Change of Tack Podcast

08/06/2025

⭐1 SPACE LEFT⭐ -participant
Limited spectator spaces remaining too!

For anyone interested in learning about positive reinforcement with horses, or wanting to meet like minded people. I am excited to announce that Maggie's Voice Equestrian Center in South Wales, will be hosting a Positive Reinforcement Camp from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th July 2025.

Arrive on the Friday after 3pm to allow time to settle your horse and set up camp. You have the option to bring electric fencing to build a 20x20m corral, or a stable can be available on request (hay and bedding can be provided at additional cost).

Basic camping facilities include:
- shared access to fridge and freezer space (we recommend bringing a cool box and ice packs),
- toilets and showers,
- shared kitchen facilites with microwave and kettle (camping stoves are welcome).

For those who prefer not to camp, local accommodation is available in the area and a £50 discount will be applied to your booking.

Friday evening there will be a meet and greet session, followed by a talk or demo.

On Saturday we have a full day of coaching provided by ABTC-ATI Aliyah Woodland. Handlers will be organised into small groups of similar experience, each group will receive a morning and afternoon session, working on ground work or ridden skills. Followed by an evening of talks and an enrichment workshop.

On Sunday we have another full day of coaching provided by ABTC-AAB Trudi Dempsey. We aim to keep the same groups where possible, providing a morning and afternoon session of coaching, before you pack up and head home.

Maggies voice have a selection of R+ ponies available to hire for the weekend, which are suitable for ridden or non ridden sessions.

A limited number of spectator spaces will also be available. You are welcome to camp with the group, take part in the evening talks and demos and have access to watch the group coaching sessions.

Our guest speakers include:
- ABTC-ATI/AAB and IASF-A Alex Le Grand from the NAC who will discuss saddle fit and the behavioural signs to look out for.
- ABTC-ATI Louise Napthine who is providing a mini workshop on enrichment.
- McTimoney Animal Therapist and MSFC Eiddwen Skellon with a talk on Equine posture and biomechanics
- Bitfree expert Elinor Brewer who will discuss all things bitless!!

We welcome professionals to bring a stand and promote their holistic Equine business.

I'm sure by now you are asking how much does this amazing event cost?

Bring your own horse - £400
Hire a horse (non ridden) - £450
Hire a horse (ridden) - £480
Spectator- £250

*£50 discount if you prefer to source external accommodation.

To book please contact Maggies Voice via their page, or WhatsApp El on 07578989159.

06/06/2025

For everyone who wants to learn to understand the horse’s smallest signals Would you love to not only learn more about calming signals, but also be able to recognize them? Then this is the online course for you! In over 50+ videos you will be able to observe the signals in detail and you will lear...

03/06/2025

Hi everyone,

Asking for help and support please.

I'm Alice. Pictured here with my horse Troy, the one who started it all and changed my life. Equine Elements is my dream, horses helping people heal. We are a therapeutic centre on the outskirts of Stroud, that provides healing work through horses for children and adults, as well as ethical horsemanship and riding. It is my passion, my lifelong ambition and it has huge positive impacts on people's lives. A recent quote from a young person: “you and the horses have helped me more than anyone else, thank you. I wish I could have more sessions”

We are currently putting in a planning application for our permanent site (office, toilet, horse shelter, drive and change of land use to equestrian business).
As some of you may know we have been having massive struggles with our planning application, which has led to huge costs and it taking a lot longer than anticipated.
We are now submitting all of the extra surveys and documents that the planning authority have requested, for the applications final review.

Please please can we try and have as many supportive comments as possible, if you have already done this thank you! But could you ask family, friends, neighbours, to submit a comment too? Anything that shows support, eg the vital need for mental health provisions, the growing number of children struggling at school, the need for nature based activities, the need for local rural businesses, and that we are environmentally aware and have done everything that has been asked for for the application. All the documents related to the application are viewable to anyone via the planning portal, if you have any questions please ask.

We won't be able to continue our life changing work with a refused planning application. We really value your support, thank you. ❤️🐴

The link is below, and the planning application ref is S.24/1822/FUL or search Yokehouse lane, please share far and wide.

You can submit a comment via the planning portal, or if that doesn't work, email to [email protected]

https://publicaccess.stroud.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=SL1HQGPNKSB00

Please note that the screen will 'time-out' after 30mins and your comment will not be saved. If submitting lengthy comments, it is recommended that you compose your comments in another software package such as Notepad or Word and paste them into the Your Comment box.

16/05/2025

23/04/2025

Arthritis affects over 80% of older animals, leading to lameness, discomfort and altered gait patterns due to compensation. In this webinar, we will explore how arthritis develops, the most commonly affected areas, and a range of therapeutic approaches. We will also examine how McTimoney chiropracti...

13/04/2025

Had a really interesting session this morning with a lovely rider who came to work on an issue she was having picking up one canter lead. She brought her horse along, and while he was happily settled in one of our stables, we got to work on the simulator, Tallulah.

