Woodlands Training Sarah Simpson British Eventing Accredited Trainer BHSI

09/09/2026

*** MYTH BUSTING: MY ARTHRITIC HORSE IS MUCH BETTER OFF OUT IN THE FIELD, WHATEVER THE WEATHER ***

It is absolutely true that gentle movement most definitely is the best management option for arthritic horses and ponies, but there are always variables to consider, and the blanket statement in the title is definitely not always true.

If the fields were always perfect, with a gentle cut in the ground, didn’t ever get rock hard and rutted, and at the opposite end didn’t turn to deep bog, then keeping arthritic horses out 24/7 would be ideal. Possibly a topic in its own right, but every paddock should also have shelter, whether natural (big trees to offer shade throughout the day, not a 4 foot hedge) or man made.

As we head into winter, we will start to see many horses standing around in deep mud, with no hard standing area to rest on. This isn’t acceptable for fit, healthy horses, let alone our arthritic oldies. Some owners feel pressurised into keeping their arthritic horses out 24/7, and unfortunately don’t take their facilities into consideration. An old pony standing in deep mud with horizontal rain whipping across his face, and no dry area to get out of the mud, is not going to reap any benefits that turnout should give; he would be better off coming into a dry, warm stable every night than spending 24 hours a day like that. Likewise, the dry summer this year left many paddocks rock hard, and when the rolling window had been missed, rutted. Once again, movement is ideal for arthritic horses, but not on rock hard rutted ground, with no flat/comfy area to rest.

I’ll post more on arthritis, as it’s a widespread problem in the horse world, but I wanted to make people think as we head into winter. 24/7 movement is the best option for arthritic horses/ponies, but standing in deep mud (=cold joints, too) with no area to rest and shelter, definitely isn’t a good option for them.

Completely unrelated photo of Molly (Mabel and Alfred’s mum), en route to a super double clear in the 2*Long at Hartpury quite a few years ago now!

Feel free to share, but not to copy and paste.

09/09/2026

07/09/2026

DSLD, what an awful disease!

Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis is a progressive disease.

Why the Suspensory ligaments show the first break down, The core biochemical defect is an abnormal accumulation of proteoglycans (carbohydrate-protein molecules) within the extracellular matrix of connective tissue.

Because the suspensory is under extreme continuous tension during weight-bearing, the proteoglycan accumulation causes it to lose elasticity and fail structurally here first. This results in the dropped fetlock appearance first.

DSLD has recently been renamed to ESPA, Equine Systemic Proteoglycan Accumulation which affects all the soft tissues in the body. However still more research is needed because I see older horses who seem to just have stand alone DSLD and do not look to have ESPA. The way these problems appear to break down structures in the horses body is different in each horse. I note that in the ESPA horses they seem to be hypermobile generally in their body. Reading about Ehlors danlos syndrome in humans I can’t help but see the similarities to ESPA in horses.

I suspect we are dealing with these problems on a spectrum of severity and this is why it shows up slightly differently in every horse. These photos below are from a 24 year old unridden carriage horse who’s suspensory branch’s in all four legs where a mess. But the rest of his soft tissues in his body including the nuchal ligaments were in tact. The SDFT and DDFT showed aged related changes but not replacement with scar tissue like the suspensory.

So much more research is needed and genetic testing so we can test for these diseases.

To see cases of DSLD including movement assessments and palpations head to patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/Becks_nairn/posts/america-update-155906247

https://www.patreon.com/Becks_nairn/posts/hypermobility-in-150520409

Thank you to Shibumi Equestrian Centre for graciously sharing these horses stories and always hosting professional clinics.

06/09/2026

Coaching & Riding Showjumping 15th September 7pm 2hrs Online Counts 2pts CPD. All welcome. Ideal for those training towards BHS, PC & Coaching Certificate qualifications. Covering how we develop rider feel, knowledge & influence, producing & maintaining a quality jumping canter, establishing the riders security, balance & judgement of pace & stride, their awareness as to the importance of straightness on the approach, over a fence & on departure, correct riding of related distances & dog legs gymnastic exercises to improve rider balance & the horses technique, & how to manage rider expectations. £23 The session will be recorded & can be sent on the next day if you are not able to attend live. All
presentations are recorded & can be purchased at any time for training or to count as CPD, this is called "on demand" CPD, click the “online training” link on the website & go to January 1, 2027 to see a list of recordings available. This is the 2nd session of 3 covering Coaching & Riding Dressage, Coaching & Riding Showjumping, & Coaching & Riding Cross Country. To Book click “Woodlands Training” at the top of the page, then go to “links” for the website. Call Sarah for more info
(07979) 806705

06/09/2026

“Conformation” 7pm 21st September 2hrs Online Counts 2pts CPD everyone welcome. Ideal training for those working for BHS Stg 4/5 & PC exams. Every aspect of static & dynamic conformation is covered with numerous case studies. This session will give you a clear logical plan for evaluating the horses, strengths & weaknesses & an understanding of the impact of these, the vocabulary to express yourself & the confidence to give an opinion. Linear scoring & identifying unlevelness explained. If you ever wondered about the impact of a horse being base wide/narrow, over/back at the knee, sickle hicked, sway/roach backed, long or short backed, slab sided, built uphill downhill & many more issues you’ll be able to identify these & understand the impact on the horses, soundness & longevity. A linked session the following week covers diseases affecting the horses, “bones, muscles, tendons, & ligaments”, we cover a vast range of osteoarthritic & soft tissue conditions that a horse with weak conformation will be prone to, you need to be able to identify these & be aware of their impact. A very popular presentation not to be missed. £23, the session will be recorded and can be sent on the following day if you’re unable to attend live. To Book click “Woodlands Training” at the top of the page to be taken to the page,then go to “links” for the website. Recordings can be viewed at any time for training or CPD, this is called “on demand”, for a list of what’s available go to the website & scroll to January 1st 2027. For more info or a “click & pay” link text Sarah 07979 806705

05/09/2026

VET RECORD PUBLISHES ARTICLE ON HOOFING MARVELLOUS!

