22/12/2025
I love retraining and working with these fabulous horses!
Contact us for more info about Woody
16.2hh, 11 year old gelding and ready to start finding his new person
Time to properly introduce Woody!
Woody came to us 6 weeks ago for some retraining and to then find himself a new home.
His owner had bought him elsewhere and unfortunately they just weren't the right match and they only had Woody at home on his own and he does like company.
Woody is a lovely big horse! He was very anxious when he arrived and when riding him he very much was working on his nerves and was very uptight and short striding, he carried so much tension mentally and physically which we believed had always been there from the videos we saw of when he was advertised and his owner bought him. He had a very forced outline and was probably produced quickly to move on from the dealer he was with. These horses need time and not forcing to go in false outlines before they are ready which then creates tension and anxiety.
We have spent loads of time with Woody just chilling him out and getting that head carriage out of that forced position. He would even hack looking like the top photo but now he will hack out on the buckle with his head out looking around and taking life in.
I always say we want to make sure these horses aren't going around doing the giraffe impression with their head in the air as that causes them to be uncomfortable in the back and creates physical issues but we also don't want the forced into an outline look.
They should be able to drop their heads, soften their necks and open up over the back and create that longer frame to relieve tension, not grab them up and create it.
Hopefully you can see in the photos the difference from the day we started to the bottom one taken last week.
I'm sure I'll get the over bent comments which he is behind the vertical but he is not being forced to carry himself him there. For now, that is where he finds helps balance him a bit better and so I just leave him to it. As he grows stronger behind, that will lift and the nose will come more forward but a lot of horses will carry themselves like this for a while at the start of their retraining.
As you can see, we aren't forcing him to hold himself this way, no gadgets and a soft rein and he is stretching the body out so much better.
With Woody we aren't just retraining him, we are having to undo what the dealers did when they started him and instead of grabbing hold of him we are allowing him to find himself and learn how to balance himself instead of us swinging off a horse full of tension.
What I will say for Woody is that even though he has struggled with anxiety, which is why we use the Titanium mask, he has a really trainable brain and he is loving learning everything we ask him try.
I really like this horse and think he will be a fabulous horse for someone who is looking for one to produce over the winter or even just have as a happy hacker because he enjoys his hacking.
He will suit an experienced rider, no novices, no kids coming off ponies.
His owner is keen to re-home quickly to the right person so if you think that could be you, do get in touch!
Please share and helps us find Woody his new person 🙏🏻
Call or message on WhatsApp for more details 07815740052
