Horse Play

Some lovely validation today for the work I've been doing on horse-human co-regulation.
A brand-new study just published on feral horses in Venezuela found that when these horses sense danger, their first instinct isn't to flee — it's to come together. And sometimes, when a frightened horse runs back to its herd, something remarkable happens: the calm of the group soothes the frightened individual, rather than the fear spreading.
This is exactly the kind of mechanism I've been exploring in my own research on spontaneous co-regulation between horses and people — the idea that we might be able to tap into these same ancient, affiliative, calming systems that horses already use with each other.
It's a beautiful reminder that the foundations of trust, safety, and connection in horses run incredibly deep — and that when we get the conditions right, we might just be invited into that circle of calm too.
Link to the study below 👇
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/16/12/1826?fbclid=IwY2xjawScj6VleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeDig5rVb2OkTOKaRnPGX7NFD9sqarHVpBxZ35qIjdMAxh4HS-dViyl4CKbds_aem_YWdncwACtDygQwts9Qlz06vOgTzM&brid=YWdncwEh3_k5KXprgFk0ln0Bcdgx

Observations on Anti-Predator Defense Behavior in Feral Horses in Venezuela Apart from vigilance and flight, anti-predator defense behavior in horses has not been well documented despite its importance during natural selection. In this study, observations of a feral herd (around 140) of Venezuelan horses sympatric with puma and jaguar divided such defense into precaution an...

Are we misreading "bad behavior" in metabolic horses? 🐴💔

If you’re managing a horse with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) or PPID, your focus is likely on strip-grazing, soaked hay, and weighing out feeds. But there is an invisible piece of the puzzle that often goes unnoticed: the nervous system.

Peer-reviewed research shows that horses with metabolic conditions often live in a state of chronic sympathetic tonus—meaning their "fight or flight" system is constantly turned on at a low level. High circulating insulin (hyperinsulinemia) actually alters autonomic regulation, elevating their baseline heart rate and keeping their systems "primed" for stress (Heliczer et al., 2017).

What does this look like in practice? When a horse's nervous system is chemically primed for stress, their perception of the world changes. They aren't being "defiant" or "spooky"—their internal chemistry has lowered their threshold for arousal.

To make an accurate evaluation of these horses, we have to look past the physical symptoms and deeply assess their:
Motivation: Are they seeking safety because their physiology feels unsafe?
Perception: Is a simple environmental change being perceived as a major threat due to high baseline cortisol?
Communication: Are we listening to the subtle micro-expressions of discomfort before they scale up to hyper-arousal?
True welfare means recognising that diet and environment are completely intertwined.

Do you know a horse with metabolic issues that also seems more reactive?

Learn more about how you can support our horses physical, emotional and psychological needs👉 Step into the Hub: www.horseplayhighlands.com/learninghub

Lovely feedback from the first 100 people to use Equine Voice 🤩

There have been some exciting new updates recently. To ensure they all make it to you, log out and back in again if you're on a mobile device. If you're using a computer, clear browsing data for Equinevoice.com and log back in.

Let me know what your favourite feature is in the comments 🤩

If you haven't discovered the world's first science-backed equine behaviour and welfare app, link to start for free is in the comments 😁

Day 3 of the Into The Wild retreat, and we're deep in the ancient oak woods on a forage walk with Bonny, Pixie, and Oscar. 🌿

Watching horses move through a landscape like this — the choices they make, what they stop for, what they seek out — is one of the most quietly extraordinary things I know.

And today, for the first time, we got to use Plant Finder to find out exactly what they were after.

Plant Finder is a brand new feature in Equine Voice. You point your camera at a plant your horse is eating or showing interest in, it identifies it, and tells you the welfare science behind why your horse might be seeking it out — grounded in peer-reviewed research on zoopharmacognosy, the study of animals self-selecting plants for their own wellbeing.

Oscar went straight for the nettles. Of course he did.

Plant Finder is live now for Premium members at equinevoice.com — and if you've ever stood in a field watching your horse graze selectively and wondered what they know that you don't, this was built for that moment.

🌿 equinevoice.com

Day 2: Into The Wild 🌿

​The magic deepened today as we blurred the lines between the human and equine worlds. We began our morning surrendered to the serenity of the coast, sharing a "free walk" with the herd—no lead ropes, no agendas, just pure, rhythmic movement under the open sky.

​The connection was palpable. From soft exhales to quiet lean-ins, the ponies were incredibly present, offering our guests those profound, soul-level moments that words usually fail to capture.

​From Connection to Conversation
​After a beautiful lunch at the castle, we shifted from feeling to understanding. Our afternoon was a deep dive into the "language of the unheard," covering:

​The Subtle Language: Decoding micro-signals and the quietest whispers of equine communication.

​The Science of Happiness: Identifying positive welfare markers that show a horse is truly thriving.

​Closing the Gap: A powerful discussion on the welfare disparity between domestic life and the freedom of the wild.

​The day left us with full hearts and expanded minds. Tomorrow? We leave the shore behind and venture deep into the ancient forest. 🌲✨

First day of our Into The Wild equine behaviour retreat has been beautiful. Seals, sea eagles and deer all graced us with their presence, gorgeous food and lovely company.

Tomorrow we head for the hills to meet the herd for the first time 😁

I've been receiving some beautiful feedback from the early adopters of my equine behaviour app. This one really touched at the heart of why I created Equine Voice.

"I have had Nutmeg for 11 years. I thought I knew everything about her. But I didn't know any of this."

Most of us know our horses. We know their quirks, their moods, their preferences around other horses. We know which side they prefer to be approached from, and that they're always suspicious of the blue bucket.

But knowing a horse in moments is different from knowing a horse over time.

What does she consistently seek out when she has a choice?
What kinds of challenges does she engage with, and which does she quietly avoid?

Where does she go when she needs to decompress?
What does she do with her body when she's genuinely content, not just calm?

These are the questions Equine Voice is designed to help you answer — not by asking you to fill in a form, but by building the picture gradually, from what you actually observe.

Start your journey into your horse's mind with the Equine Voice app. I'd love to know what you discover. Link in comments.

Last night's Horse Play Learning Hub Live study group left me thinking about something I said during our session — and I think it's the clearest way I've ever described what we're building together.

Equine Voice is like a SAT NAV.

It knows exactly where you are right now. It takes what you've observed about your specific horse — their behaviour, their signals, their patterns — and gives you precise, personalised guidance for the road you're actually on. Not a generic route. Yours.

The Horse Play Learning Hub is the road atlas.

It gives you the whole landscape. The science, the frameworks, the deep understanding of why horses do what they do, and how to read the world from their perspective. With a road atlas, you're never lost — even if the SAT NAV takes you somewhere unexpected.

Together? They're the most powerful combination I know for building real, lasting horse-human understanding.

Hub members get full premium access to Equine Voice included — because the two were always meant to work together.

More this week on what the app is actually doing behind the scenes. It's pretty extraordinary. 🐴

I'd love to let you about something special I've been working on.

About a year ago I started thinking about everything I teach through Horse Play Highlands — the behaviour science, the Five Domains, the observation frameworks — and how much of it lives in course modules and retreat weekends. Brilliant for the people who do those things. Not accessible for everyone else. And I kept hearing the same thing from people: 'I want to understand this. I just need something I can use at the yard, right now.'

So I built it.

Equine Voice is a horse behaviour and wellbeing app. It takes the same frameworks I teach and puts them in your pocket — for every visit, every horse, every 'I'm not sure about this' moment.

Bonny, Oscar, and Pixie have been my test subjects. They'd like you to know they were very cooperative. Free to start at equinevoice.com. I'd love to know what you think.