Your Horse is Your Mirror

Lots of fun, happy horses and confident riders with coaching and training from Ramelia Equine Julia McHugh

Useful training tips for separation anxiety from Sally Brett - Horsemanship instructor if you need to take your horse away from its best buddy to go to a show, camp, retreat or holiday

🐴 Preparing to take Moss away overnight - managing separation anxiety

Now summer has arrived it’s the season I teach more camps and often I’ll take Taylor and/or Moss away with me. Moss is naturally self confident & happy to be left back home without Taylor, however Taylor is a little more reliant on Moss. While Taylor is happy to be left at the stables alone when I take Moss out for day trips, and although he does have other horses close by in adjacent fields, he hadn’t been left in the field without Moss since last autumn. So while he was confident with it last summer, after 6+ months of always having Moss in the field with him I anticipated that it might be more difficult for him.

With this in mind I started early, several weeks before my planned over night trip away with Moss, to gradually increase their time separated in the field.

Instead of taking them to the field together (which I usually do to save time) I took Taylor first, followed by Moss. On the first day Taylor was on his own for 5 minutes, the following day 10 minutes and gradually over the 2 weeks I built up to several hours apart. I took Taylor to the field, rather than leaving him in the field while taking Moss away, as ‘being left’ is usually more stressful for a horse than going somewhere ‘solo’.

Separation anxiety behaviours can be a challenge, as horses are herd animals and usually feel most relaxed when close to other horses. They also develop pair bonds who they can become particularly reliant on for their confidence. Below are some articles I’ve previously written on the subject 👇

Separation Anxiety

https://www.facebook.com/100063622470129/posts/527378962726182/?

Separation anxiety- a constant consideration

https://www.facebook.com/100063622470129/posts/662624249201652/?

Separation Anxiety- maintaining consistency

https://www.facebook.com/100063622470129/posts/757651889698887/?

🐴 Feel free to share 👍

Next weekend is my final rider retreat at Dudgeley Farm with Ramelia Equine working equitation.

I can offer local riders a non residential 2 day clinic as a rare treat or you can choose luxury accommodation.

Message me if you’d like to know more

2026 Camp Retreat dates at Dudgeley Farm

17-20 April TREC Camp Retreat. 3 nights. Accommodation or camp. Breakfast and Evening Meals. TREC training with Helen Wain and Navigation with MW Mountain Training
2 places available
https://www.yourhorseisyourmirror.com/event-details/trec-rider-camp-retreat-17-20-april-2026

20-24 April. TREC Camp Retreat. 4 nights. Accommodation or camp. Breakfast and Evening Meals. TREC training with Helen Wain and Navigation with MW Mountain Training plus hacking day.
2 places available
https://www.yourhorseisyourmirror.com/event-details/trec-rider-camp-retreat-20-24-april-2026

29 May-1 June. Working Equitation camp Retreat. 3 nights. Accommodation or camp. Breakfast and Evening Meals. Training with Ramelia Equine
6 places available
https://www.yourhorseisyourmirror.com/event-details/may-2026-working-equitation-camp-retreat-shropshire-may-2026

12-15 June. Working Equitation camp Retreat. 3 nights. Accommodation or camp. Breakfast and Evening Meals. Training with Ramelia Equine
6 places available
https://www.yourhorseisyourmirror.com/event-details/june-2026-working-equitation-camp-retreat-shropshire-june-2026

Optional extras - Holistic therapies with Sucoma and Mindset Performance coaching with Your Horse is Your Mirror

Delighted to be supporting Ramelia Equine and the ABWE Regional Competition at Radfords Equestrian

Give it a go it’s a friendly sport and everyone goes home with a frilly 🏵️

Entries are OPEN!

Junior B (walk & trot) & Junior A (inc canter) for under 16s 🥇
Walk & trot, Novice, & Inter B for Seniors 🏆

There is also a PYO class for all other levels - this will be completed HC due to our judge not yet being qualified for these levels, but still excellent training for horses needing some mileage!

If you are on the fence about entering... there is still time left to train! Can't make a clinic? Message me. We can sort it. 😎

Not sure about technicalities? Tack? Dressage tests? Clothing? Please ask! Myself and the WE community will be more than happy to help! ☺️

No matter what, EVERYONE will go home with a rosette, thanks to 🥰
And I have other goodies for prizes too!

will be there to capture the day! 📸

I'm so excited 🥰 Are you coming?!

Hot off the press

Promoted by Equine Affairs, The UK`s Biggest Show Directory and Riding Diary, Equine Affairs Equine Affairs presents BWE Regional Working Equitation at Radfords Equestrian - Sun, Jul 5, 2026

This summer, something quietly powerful shifted at our rider camp retreat…

Ramelia Equine joined us for the first time, bringing the grounded wisdom of Working Equitation into our rhythm.

And I was immensely impressed—not just by her skill, but by her presence.

🟠 Rebekah teaches with clarity and calm
🟠 She rides with quiet confidence and soulful connection
🟠 She invites each horse and rider into deeper trust, balance, and joy

Her sessions added a new layer to our retreat—structure with softness, challenge with compassion.

It was a joy to witness women stepping into new courage, guided by Rebekah’s steady hand and generous heart.

Here’s to more Working Equitation magic in future retreats.

I’m delighted to share that I still have a few spaces available in 2026, if you’d like to know more details head over to https://www.yourhorseisyourmirror.com/rider-retreats now

You've allocated an hour to head into the arena to school your horse... maybe you have a goal - a dressage test coming up, or an ODE, or maybe its Trec? Or maybe you don't, and you're just planning to see what you get up to.

Whether we have a plan for the general outline of our session or not, the majority of schooling sessions focus on the horse.
What the horse does.
What the horse doesn't do.
What he ought to do!

Or the rider might be inclined to focus on themselves.
Position.
Balance.
Aids.

But what about connection? 🤔
What about conversation?
What about checking in with your horse, and encouraging them to check in with you?

Sometimes it's easy to get so focused on those external appearances, that we forget the team work, the two of you working together to achieve.

Can you inspire your horse in the arena, rather than simply get them to co-operate?

✨ Feeling stuck? That’s your cue.
Not to push harder, but to choose differently.

Making a decision—any decision—is progress.
It’s the spark that shifts the energy.
The moment you say, “I’ll take one small step,”
you’re already moving.

Success isn’t a leap. It’s a rhythm.
One gentle choice at a time.
One brave yes.
One quiet no.
One step forward.

You’ve got this. ✨