Julia Duncan Grounded Horsemanship

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Julia Duncan Grounded Horsemanship

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An Intelligent Horsemanship Recommended Trainer, my training involves groundwork based connection exercises for learning and problem solving in a fun, accessible, and non-judgmental way that enables both horse and human to feel safe, heard and supported

10/09/2025

Celebrating Tilly’s 25 birthday! This post is in honour of my Tilly, much loved by so many. 😊

A few years ago I remember standing on the sidelines towards the end of a long jumping lesson at my daughter’s pony club camp on a hot summers day. There was an awful lot of shouting. There were tears from some of the youngsters. And there was … “Can you get that fat lazy lump of a pony over that jump - she’s taking the mick!” directed at Tilly and daughter. I didn’t say any thing (mum it’s fine!) but that afternoon brought up a lot of questions for me as to what we are teaching our young people.

For me, describing a horse’s reaction in human terms is not helpful. Horses don’t think like we do. They don’t have the brain capacity for human-style reasoning or plotting. Their brains are smaller (especially the neocortex, which in humans is responsible for logic and rational thought), and they live almost entirely in the present.

A horse’s responses are driven by the limbic system — the part of the brain that governs survival, flight, and emotional reactions. Every spook, buck, nap, cow kick, nip, or bolt is not about defiance, it’s about self-preservation. Sometimes this is in response to a perceived threat or confusion, and at other times it can be due to pain or discomfort. Horses are prey animals, finely tuned to notice the smallest change in their environment, and their first line of defence will always be to move away from what doesn’t feel safe.

When we interpret horse behaviour in human terms, it rarely leads to resolution. But when we recognise negative behaviour as instinctive — reflecting how horses (prey/flight animals) might feel during their time with us (predators) and this might include fear, pain, worry, alert, high adrenaline — and acknowledge it for what it is, we can start to identify the real cause and find solutions.

When we understand this, we see that what looks like a “negative” response isn’t calculated at all. It’s simply a horse doing what its instincts tell it to do in that moment.

When we change how we “see” behaviour, everything about our relationship with horses can change too. 😊

Anyone else had a lightbulb moment where understanding your horse’s reaction changed how you responded?

08/09/2025

Making the mounting block a place your horse wants to hang out can provide a mutually enjoyable solution to not standing still or dashing off soon as your foots in the stirrup 😊 spending a few minutes enjoying a wee scratch reduces tension for everyone. Here we “ manage the space” to help the horse find the answer we are looking for, minimising the previous tendency to swing rear end away. 😊

03/09/2025

It’s that golden time of year after a beautiful summer when it’s difficult to resist a horsey photo opportunity in the evening light!
I’d love to see your favourite golden time photo! 🙏🌅

28/08/2025

Owning a horse for the first time can be wonderfully exciting. And it can be challenging when things don’t quite go to plan. I have loved helping Mary’s owners resolve some worrying behaviour which included barging, kicking and being pulled around - by learning about the whole horse, including diet, health and communication alongside groundwork. Lovely to get some warm feedback as we transition very happily to ridden work and the wider world. 🙏

“ I was recommended Julia by an owner at the yard who knew Julia. I contacted her as I was having some difficulties with my horses behaviour.

The work Julia has done has been transformational for my daughter, her horse and me. She took everything back to basics, experimented with different approaches, explained everything and was non-judgmental at every step. Her patience and positivity are a huge asset.

We would recommend Julia and Intelligent Horsemanship. This work has led us to build a strong bond with our horse and helped us to understand how to communicate with her.”

26/08/2025

Love this! 😍

14/08/2025

Remembering my beautiful Indie sadly pts 2 years ago and much missed.

Last weekend we were discussing how chestnut horses are often described as more sensitive and this has been explained by the idea that their nerve endings sit closer together on the skin.

Science hasn’t yet confirmed this, but the gene behind the chestnut coat (MC1R) is linked in humans (with red hair) to greater sensitivity to pain. It’s possible a similar effect happens in horses, making some chestnuts more sensitive to touch—but it remains a theory, not proven fact.

Whatever the colour, each horse is an individual. The best way to understand their sensitivity? Take the time to listen, observe, and build trust.

What’s your experience- are chestnuts more sensitive, or just uniquely themselves? 😊

13/08/2025

Julia Duncan of Edinburgh, Scotland
Covering 35 mile radius of Edinburgh. Further by arrangement
07518 193093 or [email protected]

"JI was one of Julia's case studies but I have since started sharing another horse and I called on Julia to help me because the new horse was at least a bit emotionally shut down due to her previous owner being loud, high energy and lacking in empathy, patience, emotional intelligence etc.. . The reason I knew the horse was shut down was because of the knowledge Julia shared with me when I was a case study. Spending time with Julia again meant that I could practice using my intuition to tune into the new horse so I could notice what she was telling me. I felt safe knowing Julia was with me and would notice the things that I had missed. I cannot tell you how much Julia's mentorship has changed my approach to working with and understanding horses. Not only can I now work at liberty with the previously shut-down horse, but I have also been able to connect with other horses and ponies on the yard and show them that I listen when they say no and can offer them a kind and calm approach.