The Veterinary Record has published an article around information being disseminated by Hoofing Marvellous. This is a barefoot trimming group that claimed earlier in the summer that laminitis is not an endocrine/metabolic condition but purely the result of incorrect hoofcare. A wealth of published peer-reviewed evidence directly contradicts this view.

04/09/2026

Check Ligaments

Many years ago my horse sustained a inferior check ligament injury and boy was i in for a treat when it came to rehabilitation, it took bloody ages and there were many ups a downs, and in fact I dont think he ever came right but again back then only the posh people could afford an arena and my vet thought 1 tenth lame was perfectly sound for hacking 🫣. And also I had the pleasure of bandaging, and there is nothing worse than back out on your first hack and seeing a trail of burgundy bandages happily bouncing around behind you😅 i am not sure we even owned boots back in the day, and often my vet would equate how much my horses health was worth judging on wether it was a competition horse or not !!

But many years later when I went on my first dissection I was determined to see what had caused my horse to take ages in recovery.

Then I saw it in real life and I must say I was underwhelmed 🤔, this pesky tiny ligament !!! How could it cause so much trouble with my horse?? Then I saw the connections, how it was tiny but mighty and so interconnected to the smooth movement of the limb, and in my mind i remembered them as like little scaffolding supporting, stabilising and keeping in check (anatomy joke😉) other structures in the horse.

So here is the technical bit

Superior Check Ligament
Origin: Caudal/palmar aspect of the distal radius
Insertion: Joins the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT)
Function: Helps support the SDFT, sharing load through the limb and helping control excessive extension during weight bearing.

Inferior Check Ligament
Origin: Palmar carpal region
Insertion: Joins the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT)
Function: Works with the DDFT to share load and helps prevent the tendon being excessively stretched when the lower limb is loaded and extended. It forms an important part of the forelimb stay apparatus.

Hindlimb: There is no superior check ligament. The hindlimb can have an accessory ligament of the DDFT, equivalent to the inferior check ligament, but it is generally less developed than in the forelimb and varies considerably between horses — occasionally it may be absent altogether.
Again variations can occur.

So we may have to not think of it as a seperate structure, as fibres from one area often merge into another, we may have to ask the question why did it have to do overtime in the workload and when we think of recovery are we just focusing on the check ligament or the other structures that now may be compromised because of the injured party.

Why did this particular structure end up doing overtime? What was happening through the flexor tendon it was supporting, the carpus above it, the fetlock below it, the suspensory apparatus and other structures.

And something we perhaps don't talk about enough is fatigue. These structures are part of a system designed to help the horse support itself with relatively little muscular effort, but passive doesn't mean indestructible. Repeated loading, workload, surface, speed, recovery and fatigue can all change the mechanical demands being placed through a limb. So rather than always looking for one dramatic moment when something went wrong, perhaps sometimes we should also be thinking about the thousands of loading cycles that came before it.

We can often build an image in our head yet when we actually see a structure we can often change our minds about what may be going on and what may be compromised because we always see that not one thing works in isolation, Sometimes the smallest structure only makes sense when we look at everything it is connected to.

Of course only my opinion not fact 😊

04/09/2026

“Foal to 4yrs - Backing to Basics” 16th September 7pm 2hrs Online Counts 2pts CPD. Ideal training toward BHS Stg 4/5 & PC Assessments. Everyone welcome. Looking at the process of selecting & producing a young horse, covering the handling, care & management, the introduction of equipment, long reining, the backing process, basic education on the flat, the importance of hacking, & the basics of jump training & introduction to cross-country schooling. £23 All sessions are recorded & can be sent on the following day. To Book Click  “Woodlands Training” at the top of the page to be taken to the page & go to “links” for the website.  Recordings can be viewed at any time for training or CPD, this is called “on demand CPD” for a list of what’s available scroll to January 1, 2027. For more info, or a “click & pay link” text Sarah (07979) 806705 

04/09/2026

03/09/2026

“Coaching & Riding Dressage” 15th September 7pm 2hrs Online Counts 2pts CPD. Ideal training toward BHS Stg 4/5, PC & other Coaching Assessments. All welcome. Covering evaluating horse & rider, delivering sessions that will result in an improvement in the riders feel, influence, knowledge & understanding & the horses way of going. Discussion regarding the requirements at the various levels, common issues & exercise used to affect an improvement in the combination. £23 All sessions are recorded & can be sent on the following day, this is the first of three link sessions, the coming weeks will cover Coaching & Riding Showjumping &, Coaching & Riding Cross Country. To Book Click  “Woodlands Training” at the top of the page to be taken to the page & go to “links” for the website.  All presentations are recorded & can be viewed at any time, this is called “on demand CPD” for a list of what’s available scroll to January 1, 2027. For more info, or a “click & pay link” text Sarah (07979) 806705