There wasn’t anything dramatically “wrong,” but we did find a few subtle patterns in her position that could have been making the canter transition harder than it needed to be. Specifically, asymmetrical movement between the left and right sides of the pelvis, which linked to tension in the right shoulder and some rotation through the upper body—all of which can have an effect on canter transitions.

We also explored something I’ve been noticing more and more: how we often don’t feel both sides of our body in the same way. It’s a proprioception thing—basically, we don’t receive the same quality of feedback from each leg or side of the pelvis, but since we’ve only ever felt things our way, we have no idea there’s a difference! It’s surprisingly common for one leg to have slightly different muscle development or movement patterns, and it can subtly affect the horse without us realising.

When we went into the arena for a session with her horse, the canter leads were much better than usual. The changes we’d made on the simulator were still very much in place, and simply applying those to a live horse meant the issue had resolved—no need for any further adjustments to do with picking up a lead. It was a clear and immediate shift, just from changing how she was using her body.

It was a great example of how useful it is to combine simulator and ridden sessions in one place—we can try things out, check the horse’s response, and get loads of insight all in one go. Go Tallulah! And hooray for having safe, comfy stables for horses while we do it.

31/03/2025

Awesome work from Maggie's Voice Equestrian Center as always.

See episode 3 to learn more about El and her team.

17/03/2025

Join us on Wednesday 26th March for the final Welfare Wednesday Webinar of this winter series. Equestrianism, particularly whether we should be riding horses is under ever increasing public scrutiny and we all need ensure we are training horses using ethical practices based on learning theory. We wi...

07/03/2025

What's on at Maggie's Voice Equestrian Center?

March

Friday 21st:
Archery Academy Lessons with
Horses available for hire
Message to book

April

Friday 4th:
Archery Academy Lessons with
Horses available to hire
Message to book

Tuesday 15th:
Pony Day 10-3
Booking link: https://bookwhen.com/maggiesvoice/e/ev-s9qa-20250415100000

Wednesday 16th:
Taster hack
Booking link: https://bookwhen.com/maggiesvoice/e/ev-swzo-20250416100000

Adult+Child Hack
Booking link: https://bookwhen.com/maggiesvoice/e/ev-srz2-20250416120000

Monday 21st:
Wellbeing Morning with
Booking link: https://bookwhen.com/maggiesvoice/e/ev-sqig-20250421100000

Tuesday 22nd:
Private HAS
Booking through private organisation

Wednesday 23rd:
Am - Kids archery sessions
Pm - Archery Clinic
Kids sessions include horse hire
Horses available to hire for other sessions
Message to book

Thursday 24th:
Pony Day
Booking link: https://bookwhen.com/maggiesvoice/e/ev-shkk-20250424100000

Friday 25th:
Taster Hack
Booking link: https://bookwhen.com/maggiesvoice/e/ev-silp-20250425100000

Horse Activity Session
Booking link: https://bookwhen.com/maggiesvoice/e/ev-s3ka-20250425100000

Saturday 26th:
Next Gen Horsemanshsip: Mastering Ethical Horse Care Clinic
With Why Do Horses
Booking link: https://bookwhen.com/maggiesvoice/e/ev-sq4z-20250426090000

May

Saturday 10th:
Working Equitation Clinic with
Horses available for hire
Message to book

June

Saturday 21st:
Archery clinic with
Horses available for hire
Message to book

Saturday 28th:
Working Equitation Clinic with
Horses available for hire
Message to book

05/03/2025

https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/how-cooperative-care-techniques-used-to-train-zebras-and-rhinos-could-benefit-horses-885816?fbclid=IwY2xjawI1eGtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHaha2nckZ4IEEI3zCCSNhvFlbFrSSIv0IPOaaDeOryUqT9J7myQ-oSCgng_aem_VJ7h3Dsf321rxGNaw-TmuA

‘They can say no’: how techniques used to train zebras and rhinos could benefit horses. Read more via link below

18/02/2025

Filled with the latest science, this course will teach you the science behind equine training and behaviour, how to train your horse in a welfare and ethics-first manner and guide you through all the principles that underpin good horsemanship. Learn how to understand your horse better than ever befo...

18/02/2025

Episode 14 is finally here and I am so excited to bring you the amazing work from Tilefield Equestrian - Amanda Barton.

Based in Hampshire, UK, Tilefield Equestrian offer a variety of holistic events; with regular clinics, workshops and talks on everything from ridden training, bodywork, rehabilitation, behavioural issues, scent work, reiki, saddle fitting, human body work, SURE FOOT equine stability training.

With the help of Tallulah, her Racewood Riding Simulator, Amanda also offers indepth training to improve rider balance and proprioception.

During the episode Amanda mentions an upcoming event with Rachaël Draaisma looking at Scent work with horses. There are currently still spaces available so if you're keen to learn more please contact Amanda via her website, link in the comments below.

To listen to the episode search 'Change of Tack', or follow the link in the comments.