Our story – Maffcar Danny

How NHTEC (Norfolk Horse Training

& Equitation Club) has helped us?

Well where do I start…..  Firstly thank you to NHTEC and Johanna Macarthur! Without your help I really do not know where we would both be today. 

I have been a member of NHTEC for 4 years now.  Some of you will have met my Danny (or Blondie as he is now known – the “Headshaker”) who now resides permanently at Running Free Farm (we came for training in December 2006 – and never left).

Originally Danny was kept at a busy livery yard on DIY livery.  He was hyper-reactive, would not eat and was very unhappy within his environment.  He was stressed and so was I.  This was ‘before’ I even considered riding him!  He could violently shake, muscle tremble from head to foot and sweat up.  On one occasion I had to remove him from a showing class as his behaviour rapidly deteriorated after we arrived.

In 2004 Danny was diagnosed as a headshaker and in 2005 went to Newmarket for further examinations.  The result of those investigations revealed “misfiring of the nerve in his face”.  To date no medication has helped Danny.   My poor boy basically had a nervous breakdown.   Dr Knottenbelt confirmed this to me (Liverpool University).    The vets classed Danny as dangerous, which he was, to himself and his handlers.  However, I knew I could never give up on him or have him put him to sleep.  It was never his fault - I felt strongly, there had to be a reason and a solution... 

So we started our training with NHTEC and we have never looked back.   It has been a steep learning curve but we are different, calmer, quieter - horse and owner.  Danny’s new environment and training with NHTEC has simply turned Danny around.   

‘Conflict Free’ training is based on Equine Learning Theory TRAINING PRINCIPLES and has helped me to understand Danny how he learns and why he reacts.  It has also taught me about horse’s requirements – the five freedoms, psychology and ethology...I am always learning!