Have you got your ticket yet? Latest news about our special event in June… 

We’re gearing up for something very special at our Coombe Park in June. If you love horses, this is an unmissable event! International speaker and educator Gillian Higgins brings a multi-coloured evening of equine learning and entertainment to Devon… 

With every stroke of her paintbrush, Gillian prepares to take her audience on a vibrant journey into the hidden world of horses. Live ponies are her canvas. Gently and patiently as they graze, she captures every detail of their bones, muscles and ligaments lying under the coat, creating a startling 3D work-of-art on four legs. 

Gillian is driven by her lifelong love for horses. Starting out as a passionate rider and competitor in eventing, showjumping and dressage, she soon developed a deep fascination with how horses move and decided to specialise in equine anatomy and biomechanics. As a massage therapist early in her career, she felt the best way for clients to understand their horses better was to create, on top of their skin, a visual image of what lay beneath.  

Painting horses ‘inside out’ soon became Gillian’s signature. Using water-based, hypoallergenic, non-toxic paint, which is easily brushed-off, she visually maps their movement. By applying paint to different parts of the horse’s body, she gives audiences a fascinating insight into equine locomotion, showing how muscles, ligaments, and joints work together as horses walk, canter and jump, highlighting any areas of strain or imbalance

In 2006, Gillian founded Horses Inside Out, an award-winning organisation dedicated to teaching owners, trainers, and vets how to better understand horses’ bodies. Her practical, science-backed methods have changed the way people care for equines, helping prevent injuries and improve performance. She now offers educational courses, workshops, and specialist training programmes worldwide and is a highly respected speaker, author, and educator, encouraging horses and their carers to live happier, healthier lives.   

The Mare and Foal Sanctuary is delighted to welcome Gillian to Coombe Park Education and Equestrian Centre near Totnes on June 26th for an Evening on Posture, Pilates and Pole work, focused on in-hand exercises to improve comfort and performance. As Gillian’s organisation is based in Leicestershire, this is a rare and unmissable chance for people in the Southwest to see Gillian’s innovative methods in action. 

Audience members will enjoy a fascinating, colourful evening packed with valuable techniques that could transform their approach to horse care. In buying a ticket, you’ll also be supporting our vital work to rescue and rehabilitate ponies and support local community members through education and therapeutic sessions. 

Please note, the demonstrations at this event will be non-ridden. Among The Mare and Foal Sanctuary’s rescued ponies who are likely to take part on the night are: 

Tufty: 11 year old Tufty came to us from a semi-feral herd on Bodmin Moor in 2017. He was very scared and distrustful of humans, which meant it was hard for us to give him the care he needed. But thanks to the incredible training, patience and dedication of our Sanctuary Care staff, Tufty is now a valued member of our Education team, helping to build the confidence of people who may have had challenges of their own. 

Toptails: Toptails, a 15 year old Dartmoor Hill pony came to us in 2018 as part of our merger with another charity. We don’t know much about his past before then, but after a period of specialist care and training we could see that he had the potential to work well with vulnerable children and adults within our learning sessions. Toptails is now one of our very special equine partners at Coombe Park, working with us in therapeutic sessions. 

Peregrine: Nine year old Piebald Welsh pony Peregrine came to us in 2016 after being part of a large multi-agency welfare case. He has spent time since with the teams at our Honeysuckle Rehabilitation Yard, Upcott Park Rehoming Yard and Yelverton Moorland Rescue Facility, but we soon realised that Peregrine was an ideal partner for our equine learning sessions, so he joined the Coombe Park Education team last year. 

Robin: You may remember hearing our winter appeal about two ponies, Robin and Daisy, who we found huddled on top of a small mound in the middle of a field of deep mud. They were unable to move around freely or lie down to sleep and had a number of skin and hoof conditions needing urgent care. After his rehabilitation and training at Honeysuckle and Upcott Park, 16 year old moorland pony Robin really found his feet at Coombe Park and is now a valued member of our Education team. 

Tammy: is one of our very special ponies who can be sponsored to help pay for the food and care of all of our horses at The Mare and Foal Sanctuary. 17 year old, liver chestnut Morgan horse Tammy arrived at the Sanctuary in 2022 when her owner had sadly died, and their family was unable to give her the care that she needed. She’s an important member of our Education team, helping people in our community through equine-human interaction in wellbeing sessions and she’s described by her grooms as having a lovely, sweet nature.   

Tickets to this event are available here. We are offering a 10% discount on groups of five or more with the code ‘HIO10’.