Thought the ponies had escaped. Turns out Iām just an idiot! š¤£Nearly had a cardiac arrest over the bloody rugs on the washing line. š«
Signs an animal is overwhelmed, and why humans often miss them.It always amazes me how many people own animals or are planning to, yet have very little understanding of their body language.Animals rarely go straight to big, obvious reactions.They whisper first.A pause thatās a bit longer than usual.Tension through the body.Turning the head away.Ears shifting, eyes widening, breathing changing.Small signals that say āIām not comfortable.āBut those signs are easy to missā¦Especially if weāre busy, distracted, or focused on what we want the animal to do.Have you ever stopped and really watched?Not just the behaviour, but the body underneath it?Worry, stress and overwhelm often show up subtly long before they turn into shutdown, avoidance, or reactivity.Animals communicate all the time.We just have to slow down enough to listen.And honestly.Humans do the exact same thing with each other, and often ignore our own early signs of stress.Practise listening to the whispers
World Mental Health Day šæI feel pretty damn lucky when it comes to my own mental health. Iāve always been a glass half full kind of person. Itās an outlook that serves me well day to day.That being said, Iām definitely someone who struggles with burnout. Self-inflicted. I take on too much, put too much pressure on myself and seem to have a complete inability to switch off. Thereās always another job to do, another idea to work on or another thing to add to the ever growing to-do list.For me, animals are a huge part of keeping that balance. And as we head into the 'slightly' quieter season š„“ and winter approaches, I cannot wait to get back out with my dogs more and out on the hunting field, hedgehopping. Completely present in the moment. No busy thoughts just pure adrenaline.But mental health is also something I see from a very different perspective through my business. Whether Iām visiting secure units, hospitals, childrenās homes or working in private settings, I get to see people from all walks of life, sometimes at their most vulnerable.Seeing first-hand the difference animals can make, even in the smallest of ways, is a huge reminder of why I do what I do. It pushes me to keep helping, keep learning and keep finding ways to make a difference.Iām particularly excited about developing my equine-facilitated learning work and using my qualifications to reach more adults and children through animal assisted interventions. There is so much potential in the connection between people and animals.So, this World Mental Health Day consider slowing down, spending time with animals and giving yourself permission to just be. šæš“š¾
This is me every morning in chicken form! šBecause I genuinely believe 'that task' is only going to take 10 minutesā¦ Lies!Forever gaslighting myself. š
Winky washing š§½ š§ If you're a bit of a prude, probably don't read on. š¤£Today, I thought I'd share with you just how unglamorous horse ownership can be.Whilst clipping my horse today, (he was in a sedation induced dream)All I could think was:āQuick, hurry up Zoe. Get this clipping finished whilst he's still sleepy.āBecause once I'd finished clipping, I had another job to do.Yep. I needed to wash his willy.š„“And before anyone thinks I've completely lost the plot, yes, this is actually a thing when you own a male horse.And here's another thing you may not know...There are actually 'professionals' who do this.And they call themselves...Winky Washers.Yep. You heard that correctly.Just another completely normal part of horse ownership that nobody thinks to mention when you're dreaming about buying a horse.The glamorous life of a horse owner.
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