Bitless Bridle Holistic Horsemanship Centre

BBEC Natural Livery incorporating Paddock Paradise

From £45 per week, payable monthly (average horse £200 pcm inc worming)

Horses living at BBEC Livery live as a herd, eating a fibre-based diet, having unrestricted movement and every effort is made to reduce exposure to chemicals, synthetic substances and man-made stress to an absolute minimum.

Domestication will always be a compromise for the horse but we can offer him more of a choice than is currently available through conventional yard management. All it takes is the courage to step out of the box and take a look at evolution. Horses require a simple set of essentials. After all if they can look after themselves for all that time, surely, we should be able to meet their needs?

24 Hour Access to Large Field Shelter
* Your horse makes the decision to be in or out!
* Constant freedom to move, increased fitness, reduced stress, increased circulation and mobility.
* No more boredom while waiting for human entertainment

Paddock Paradise
*A pioneering concept in horse-keeping based on their need for constant movement and a sense of direction
* Rather than living in paddocks the horses live in a perimeter track around the fields. This is of great benefit to those prone to laminitis and those with specific dietary requirements as the main bulk of food is provided through hay or haylage.
* Paddock paradise also gives the herd direction which is essential for a smooth dynamic within the group. Each horse will naturally fall into line as the herd moves, helping them to find their place within it. Rather than having to fight it out there will instantly be leaders and followers, each horse having a role to play.
* This system also gives the horses something to do and reduces boredom.

Herbal Worming Program
* Herbal wormers do not kill gut bacteria, or worms for that matter! They work in a completely different way by creating an environment in the gut that is hostile to parasites. Therefore the worms are unable to breed and pass through the horse leaving him unharmed, the worms themselves soon dying once they have been expelled from the body of the host.
* The worms leave the horse before reaching maturity and so haven't had chance to lay eggs; this eventually helps to reduce the land worm burden by breaking their lifecycle.
* Herbal worming is a highly effective, safe alternative to the standard use of toxic chemicals to kill parasites while they’re in the horse, which can lead to loss of essential gut bacteria, which in sensitive horses can affect their immune system.

Free Choice Minerals and Herbs
* Wild horses are able to seek out minerals and herbs they need to maintain their health. Unfortunately domestic horses are unable to seek out these essential substances due partly to depleted soils but also to lack of choice. As a result conditions such as arthritis for example are very common.
* As far as possible horses have access to a variety of mineral licks and herbs.

Shoeless not Clueless!

The horse’s hoof is designed for one purpose and that is to carry the horse throughout his lifetime over whatever terrain is in the way. Like our own hands, the more they are asked to do the tougher they become, but also like our hands we don’t use them enough.

* Natural Hoof Care is a holistic approach to soundness through proper diet, sufficient movement to promote circulation and increase growth, which is then trimmed, based on the wear pattern of high performance wild horses  and how that individual horse wears his own feet.
* Help is at hand in the form of hoof boots for those horses requiring a period of transition and protection from excessive wear.
* Professional barefoot trimmer on call

Natural Horsemanship
* Get to know your horse better through body language, observation within the herd and working him at liberty.  Lessons can be booked with Rosemary Carrington-Rogers, our Training Manager for those wishing to learn more about Equus the horse's own language of body movement, eye contact, intention and intuition.
* Free schooling  (working at liberty) increases body awareness, reaction time and safety as the horse learns to balance himself and approach obstacles without the added load of a rider. This can be done individually or in groups for an additional weekly charge.

Other Services
Here at BBEC we take your horse's health and happiness very seriously. All horses are treated as individuals and will be catered for individually. What suits one horse may not suit another. It is fully understood that some will cope with a naturalised lifestyle better than others - each requiring a different level of care.

Full Livery includes
* 24hr turnout on Paddock Paradise with free access to large man-made shelter and natural shelter
* All hay, haylage, Himalayan salt (containing minerals)
* Twice daily check
* Herbal worming
* Owners live on site
* Use of indoor manege, roundpen & paddocks when not in use
* Use of covered area / stable for grooming etc

Extras
* Liberty schooling sessions to maintain fitness and suppleness
* Barefoot Trimming can be arranged
* Transition to barefoot
* Riding by arrangement
* Horses brought in and prepared on request
* Specific use of indoor manege or roundpen