I had planned to share more updates while I’m away, but if I’m honest…the break from technology is so welcome. Instead, I’ve been quietly putting together a compilation video in the background, rather than putting all my energy into social media. Skool is still my priority, so I’ve popped a few posts in over the last days & do jump in, like, comment here and there to keep it ticking over before life takes over again. We’re heading to a new destination today, and by mid-week I may not have any internet at all. Strange… but also very welcome. A little clip from yesterday - it was something else at Sandwich Harbour 🌊 And today we head to Spitzkoppe. Speak soon, Zoë 🐴✨🫶

✨ Inspired by a post comment this week. If you’ve ever felt confused about pressure vs connection - you’re not alone. Here is how you will hear me explain it: ▪️Voice, breath, energy, focus, intention → connection work ▪️Steady pressure, rhythmic pressure, and the skills around them → teaching, explaining, real-life situations, safety and purpose. A lot of people are searching for ways to work with their horse without pressure and the intention behind that is beautiful. But what I’ve learned over the years is that it’s not about removing pressure completely, that is impossible and actually avoids most of the general skills the horse needs for real life. 👉 It’s about understanding it so well that over time and with practice it becomes lighter, clearer, and eventually almost invisible. You will hear me talk about Lenny where it is like he is in my skin, reading my thoughts, this cannot be achieved without pressure. Our very presence is pressure. I have yet to find someone who does not live on a 100 acre ranch, in the middle of no where, not having to run into traffic or every day things that achieved this. Or who eventually does not have to resort to some form of pressure anyway not realizing that standing in front of them , laying down with them and even sitting on their back is still form of pressure. They will even sell their programs as pressure free. That’s the work I care about - giving people the real deal, not some made up story to sell lies. We need the truth peeps, coz the truth saves a lot of money and time. To bring out the unicorns the pressure will always exist, but how we use it definitely matters. ❓Does this make sense to you or are you unsure? 🐴✨🫶

Blackie has always been a sweet and tolerant horse — never biting or kicking, even with kids handling him. But since he started being used as a school horse, his behaviour has changed quite suddenly. Within about two weeks, he began reacting to the girth, and now it has escalated to where even bringing a saddle pad near him always triggers biting or kicking. I’ve had him checked — no ulcers,but the physio found quite a few blockages, but those have been worked through, and physically he seems fine now. She did mention that he might associate saddling and riding with past discomfort or negative experiences, and that he could be anticipating pain. Over the past week I’ve stepped back and focused only on groundwork and rebuilding trust. He is honestly amazing in that space — he follows me without a lead, mirrors my movement, halts, backs up, and is completely relaxed being touched all over, even his belly. And lowers his head for the halter. It really feels like our connection is strong again. But the moment I bring in the saddle pad and move toward the saddle area, he becomes tense and reactive again. When I bring the saddle pad near his face he wants to bite it. We then go and do some groundwork and come back. He desensitized up to me bringing the saddle pad near his head, cheeks and ears. As soon as I go near his neck hê bites and goes for the kick. So I really want to ask: Do you think this is stubbornness, or is it genuinely fear/association? And how would you suggest I handle this going forward? Also, the riding school would like to start using him again — what would you recommend I say to them? I’m worried that rushing the process will undo the trust we’re rebuilding. She did use him whilst him biting and kicking and then just nudging him with a stick - I’m not sure that is the right way to go about this? Once the saddle is on - he is perfectly fine to ride and doesn’t buck or anything. My biggest goal is to help him feel safe with the saddle again so that I can ride him, but in a way that is calm, positive, and fair to him.

…was quite emotional to set foot on the tarmac here (long time dream) and well the best part was seeing @Jenny Randall and Sakkie waiting for us 🥰 We just had a rest and are heading out for dinner soon. Will get back in here later for a catchup. Tomorrow we hit the road and head into this beautiful land for the road trip 🌎 Hope you are all fine, sending virtual hugs and vibes from Africa 🫶✨❤️🐴

...and The Training No One Sees. Might wanna grab a cup of tea for this read 🍵 Just this past week, we had a very unexpected guest move into the yard - a female peacock. No one knows where she came from. The Animal Ambulance won’t take her because she’s not injured, Bird Rescue won’t take her because of her species and no one seems to be looking for her, o for now, she’s just here. And I have to say, she is beautiful. Impressive even, but also a bit of a ticking time bomb in a place like our stables. Our barn sits right on the edge of nature, backing onto the dunes that lead out to the sea. You can ride straight there, which is pretty special. But with Amsterdam only 30 minutes away, it’s also a busy place. Always people, always movement, machinery, horses and especially in the mornings when everything is being cleaned and organised. It can feel idyllic and it can turn chaotic in seconds where recenty we had chaos. The sun was out, so naturally many people was there, orses tied up, being groomed, tacked up, people chatting, a normal, busy day. I had Lenny tied up with about five other horses nearby, and a few more across the way. Everything was calm. Until it wasn’t. Out of nowhere, a dog started chasing the peacock aaaaand she honked loud, very loud and flew straight up into a tree. And in that split second… everything exploded. Two horses pulled back and broke their halters. People were on the ground. Things went flying. One horse slipped on the concrete trying to scramble away. Horses in the paddock took off galloping like it was their cue to join in. It was absolute chaos. And this is the part I think matters most…because these situations happen. Maybe not always this extreme, but often enough. And when you start to understand horses, really understand them, you begin to feel when something is about to tip - for me time almost slows down. And in that moment, I’m not thinking about anything other than keeping my horse safe from the situation, from other horses, from people… and from themselves.