13/04/2025
Let’s talk about the things no one wants to touch 👇
• Horses stabled 20+ hours a day.
• Bits and gadgets used as shortcuts for communication.
• Riders taught to “kick harder” or “show them who’s boss.”
• A total lack of emotional awareness around the horse’s experience.
• And God forbid you suggest liberty, bitless, or breathing work...you’re immediately labelled “fluffy.”
As an English horse girl, I’ve witnessed all of this, firsthand. At riding schools. Livery yards. Competition yards. Training centres. The works. These things aren’t rare. They’re normalised. And now, with social media casting an ever-wider lens on horse sport and training, more eyes are watching. More people are questioning. And guess what? They should be.
The truth is, British horse culture has deep roots in tradition - and there’s beauty in that. But there’s also a danger in clinging to the old ways just because they’re familiar. Some of what we’ve accepted as “normal” might be causing more harm than we realise - not out of intentional cruelty, but often out of a lack of updated knowledge or options.
And that’s no one’s fault - but it is everyone’s responsibility.
This isn’t about shaming riders or blaming trainers. It’s about inviting awareness. Because here’s the good news: we know more now. We can do better. And that’s something to feel hopeful about.
Science is evolving.
Ethics are shifting.
Horsemanship is becoming more conscious, more compassionate, more evidence-based.
But here in Britain?
We still treat tradition as gospel. Convention is the gold standard. And anything that challenges the status quo gets side-eyed, discredited, or shoved into the “natural horsemanship” corner.
Let me be clear: this isn’t about dismissing experience or pretending new is always better.
This is about recognising that some of the things we’ve normalized are outdated, stressful, and - yes - harmful.
It’s not revolutionary to say horses need turnout. That they need freedom of movement, social connection, and mental stimulation. That they respond better to clarity and emotional regulation than to force and fear.
That gadgets can’t replace good communication. That a tense, shut-down horse who “obeys” isn’t thriving - they’re surviving.
But because these ideas challenge the comfort of the old way, they get labelled:
Fluffy.
Woo.
Pony patters.
And the people practicing them? Rolled eyes. Backhanded comments. Dismissal.
But what if the people being laughed at are the ones actually evolving?
This isn’t about going “soft.” It’s about getting smart. Smart enough to realise that fear-based obedience is not the same as connection.
That domination is not training - it’s compensation.
That “we’ve always done it this way” is never a reason to keep doing harm.
The science is there. The proof is there. And most importantly, the horses are telling us every day, if we would just listen.
The old way isn’t wrong because it existed.
But it becomes wrong when we know better - and choose not to grow.
So if you’re someone who’s beginning to question the way things have always been done - welcome. You’re not alone. You’re part of a quiet but powerful shift toward a kinder, more connected, more conscious kind of horsemanship.
To the next generation of riders, handlers, and trainers:
Be the one who breaks the mould.
Be the one who asks why.
Be the one who chooses curiosity over compliance, connection over control - even when it’s unpopular.
Because horses don’t care about our traditions. They care about how we show up. And they deserve better than the bare minimum of survival.
They deserve to feel safe. To feel seen. To feel free.
And it's our job to build a culture that gives them exactly that.
