04/08/2026
So I’ve not really updated lately on the horses and ponies I’ve been working with, so here goes…
ARCHIE (pictured) :- This beautifully marked blanket spotted Appaloosa x POA absolutely loves his lateral work. He now has it all in the bag in walk and is now getting to grips with it all in trot. I’ll be working him tomorrow on his trot half pass.
GUNNER:- Cute but very cheeky yearling Fell Pony. He has a strong opinion of his wants and needs 🤦♀️😂. I’ve worked with his owner, Sam, with her previous horses and always had great results. Gunner is slowly learning some respect of personal space and we are getting ready to venture onto the tracks and quiet lanes around his home. No arena to work from so we make the most of the surrounding area. We’ve also been working on picking up his feet, as he likes to try and lie down. He’s had a clean bill of health. He’s just very clever 😁
DUNCAN:- A 4 year old Dales Pony.
18 months ago myself and his owner Jess, spent a lot of time desensitising this fabulous pony to pretty much anything and everything. Jess didn’t want to back him until he was 4. As predicted, he was a dream to back and she’s since taken it very slowly with him to double down on the safety aspect. Jess has a physical condition which requires a lot of trust in her equine partner. He is proving to be awesome. With me onboard we took him on his first ridden hack. All our hard work has paid off. He was amazing 🤩. UNFORTUNATELY due to the hard ground (bloody weather 🥵🤬) he’s thrown a splint so we are now waiting for him to come sound again but I’m sure he will be just as sensible when we pick back up.
MILO:- Black and white Cob. Lovely boy, who was somewhat switched off in the arena. His owner Dawn, freely admits she’s nervous, so pushing him forward was difficult for her. She won’t hack him out without company, which is tricky for her. Whenever I schooled him in the arena I felt a lot of resistance to the leg and suggested we take it out onto the the quiet country lanes around her yard. It took a couple of sessions but he started to understand that he can stay soft and through and still go forward. He’s now doing really well with his schooling and Dawn is now onboard and is enjoying schooling him outside of the arena 😁
HARRY:- An Asby Mills Cob. Very handsome lad 😍. Harry is ridden in a Total Contact Saddle pad because he is so wide. I’m actually quite impressed with it. He schools well in it and hacking is fine. He’s a cheeky chap on hacks so I’ve been working with Bev on her confidence. It was all going well until he pulled up lame a couple of weeks ago 🤦♀️. Nothing visible anywhere and only shows up in trot, so I contacted Laura at LHB Veterinary Physio and she was due to see him today, to try to get to the bottom of it. If not then it will be the vet route, but for now it’s in hand walking as he needs to keep his weight down.
ZEE:- 17.2hds Warmblood. Beautiful chestnut boy. Zee has challenges BUT he is fine to ride. Last week we moved himself and his field mate COCO to their new home across town. Myself and Louise were not sure how that was going to go as Zee isn’t a great loader and Coco hasn’t travelled for years… They both loaded immediately 😍. We got them settled into their new surroundings and now plan to get Zee out hacking on the hills and borrowing someone’s arena for us to be able to continue his school work 👍
STORM:- I used to work with this gorgeous little black pony about a year ago. Sandra his owner needed help with him in the school. He was quite crooked and not totally happy about going forward. Sandra had investigations done and the upshot was he needed a screw fitting into his stifle joint. 12 months down the line and he’s been given a clean bill of health, including full lameness work up. Vets are very happy with him. BUT it’s created a need in him to not leave the yard…… so we’ve been working hard together to get past the napping and get him back out hacking, as prescribed by the vet. He’s thrown quite a few curve balls at us over the last couple of months, but I’m pleased to report he’s stopped napping AND he’s trotting up completely straight and on two tracks. Well done Sandra because I know how much you’ve done to straighten him up 👏👏
TOMMY:- Now this little guy has been a challenge for both myself and his owner. He was bought from what became obvious was a dealer, and not a good one. Anyway he arrived with numerous issues, including rearing up for the farrier. It’s taken around 18 months to get him to a place of feeling safe and secure. Riding him, he’s never been bad or thrown anyone, he’s just ‘ different’. Georgie had him scoped to rule out ulcers, but he came back clear. He was having regular, 4 weekly, physio sessions. When we finally managed to get clippers near him we discovered some pretty bad deep scars to his neck and shoulders. What ever this lad has been through, really affects him now 😢😢. But we have persevered and we now have a reasonable riding pony that is fit for purpose and will have a kind, safe home for life. I ride him once a week in the school, and one Georgias baby arrives, she will be getting back on. In the meantime I will continue to ride him in the school and help him to trust people again.
Horse Helpers Lancashire helps with all kinds of horsey problems, but our commitment to providing first class care is also top.
Message if you need us, we are here, ready to help xx
Lisa and Tamsin ###
