17/06/2026
You know that moment when your horse does something unexpected and suddenly everybody becomes an expert?
One person says they’re being naughty.
Another says they’re confused.
Someone else says they’re testing you.
A fourth tells you it’s your riding.
A fifth says it’s definitely pain.
And before you’ve even untacked, you’ve collected more opinions than you know what to do with.
I’ve been there.
Most riders have.
And for a while, it feels helpful.
Until you realise that despite all the advice, you’re still standing in exactly the same place.
Confused.
Frustrated.
Wondering who to listen to.
Because the horse world has a funny relationship with knowledge.
We’re surrounded by information.
Surrounded by opinions.
Surrounded by people who can tell us exactly what they think we should do - but never actually come up with a viable solution
Here’s where information and understanding are not the same thing.
There are two very different types of knowledge.
Surface knowledge and real knowledge.
Surface knowledge sounds impressive.
It can repeat what a coach said.
It can quote a social media post.
It can pass an exam.
It can follow a system.
It can even look convincing for quite a long time.
Until something doesn’t go to plan.
Until the horse in front of you doesn’t follow the script.
Until the problem isn’t in the textbook.
That’s when real knowledge shows up.
Because real knowledge isn’t knowing what exercise to do.
It’s understanding why you’re doing it.
It’s being able to look at a horse, a rider and a situation and think critically.
It’s understanding enough to adapt when Plan A doesn’t work.
It’s recognising patterns.
Making connections.
Solving problems.
And that’s something that can’t be downloaded from a reel, memorised from a checklist or learned from a weekend course.
It comes from curiosity.
Experience.
Questioning assumptions.
And being willing to say:
“I don’t know… but let’s figure it out.”
The longer I work with horses, the less interested I become in having all the answers.
In fact, the more I learn, the more I realise how much I don’t know.
What interests me now is helping riders ask better questions.
Because the riders who make the biggest progress aren’t usually the ones collecting endless tips, tricks and exercises.
They’re the ones building understanding.
The ones who know why an exercise works.
The ones who know when it won’t.
The ones who can think for themselves.
The ones who don’t become dependent on their coach for every decision.
That’s exactly why I created Informed Equestrians.
Not to give you another list of exercises.
Not to tell you what to think.
Not to be another coach with another opinion.
But to help you understand your horse, your training and your decision-making on a deeper level so you can become a more capable, informed and effective rider.
It’s why we have weekly online masterclasses to open the floor for discussion and evoke curiosity.
Because the goal was never to create riders who need me forever.
The goal is to create riders who know enough to trust themselves.
Informed Equestrians exists to help riders move from collecting information to developing understanding.
If you’re ready to stop chasing opinions and start building understanding, comment INFORMED below and I’ll send you the details.
Katie
