Lucy Butt - Equine Behaviourist

03/08/2026

INITIAL CONSULTATIONS AND HOW THEY WORK:

I have a lot of messages from people wondering how initial consultations work and if one would be appropriate for their horse. I have put together a post about how they work and what is included in a consultation.

If you would like to get a consultation or lesson booked in then pop me a message. I have limited availability for August and September is also filling up!

02/08/2026

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY TO US!

I can't believe that Lucy Butt Equine Behaviourist has been running for 3 years now. Time flies when you are having fun!

A huge thank you to all of my wonderful clients and horses along the way that I have been able to help. I have truly loved working with every single horse and owner.

I can't wait to see what the next 3 years brings!

To celebrate our birthday we are offering 15% of all INITIAL CONSULTATIONS for the WHOLE of August!!

In order to claim your discount, your initial consultation needs to be booked in August (but it can take place outside of August).

Don't forget we also offer many other services including:

✅Groundwork
✅Liberty
✅Introduction to R+ training
✅Backing
✅Young Horse Handling
✅Desensitisation Clinics/Training
✅Feral/Unhandled Horse Training
✅Management/Track System Consultations
Plus much more!

Pop me a message to see how we can help you :)

22/07/2026

What a sad loss for the equine industry. 💔

My heart is broken today.

Alexandra Kurland is gone, and I don’t quite have the words — but I want to try, because she gave me so many.

I found Alex’s work in 2010, recovering from a fall, not expecting much. Within weeks I had a different horse. He nickered when he saw me. He met me at the gate because he wanted to. He offered, instead of bracing. And slowly I understood: Alex hadn’t taught me how to make a horse do things. She’d taught me how to ask — and then how to listen, really listen, for the answer. That changed my horses. It also changed me.

This photo is one of the happiest of my whole life. It’s from a day at Anja Beran’s, and I’m glowing in it because I had somehow brought my two greatest teachers into the same room — the two people who shaped how I think about horses, and honestly, how I try to move through the world. I felt so lucky. I still do.

Everyone will call her a pioneer, and she was. But that word feels too tidy for who she actually was: warm, funny, endlessly curious, and good — someone who spent her whole life making things gentler for horses and for the people who love them. So many of us are kinder, more patient, more awake because of her. So many horses have had softer, happier lives because she existed.

Thank you, Alex. For the clicker, yes — but so much more for the way of seeing. I will miss you more than I can say, and I know I am far from alone. 💛

13/07/2026

WHY 'QUICK FIXES' ARE DAMAGING TO HORSES

In an age where you can order something online and it is delivered less than 24 hours and everything is available at the press of a button, it is easy to see why owners expect the same rapid response in horse training.

BUT....is this more damaging?

I have seen a few posts about burn out in the equine industry but especially within the equine behaviour sector and for good reason. It is becoming increasingly exhausting to work within an industry that wants to see instant results in order for a trainer to be 'good'. And yes, sometimes we can see big break throughs in session one but the reality is that behaviour is complex and multi layered, especially if the behaviour is deep-rooted and linked to trauma.

Horses can take days, weeks, months or even years to achieve human desired behaviours. Now, this isn't always the case, especially if the horse you are working with is young or has no underlying trauma. Those trainers offering quick solutions or one time sessions to fix deep-rooted behaviour could result in a shut-down horse who may display more extreme behaviours sometime in the future, especially if factors such as, pain haven't been explored.

I have had increasing conversations with owners who are so desperate for their horses behaviour to improve but they want results today...that will never be how I work. Especially if pain or management need to be assessed and addressed, in many cases these changes already make a dramatic improvement to the horses behaviour...it's amazing what meeting needs can do 😄

Now, I think the majority of this comes from lack of knowledge and education of how horses brains actually work and the repeated use of anthropomorphic language used within the industry. Plus the promise of fast results, for usually a high cost.

So please remember that equine behaviour is extremely complicated and they deserve to be understood. Please take into account qualifications your trainer/behaviourist has and how they approach behavioural challenges your horse faces.

Please feel free to reach out if you would like to chat about how I work and how I can help you and your horse.

Photo by the amazing Jessica Grange Photography.

24/06/2026

HEAT WARNINGS

All lessons for the rest of this week are cancelled. The only exceptions are if you want to work on your horse being hosed down!

Please pop me a message if you would like help with this :)

I hope you and your horses all stay cool and safe ❤️

23/06/2026

PRIVATE OBSTACLE CLINIC

A lovely return from my holiday to a obstacle clinic at a private yard. Some familiar faces and new horses too. It was lovely to see how much more confident the two that had previously done the obstacles were. And some great successes, including some owners who weren't sure their horses would even make it into the arena. It was great to be able to take it at each individual horses pace.

Well done everyone 🥳

01/06/2026

OUT OF OFFICE

I am now out of office until 17th June. Thank you all for keeping me so busy these past few weeks. I have a few posts to do with some updates from clinics over the past few weeks so I will be sharing them now I have some time 🤣

See you all soon!

05/05/2026

WATER FARM CLINIC

A lovely clinic yesterday at Water Farm Equestrian. A real mix of horses and ponies who all grew in confidence from when they first came in. It was so lovely to see such kind and compassionate owners.

Well done everyone!

If you fancy joining us, our next clinic is at ARU Writtle on 29th June.

More summer dates will be released soon🎉