Equine Exercise
Developing structural correctness, mental relaxation, and physical longevity.
Building Slowly & Gradually
Every horse is an individual athlete whose physical capabilities are directly linked to their mental state. Exercise should never be about forcing a shape, it is a continuous conversation rooted in biomechanics, balance, and trust.
By entrusting your horse’s exercise to Bridle&Bark, you choose a partner who values physical comfort as much as performance, ensuring a willing, confident, and sound companion.
Groundwork Foundations
£23 per 45-minute session.
How it helps your horse: Most ridden behavioural issues stem from a lack of balance or understanding on the ground. This service uses lunging, and in-hand techniques to help your horse find their natural balance without a rider's weight. It teaches them to accept directional cues, yield softly to pressure, and move symmetrically, lowering anxiety and creating a focused, cooperative mindset.
Why it’s a positive step forward for you: It establishes a clear, mutual language before you ever put a foot in the stirrup. This service safely helps pushy behaviour, barging, and loading anxieties from the ground up. By making your horse braver, more respectful, and hyper-aware of your personal space, every interaction on the yard or under saddle becomes exponentially safer.
What’s Included:
Lunging: Teaching your horse to stretch down, engage their hindquarters, and build a strong topline.
In-Hand Awareness: Targeted exercises to establish clear physical boundaries, ensuring your horse respects your personal space.
Spook-Busting Desensitisation: Safely introducing common scary objects (like flags, tarps, and plastic sheets) using positive association to build confidence.
Fitness, Schooling & Rehabilitation Exercise
£25-£35 per 45-minute/1 hour session.
How it helps your horse: Consistent, correct exercise is essential for physical durability and mental focus. By prioritizing relaxation and rhythm over force, I help your horse build true core fitness and topline muscling. For horses returning from injury, my low-impact rehabilitation routines rebuild structural stability slowly, ensuring they stay calm and cooperative without risk of re-injury.
Why it’s a positive step forward for you: It takes the anxiety and guesswork out of exercise and rehabilitation. You can take a day off or focus on work without your horse losing their hard-earned conditioning. If your horse is recovering from a veterinary issue, you don’t have to risk handling a highly explosive animal, I safely manage their precise conditioning, preserving your progress and peace of mind.
What’s Included:
Schooling: Arena flatwork prioritising relaxation, forward rhythm, suppleness, and core engagement.
Hacking: Ridden exercise geared toward building cardiovascular endurance while safely desensitising to outdoor triggers.
Tailored Rehab Programs: Gradual, low-impact conditioning executed in strict alignment with your vet or physio’s guidelines.
Physical Monitoring: Continuous analysis of your horse’s gait symmetry, soundness, and comfort throughout the work.
Progress Logs: Updates regarding how your horse felt, their respiratory recovery, and behavioural state during exercise.
PLEASE NOTE
*Prices include travel within 5 miles of Cattistock. £0.50 p per mile if beyond 5 mile radius of Cattistock, eg: £5 total extra if 10 miles away.