Mac and Me

Tag: Horse Health

  • Signs of Struggle: Understanding Horse Fitness and Wellbeing

    Year 5 – Down to the bottom and back again – The Restart: Signs We Couldn’t Ignore

    Mac had the winter of 2022/2023 off, time to rest, grow, and hopefully come back stronger. We brought him slowly back into work in the spring of 2023, starting with plenty of roadwork and gentle hacking.

    In hindsight, he was noticeably worse, steadier, stiffer, and less forward than before. But I pushed on, thinking maybe he just needed to rebuild fitness.

    About 8 to 12 weeks after we restarted, Mac went for his first proper lesson.

    At first, he managed to canter, just about, on the right rein. He got around the arena and even pulled off a 20-metre circle, though it was hard work. On the left rein, though, the canter was barely there. Disjointed, weak, unbalanced, like he simply couldn’t get his body to do it.

    For the next few months, we returned to hacking and strength work. I was under no illusion, at five, Mac simply wasn’t ready to work consistently in the arena. So, we focused on what he could manage, and what we both enjoyed.

    We hacked out with friends, took our time, and began to rebuild confidence. Mac even competed in a TREC competition with a friend and her horse. He was brilliant with the obstacles, especially the gate, the bridge, and the rein back. Calm, clever, and focused.

    But there were still signs of discomfort. During Day 2, particularly while completing the PTV (Parcours en Terrain Varié) phase, an obstacle course designed to test control, obedience, and partnership over varied terrain, we noticed a lot of tail swishing, we were now riding in his third tree’d saddle. Something still wasn’t right.

    That weekend, I was introduced to SMART Saddles, they are treeless but look like a traditional tree’d saddle, and I brought home an ex-demo to try. It was a game changer. Mac moved better almost immediately, straighter, freer, and noticeably more comfortable. For the first time, I felt like the saddle was helping, not hindering him.

    On the first day of TREC, he did run out of energy toward the end of the 12km ride. We finished the last section mostly at walk, and our scores reflected the slower pace. Still, we came away with a very respectable second place, and a quiet sense that we were finally starting to piece the puzzle together.

    Just as I was beginning to accept that Mac might never be the pony I’d hoped for, everything changed. I met Lindsay, the founder of Equipilates® and LWR Dressage & Equitation Science Training, a brilliant dressage trainer and coach who uses Pilates-based techniques to help riders become more balanced, aware, and effective in the saddle.

    It was the beginning of something completely different, not just for Mac, but for me too. Lindsay didn’t see a difficult pony. She saw a body that was struggling, and a rider who wanted to help. Her approach, insight, and empathy opened a door that changed everything for us……………………….

    mac in his trec gear

  • Starting Mac

    What We Wish We Knew: Starting Mac the Right Way

    When we first started working with Mac, we didn’t yet know about Equitation Science.

    A Gentle Pony, a Big Ask

    Mac is a calm and gentle pony. From early on, he tried to tell us things—through his body language, his posture, and sometimes through resistance, but we didn’t always understand what he was saying. We now realise that before backing him, he needed more structured groundwork, not just to teach obedience, but to help him build the physical strength and confidence required to carry a rider.

    At the time, we didn’t know how important it was to:

    • Strengthen his postural frame before adding weight
    • Break down each stage of learning into clear, single steps
    • Give him the chance to process, communicate, and grow confidence

    Shutting Down, Not Acting Out

    Mac didn’t explode or act out. He did something quieter, and harder to spot: he shut down. He became introverted, less expressive, and harder to read. It wasn’t dramatic, but it was a red flag we didn’t yet know how to interpret. In hindsight, we can see that his behaviour reflected both emotional stress and physical discomfort, which we later discovered was connected to his muscle health.

    At the time, we didn’t know the science. We didn’t realise that a horse shutting down can be a survival strategy, not a sign of compliance, but a loss of confidence or hope.

    Enter Equitation Science

    Learning about Equitation Science has changed everything for us. With our trainer’s help, we’ve started to rebuild Mac’s trust in training – step by step, moment by moment. ESI has given us the tools to:

    • Understand why he reacts the way he does
    • Use clear, consistent signals so he’s never confused
    • Allow him to communicate, without punishing him for expressing fear or uncertainty
    • Support him physically, not just emotionally, by working in postures that strengthen rather than stress his body

    It’s not about blame. It’s about progress. We know more now, and we’re doing better, for Mac and for ourselves.

    Why This Matters for the Horse World

    Horses like Mac don’t just need obedience. They need education, clarity, and trust. They need trainers who understand how horses learn, and who are willing to listen just as much as they lead.

    We believe it’s time for:

    • Horse owners to feel empowered to ask questions and learn
    • Welfare and performance to be treated as the same goal, not separate ones

    We can’t go back, but we can move forward, smarter, softer, and stronger.

  • Mac the early years

    Bringing Mac Home
    After the search that began during lockdown and led us to a small, reputable Connemara stud in Oxfordshire we met the pony who would change everything. Mac was a two-year-old colt: well-bred, well-handled, and already showing the kind temperament and curious spirit we were looking for. He was bold but gentle, moved beautifully, and followed us around the field from the very first visit. We brought him home full of hope and excitement for the years ahead, a once-in-a-lifetime pony for both me and my son.


    Mac was naturally curious and kind. He was one of those ponies who always wanted to be with you in the field, interested in everything that was going on. Even at that age, he had a special presence, the kind that makes you feel lucky every time you see them.

    Growing Up – Bright but Itchy


    Before we ever sat on him, there were little signs that something wasn’t quite right. He was itchy, really itchy. I remember wondering whether he might develop sweet itch. His tail was a constant target, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t get him to stop rubbing it. I tried countless herbal remedies and treatments. Some helped to a point, but the itch was always just beneath the surface. And he lay down all the time!

    Mac and Bill winter 2020


    We took our time with him, no pressure, just letting him grow and settle. But quietly, in the background, there was always this sense that something didn’t quite add up.

    The Change After Backing


    When it came time to back Mac, we kept everything slow and quiet. He accepted the process willingly. There were no explosions or arguments, he simply allowed it. But something had changed.


    Where he had once been bright and alert from the ground, under saddle he became dull. Not resistant, not reactive, just flat. Uninterested. That spark of curiosity we’d known so well seemed to disappear the moment we sat on him.


    He wasn’t sensitive to the leg or saddle. In fact, he felt the opposite, disconnected. Almost as though riding didn’t register as something important to him.

    Strength Work That Didn’t Work


    We started hacking him out gently, building up with long hill walks, and we have plenty of hills around here. Mac was excellent in traffic, barely even noticing the lorries or cars on our busy main road. It was the one time he seemed more like his old self, alert and forward, as long as it was flat! Ears pricked, taking it all in.


    But as the summer wore on, it became clear something was wrong.


    No matter how much steady fitness work we did, no matter how many hills we climbed, Mac didn’t get fitter. He stayed sluggish, and he never really developed strength or stamina the way a young, healthy pony should.


    So, in late autumn, we turned him away for a long winter rest, thinking perhaps time and a break would help………………..

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