**I have included a note I sent to Julia about a pony I needed to catch so you can see what I mean.

The downside to all of this wonderful learning is that I can't help seeing when people fail to see communication from their horses, set them up to fail and then get angry with them. I'm trying to spread the word about IH and encourage others to contact Julia for support but it can feel like I am the weirdo for suggesting better connection with your horse would be a good idea, rather then them being the weirdos for not wanting to do it!

Whenever I'm with Julia, I learn something new because she is so willing to share her knowledge, and she's very good at explaining and demonstrating. Learning with Julia never feels like a chore, I never feel judged, I know it's fine to ask even the most basic of questions and above all else, we have a laugh. Her non-didactic approach to working with people is one of her many strengths and one that I'm sure will lead to her being a great success as an IH Trainer.

** Dear Julia,
I’ve been thinking of you this week because there is a new pony in the field who is head shy and very unsure about being touched.

The first morning I tried to bring him in, he kept walking away and turning his bum to me. It was one of those heart-sink moments, but I drew on the knowledge and skills you have shared with me and with patience and acknowledging when he said ‘no’, he showed me that working from his right side was easier for him than his left side. I noticed several lick and chews, allowed space for processing and stepped away from him only to find that he followed me. I took my time, trying my best to relax and breathe deeply before asking again if it was ok for the headcollar to go on. When I asked him to lower his head, he did, so I slowly slipped the headcollar on and we walked calmly to the stable.

On the second day, he didn’t walk away from me so I approached his right side and asked questions about being touched till the answer I got was ‘ok’ rather than ‘no’. During this time, there were several huge yawns and again, we walked quietly to the stable.

On day three, there were lick and chews before I had even asked a question and several huge yawns once I had acknowledged when he said ‘no’. There are now many more ‘yes’ answers than ‘no’ and I have been able to touch his shoulder without him recoiling.

This is a very longwinded way of saying thank you because without you, it would have been a comedy cat and mouse scenario. If I needed clarification that IH methods work, this was it but having watched you work with troubled horses and stressed owners, I knew in theory it should work, even though I wasn’t sure that I would be able to do it. Just goes to show that starting a conversation is the only real answer to tricky situations and yes, it takes more time in the short term but it pays dividends in the longer term and it’s much more rewarding than the chase/lasso approach.""

Pamela Logan, Scotland, 13Aug2025

12/08/2025

✨ New for my bookshelf✨

Just ordered The Mindful Equestrian by Sandra Williams. This book presents connection-based ground work exercises in a really accessible way.

The book’s “recipes” come with QR code video links so you can see each idea in action – no filters, no over-editing, just real horses and real moments.

It’s full of gentle reminders to pause, slow down, and reflect – to give yourself the same patience and presence you’d want to offer your horse.

Sometimes the biggest impact we can have around horses, isn’t in what we do, but in how we are.

If you’ve ever wanted to work on your mindset and energy as much as your riding, this is such a lovely place to start. 🐴💚

📖 The Mindful Equestrian: Recipes for Balance, Connection and Well-Being – Sandra Williams

11/08/2025

A weekend of laughter, learning and golden nuggets at Hartsop Farm and working with some beautiful 2-4 year olds. Thank you Ian and Jake! 🙏

06/08/2025

One of the things I support owners with is learning to read the horse and to become more aware of what we are communicating through our own body language. Timing ie. Learning when to apply pressure and when to step away are key. And all this applies to how you catch your horse or, more importantly, invite them to join you 😊

Lively to hear feedback on the effects of this learning from a client:

“Julia I’ve been thinking of you this week because there is a new pony in the field who is head shy and very unsure about being touched. The first morning I tried to bring him in, he kept walking away and turning his bum to me. It was one of those heart sink moments but I drew on the knowledge and skills you have shared with me and with patience and acknowledging when he said ‘no’, he showed me that working from his right side was easier for him than his left side. I noticed several lick and chews, allowed space for processing and stepped away from him only to find that he followed me. I took my time, trying my best to relax and breathe deeply before asking again if it was ok for the headcollar to go on. When I asked him to lower his head, he did, so I slowly slipped the headcollar on and we walked calmly to the stable.
On the second day, he didn’t walk away from me so I approached his right side and asked questions about being touched till the answer I got was ‘ok’ rather than ‘no’. During this time, there were several huge yawns and again, we walked quietly to the stable.
On day three, there were lick and chews before I had even asked a question and several huge yawns once I had acknowledged when he said ‘no’. There are now many more ‘yes’ answers than ‘no’ and I have been able to touch his shoulder without him recoiling.

This is a very longwinded way of saying thank you because without you, it would have been a comedy cat and mouse scenario. If I needed clarification that IH methods work, this was it but having watched you work with troubled horses and stressed owners, I knew in theory it should work even I wasn’t sure that I would be able to do it. Just goes to show that starting a conversation is the only real answer to tricky situations and yes, it takes more time in the short term but it pays dividends in the longer term and it’s much more rewarding than the chase/lasso approach.”

Address

Edinburgh

Website

https://www.juliaduncangroundedhorsemanship.com/

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