Lucy Chester Horsemanship

21/08/2025

I am out of the country now until Monday. Very last minute trip and organising it didn’t leave me much time for admin, so apologies to all those waiting for September times or waiting to hear back from me. I will be in touch early next week! Sorry! All will be revealed in due course 👀😅 Being a one man band at times like this is so tricky. Hope you all have a good weekend with your horses! 🐴

20/08/2025

So proud of the journey we have been on! We rode most of the way home completely tackless ❤️. When I bought Tao 12 years ago, it took me 3 months to be able to ride him safely, 10 months to get out on our first hack and 7 years to be able to hack solo. He would regularly tank off and even bolt to get back to the herd in the beginning (even just trying to bring him in from the field). Now he is confident enough to be alone and just have me ❤️ Every horse has their own timeline but as a good friend once said to me when I told her Tao would never hack alone, ‘never say never’ 🥰. (I had someone on the ground with his headcollar ready if needed and we had the common to ourselves for anyone who may think this reckless. I do a lot of liberty training on the common and bridleless in the school so his cues are strong!).

09/08/2025

September dates ☀️ 🍁

I am off now until 18/8. If you have messaged or commented asking for a space, you have been included (don’t worry ❤️). I’ve sorted times for some dates but not others so don’t worry if you haven’t had a time yet. September is extremely busy so these are the only slots I have. If you’ve asked for a slot but can’t do the date, let me know. Will sort the rest when I’m back on 18th. If you’d like to be added to a date or a waiting list, comment or message me and I will pick up when I’m back 🥰

Thursday 4th - EPSOM (spaces)
Friday 5th - BENTLEY/ALTON (spaces)
Saturday 6th - OXTED (full)
Sunday 7th - WOKING/CHOBHAM (1 space)
Tuesday 9th - CRANLEIGH Area (full)
Friday 12th - MEDSTEAD (full tbc)
Saturday 13th - WOKINGHAM Area (full)
Sunday 14th - CLAYGATE TBC
Tuesday 16th - HARTLEY WINTNEY/WOKINGHAM areas (spaces)
Friday 19th - Redhill Private Clinic
Saturday 20th - EPSOM (full)
Sunday 21st - BROMLEY (full)
Tuesday 23rd - CHURT/THURSLEY
Saturday 27th - SOE SHOW, Ardingly.
Sunday 28th - SOE SHOW, Ardingly
Tuesday 30th - CHURT area

Photo: Rodney showing off his Spanish walk 🤩

08/08/2025

If any of the clients I’m seeing in September have any of the items listed they could donate, I’m in that area a number of times before the deadline and happy to drop them off 🥰

06/08/2025

I am sorting my September dates this week, so if you’d like a slot, please let me know either on this thread or via pm 🙏🏻 Thank you. My regulars get priority for slots (so don’t panic if you’re late to see this 💕)

Photo: Chief starting to get the lay down. So impressed by the journey these two have been on. Sam is an amazing owner and Chief is very lucky ❤️ All the hard work is paying off.

05/08/2025

Tao thoroughly enjoyed being in the spotlight having a photoshoot with Horse&Rider Magazine today 📸 He was such a good boy and enthusiastically demonstrated all that can be achieved with clicker training. They will be doing 3 features and I will post when they are due out 🤩. So great that there is such an interest in how training with positive reinforcement can be beneficial for general handling, problem solving and veterinary procedures as well as liberty and trick training. Big thanks to Sarah, Alex and Jon for travelling out to us and for such a fun day. Tao is now fast asleep while I do all the chores!

01/08/2025

I always enjoy my visits to work with Casey and her beautiful herd of Arabs. The horses are allowed so many choices - including who wants to have the session! It was super to see Ola’s progress last week - they are doing some really cool work 🤩. Casey is an accredited clinical psychologist and runs DEAP Healing with the horses in Redhill.

28/07/2025

Nice quiet session today ❤️ we’ve barely been in the school as Tao had his hocks and then neck injected with arthramid so the rehab is slow and mostly straight lines. He was on form and seemed really up for it 🤩 lots of muscle to get back as although he’s been in regular work, he’s not that strong.

25/07/2025

A big thanks to everyone that came to our Clip Clop Club gathering yesterday evening. This club was Liz Wenman - Veterinary Chiropractor - MSc MAA MMCP’s idea and it’s been so wonderful to create a community with likeminded people to connect and talk horses. This time we had lovely Leah from Vulcan Veterinary Physiotherapy giving a talk on Indiba - really great to understand more about how it works and what it can be used for. Thank you, Leah. Big thanks also to Liz for organising and hosting 🙌

Our next meeting will be at the end of November date TBC. Message Liz or myself if you’d like to be added to the mailing list. All welcome. It costs £5 to come (tea/coffee included) and at the end of this year this will be donated to an equine charity 🐴 venue: Churt, Hampshire.

23/07/2025

CPD is really important to me. I always want to keep learning and expanding my knowledge to best support clients and to be able to recognise, through scientifically backed information, when a horse is showing signs of pain so that I can refer on appropriately. This course was training in using the Ridden Horse Performance Checklist developed by Dr Sue Dyson. This checklist is a way to assess the horse for behavioural signs of discomfort specifically during ridden work. We watched 33 videos of horses completing this assessment and had to use the checklist to score them.

19/07/2025

Tao is 20 today! 🥳❤️ 👑 I bought him 12 years ago today. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. He’s got some grey hairs now, but he’s still as mischievous as he was at 8 🤣 never a dull day. So grateful for every birthday I get to spend with my boy. His main present this year was the large vet bill from arthramid in his neck. He got his favourite treats (stud muffins) and a new lick as well as a new dandy brush 🤣 the original I have had since I bought him.

17/07/2025

I will be at the South of England Autumn show again for a third year 🥳 My amazing clients Grace with Daisy and Claire with Alondra will be showcasing clicker training 🥕 Both horses can do some very cool things but, as always, the demos are horse-first and it’s a great opportunity to learn more about equine behaviour and body language. Save the dates! Sat 27th and Sun 28th Sept xx

🍂 The Autumn Show & Horse Trials are BACK FOR 2025 and once again include the International South of England Horse Trials! 🍂

Join us on 27th & 28th September at the South of England Showground in Ardingly for a jam-packed weekend including:
🐴 Dressage
🏇 Showjumping
🐎 Cross-Country
🎣 Flycasting & Angling Demos
🐕 Gundog Scurries*
🐝 South of England Honey Show
🐴 Horsemanship Displays
🪓 Archery & Axe Throwing*
🚜 Vintage Tractors & Steam Engines
🐶 Dog Agility*
🥕 Flower, Fruit & Vegetable Competitions
🧶 WI Competitions
🐎 Pony Club Mounted Games
🐷 Animal Barn
🐮 Countryside Hub
🐶 Terrier Racing*
🐑 Sheep Shearing Demos
🐕 Gundog Displays
🦅 Falconry
🌭 Street Food & Drink
🛍️ Local & Independent Shopping Stalls
+ MORE!

*Additional charges apply
Day tickets £13.95 for adults and £12.15 for seniors/students including 10% advance discount until midnight 19th September. Kids under 16 and parking are FREE! 👉 seas.org.uk/autumn-show