🐴 Balance Pad Challenges 🐴

This week the ponies have been trying something a little different — standing on balance pads!

This activity is a great mental and physical challenge for the horses, helping to improve their postural stability, body awareness, and proprioception (knowing where their body and feet are). It’s also a lower-energy way to keep their brains engaged, which is especially useful during the warmer weather.

Each pony had their own reaction to the challenge. Fee found it tricky at first and was swaying from side to side on the pads, but as she became more comfortable, her balance improved and the movement reduced. Mia was less sure about the unusual feeling under her feet and wasn’t too keen to stand on them for long.

Surprisingly, Creagy and Toby took the opposite approach — they found the whole experience so relaxing they started falling asleep!

The volunteers even had a go themselves and were surprised by just how challenging the pads are to stand on. It definitely gave everyone a new appreciation for what the ponies were doing!

Big thank you to Ruth one of our Coaches for introducing this, she is currently studying Veterinary Physiotherapy!