your link to EQUINE BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE in Scotland

Are you having problems with any of the following:

Catching, Brushing, Trailer / Lorry Loading, Napping, Fly Spray, Clipping, Foot Trimming /Shoeing, Saddling, Bridling, Mounting, Traffic, Aggression, Spooking

or any other problems.........

Contact Amanda Martin for advice or a consultation.

Amanda also offers training, guidance and advice on Equine Clicker Training

....and equine behaviour and welfare

As a behavioural scientist I am trained in the science that explains a horses behaviour.  This science is based on the study of equids in their natural environment (Ethology) and applying the findings to domesticated horses to understand the more unusual and perhaps undesirable behaviours that we sometimes observe.  With horses having been domesticated (as opposed to having evolved to suit the environment we provide), so the reason behind their behaviours can be traced back to their instinctive, or basic, equine needs. 

By ensuring the basics needs for our horses are fulfilled in turn ensures the horse is in the best mental state possible.  As such, the horse will have a solid foundation of a feeling of safety established, which may on it's own eliminate many unwanted behaviours with little or no further intervention.  Once a solid foundation of "feeling safe" has been achieved, it is natural that the other basic needs an more easily be fulfilled.  Fulfilling these basic needs in turn ensures the horse is in a mental state which makes them more able to learn new behaviours thus, opening up a new world of possibilities to you and your horse.

Working only under veterinary referral I would be working with you, and where required with your veterinary surgeon, to find appropriate management solutions and behavioural modification programmes to guide you along the path to attaining behavioural goals with your horse.

Behaviours are as a result of an internal change within the horse.  This may be a need for:

• Companionship (horses are gregarious animals, i.e. live in herds for protection),
• Appropriate food and water
• Sleep (if a horse does not feel safe when away from the herd, they will not sleep)
• The ability to maintain their own body temperature with appropriate shelter

The basic needs of horses stem from the "5 Freedoms" that can be found in the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (on the DEFRA web site - see links page) and these are as follows:

• Freedom from pain, injury and disease
• Freedom from discomfort (shelter, a place to rest and the ability to self-exercise)
• Freedom from hunger and thirst
• Freedom from fear and distress
• Freedom to act out most natural behaviours

These may sound like a challenge to meet but with expert advice, you will find that these are remarkably easy to achieve and not only will they ensure your horse is being provided with the best environment possible, but it will also make your horse that happy and willing partner that will want to work and play with you.

The approach Amanda takes when assisting horse owners with troubled horses is to look at the horses environment and ensuring the horses basic needs are being met.  Once this has been accomplished, often the unwanted behaviours begin to diminish without further change.  However, should the horse require further assistance to remove the need to perform a behaviour, a behavioural modification programme will be tailored specifically for you and your horse to follow.  This approach is one which provides YOU with the tools to modify the behaviour.  The tools you will be provided with do not attempt to stop unwanted behaviours (the symptoms) but they work to eliminate the reason for your horse feeling the need to perform the behaviours and rewarding the horse for the behaviours that you do want.

If you would like to find out more about the service, please follow the link below or contact Amanda and I will be happy to talk to you.

Please note that all consultations are confidential between you and I and that I cannot give advice or guidance in response to behavioural questions without a veterinary referral .

If you would like to have a behavioural consultation, please contact Amanda:   

              email; enquiries@naturallyequine.co.uk or

              telephone; 0777 196 5083

• Working mainly in the Lanarkshire and West Lothian area.  If you are outside of these areas, please contact Amanda for availability to travel to your area.

• Work only under veterinary referral.

• Consult with a client or provide behavioural advice only once veterinary referral has been obtained.  This ensures the veterinarian responsible for the horses Health and Welfare is aware that behavioural modification may be carried out.

• Provide a confidential behavioural service to the client which offers practical advice to the client on how to manage and resolve behavioural issues. 

• Where a horse is under veterinary care, aim to work closely with the veterinarian to find a mutually acceptable approach to resolving behavioural issues.

Amanda has been around horses all of her life and was even one of the lucky few chosen to ride for the University Riding Team.  After gaining a BSc and MSc, followed by 10 years in the pharmaceutical industry, Amanda studied for the Equine Behavioural Qualification with the Natural Animal Centre.

With her background in science coupled with continued professional development courses and training her own young stallion using positive reinforcement, Amanda has developed a solid physiological and ethological understanding of equine behaviour.  Amanda uses this knowledge and experience when dealing with behavioural issues and creates a tailor made plan for each client-horse partnership.

The training is based on the understanding of equine behaviour in terms of ethology, learning theory, physiology and welfare. 

Stallion Behaviour

Pairbonding in Cows

For a number of nights driving home, I have been amazed at the number of cows that I have seen showing signs of having a pairbond (best friend), so I decided to take some pictures.  Unfortunately due to the size of the herds and the size of the fields, I was unable to get more than a few pairs in each picture.

The picture below was taken in a field near to Crown's Classic Pearl.  It shows clearly that there are two pairs of cows showing preference for each other in terms of proximity (one of the signs that a bond exists)

In the neighbouring field, there were more cows showing a preference for each others company by means of proximity to that cow.  I have tried to circle the 3 pairs that I saw in this shot, and almost the entire herd were in pairs.

Sheep...not sure what they are doing !!

Click on the links to see the full list of recommended books.