07/09/2026
Why Freedom Track? 🐴🌿
Lately, I’ve noticed quite a lot of discussion and, at times, bad press surrounding track livery. It often seems that track yards can get tarred with the same brush, particularly when conversations turn to barefoot trimming, different approaches to horse keeping, and what is or isn’t considered “right”.
I’m not here to get involved in any of that. Everyone has their own journey, their own experiences and their own way of doing things — and that’s absolutely fine.
But I did want to explain why I chose to create Freedom Track, because not every track livery yard is the same.
For me, it has always been about utilising the space I have to encourage natural movement and give horses an interesting, varied environment.
The track provides different terrain, plenty of opportunity to move, forage, explore and interact, along with enrichment areas and places that encourage the horses to keep moving rather than simply standing around.
And yes… there are some brilliant bonuses! 😂
No standing knee-deep in mud all winter, far less mud to deal with, and a significantly reduced risk of horses slipping around in wet conditions. It also means the horses can continue moving and exercising throughout the wetter months rather than spending long periods confined because the ground is too wet.
Barefoot? Shod? Somewhere in between?
I’m not exclusively barefoot and I’m not anti-shoeing. One of my own horses has four shoes on.
The horses on the track who are barefoot do very well, but I don’t believe there is one solution that suits every horse.
In fact, one of the things I find fascinating about track living is how much you can learn by simply watching the horse and looking at their feet over time.
Where are they wearing most?
How are they moving?
Are they landing toe first?
Is there a noticeable difference between feet?
How is the horse adapting to the different surfaces?
It gives you another piece of the puzzle — but it’s just that: a piece of the puzzle. It’s not a substitute for professional advice, and I’m certainly not here to tell anyone what they should or shouldn’t do.
Track living doesn’t mean “never see a stable” 🏡
I also have stables, and some of my horses come into them during the winter evenings.
This is particularly true of some of my older horses or horses who have spent their lives being managed in a more traditional way.
I don’t think it is fair to suddenly change everything about a horse’s life because we think we know what is best.
You have to read the horse.
My Appaloosa, for example, would benefit from as much movement as possible, but she absolutely LOVES coming into her stable overnight. She gets to eat and sleep without having to compete for forage, she gets a break from the responsibility of the herd and she quite literally eats and sleeps flat out in there! 😂
Meanwhile, I have an ex-racehorse who absolutely hates being shut in a stable.
So guess what?
He doesn’t have to go in one. 😂
It’s about finding the balance and adjusting management to the individual horse.
And it isn’t about one discipline either 🤠🐎
I love Western riding, but I also really enjoy English riding. I enjoy different disciplines, different approaches and learning from people who do things differently to me.
What matters to me is the horse in front of me.
I also believe horses need boundaries and rules.
My horses need to be safe and well behaved for humans — to lead, load, bath, groom, handle their feet and be taken away from the herd.
They are deliberately brought down to the yard and handled individually several times a week so that they don’t become completely herd-bound.
And I think this is incredibly important.
Because what happens if there is an emergency?
What if your horse suddenly needs to travel somewhere for veterinary treatment, but they haven’t been away from their herd for years?
I believe it is our responsibility to prepare horses for situations that might happen, not just the situations we hope will happen.
Ultimately, Freedom Track isn’t about barefoot. It isn’t about Western. It isn’t about track living being the only “right” way to keep a horse.
It’s simply about giving horses as much opportunity to move, forage, explore, socialise and behave like horses as possible — while still adapting their management to the individual in front of me.
I absolutely commend people who are passionate about what they do. There are some brilliant people in the horse world, and equally, social media can create a huge amount of noise — good and bad — around businesses, methods and individuals.
So I’m not interested in adding to that noise.
I just wanted to set the record straight about why I have a track livery yard.
It was never created because I wanted to follow a particular trend, discipline, trimming method or ideology.
It was created because I love horses. ❤️
And if I can create an environment where horses can move more, live more naturally, stay interested in their surroundings and still receive individual care based on who they are, then that’s what Freedom Track is all about.
🐴🌿 Freedom Track — because there is no one-size-fits-all horse.
