04/2026

The Famous Stretch Cards - perfect little gift for someone!

14/04/2026

✨ More listenin’ — less fixin’
We’ve all been there…
Your horse does something you don’t like —
kicks out at the leg, pins their ears, feels resistant…
And the first instinct?
Correct it.
Fix it.
Push through it.
But what if that behaviour isn’t the problem?
What if it’s the message?
Horses don’t just “misbehave” for the sake of it.
(Despite what it might feel like some days 😅)
They communicate through their bodies and their reactions.
So when something changes — even something small — it’s worth paying attention.
Because sometimes…
That kick out at your leg?
Might not be attitude.
It might be discomfort.
Tightness through the ribcage.
Soreness in the back.
Restriction through the shoulder.
Something doesn’t feel right — and that’s the only way they know how to say it.
As a bodyworker, I see this all the time.
A horse comes across as “grumpy”, “lazy”, or “difficult”…
but when you actually listen to the body — there’s usually a pretty good reason for it.
(No, they didn’t all wake up that morning and decide to ruin your day 😄)
Muscles that are tight.
Fascia that’s restricted.
Areas that just aren’t moving the way they should.
And when the body feels off… behaviour will follow.
That doesn’t mean we ignore behaviour altogether —
but it does mean we get a bit more curious about it.
Instead of:
“Why are you doing that?”
Try:
“What are you trying to tell me?”
Because sometimes the smallest signs are the biggest clues.
A slight change in movement.
A hesitation.
A reaction that wasn’t there before.
The earlier you listen…
the easier it is to address.
And often, the less you have to “fix” later on.
So next time something feels off — whether it’s in their behaviour or their body…
Pause.
Listen.
Feel.
Your horse is talking —
we have to get better at listening

12/04/2026

✨ More walkin’ — less workin’

We’re all guilty of it…
You hop on with good intentions,
but before you know it — you’re straight into “work mode.”
Short reins.
Picking at things.
Trying to fix something.
But here’s a thought…
What if your horse doesn’t actually need more work?
What if they just need more time?
Time to loosen up.
Time to warm through their body.
Time to feel okay before being asked to perform.
Because imagine this…
You’re a kid again.
Your mum’s slept in.
You get woken up in a panic —
“Get up! We’re late!”
You’re rushed out of bed,
half-asleep,
shovelling breakfast down,
getting dressed, brushing your teeth —
and then straight out the door.
No time to wake up.
No time to think.
No time to feel human.
That’s exactly what it’s like for your horse
when we’re short on time and just jump on and go.
Walking isn’t just the boring bit you rush through to get to the “real” riding.
It is the work.
A good, purposeful walk:
• gets blood flowing
• starts warming up muscles properly
• allows fascia to begin loosening and sliding (yep… we’re back to fascia 😉)
• gives you a chance to actually check in with your horse
Are they stiff?
Uneven?
A bit “off”?
You’ll feel it way quicker at a walk than you will once everything speeds up.
And if you’re thinking walking is boring…
It doesn’t have to be.
You can still ask for things like shoulder-in, travers, even a bit of half pass.
In fact — you can often school these movements better in walk.
Everything is slower, clearer, and easier to correct.
You’ve actually got time to feel what’s going on and adjust it properly.
(And let’s be honest… not every ride needs to feel like you’re in The Fast and the Furious – try being plain old Paul WALKER instead 😅)
Sometimes slower is smarter.
And here’s the other thing…
Walking gives your horse a chance to mentally arrive too.
Because sometimes they’re not being “lazy” or “difficult” —
they’re just not quite with you yet.
So next time you get on, instead of rushing into the trot, the canter, the “plan”…
Stay at the walk a little longer.
Let them stretch.
Let them breathe.
Let them settle.
You might find you need to do a whole lot less “fixing” afterwards.