Megan Cook - Equine Training and Behaviour

15/04/2026

08/04/2026

✨Ethical Training and Behavioural Support✨

At Megan Cook Equine, I use a clear framework to understand behavioural issues and to support both you and your horse.

I help horses and their humans to build a strong, trusting relationship through positive reinforcement and behavioural support. Whether you’re facing challenges with handling, training, or behavioural concerns, I provide guidance tailored to your horse’s needs.

My framework includes:

History Taking - To understand the full picture before any intervention.

Vet & Professional Collaboration - To ensure the horse is physically comfortable.

Management Review - To ensure the horse’s basic needs are met (friends, freedom and forage).

Foundations of Positive Reinforcement - To create a solid foundation and prepare for rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation - To improve behavioural issues and overall wellbeing, taken at a pace the horse feels comfortable with.

Handover & Ongoing Support - To empower you to continue your horse’s progress.

If you want a partnership built on welfare, science, and compassion, I’d love to help.

Learn more at megancookequine.co.uk or message me to arrange your initial consultation.

* Please note that whilst pain can never be fully ruled out, veterinary intervention should always be a priority before training or behavioural guidance.

Horse behaviour and training, based in Warwickshire. Offering consultations, training, and behavioural support for horses.

26/01/2026

2016 ✨

A very strange year 😂

✨ Got my first ‘proper’ job
✨ Went to a dealer’s yard to look at some horses and fell in love with a scruffy mare
✨ Said mare tried to kill me multiple times however I still decided she was mine
✨ Got my first car, my little Rover 25 🚗
✨ Doris threw herself off a bridge and I received my first vet bill
✨ Went to Greece and was followed by a stray dog for the entire week
✨ Decided to bring said stray home (the first of the Greek rescues) 🐶

16/01/2026

Unfortunately, grazing can be difficult to find in the UK, and many livery yards restrict turnout during the winter. However, forms of exercise such as horse walkers are too often used as a substitute for adequate turnout.

Horses need the freedom to move, it is vital for their health and well-being. When we restrict their natural behaviours, we increase the risk of behavioural issues.
•
•
•

13/01/2026

Just a few benefits of using positive reinforcement 🥕✨

12/01/2026

How many times have you heard someone say that a horse doesn’t have any respect for their human?

It’s a common statement not only in the horse world but in animal training more broadly. But what does it actually mean, and why doesn’t it align with what we’re trying to achieve?

“Respect” has several definitions, but in this context it is often understood as “due regard for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others.” While horses are deeply sensitive and highly sentient animals, respect is a human concept, and our horses have no understanding of it.

We can absolutely teach our horses boundaries, but they cannot “respect” us in the human sense; it is simply not cognitively possible.

So rather than accusing our horses of lacking respect when they display undesirable behaviours, we can instead look for the underlying cause and focus on improving their welfare.
•
•
•

08/01/2026

Winter is a time to slow down, to rest and recover, to retreat and reflect.

It’s easy to get caught up in goal setting in the New Year and as much as there are lots of things I want to achieve this year, winter is not the time to start.

I always wait until after winter before starting any resolutions but I do have a few quiet manifestations for the rest of winter to make sure I am rested and prepared for the Spring.

31/12/2025

2025 ✨🫶

A very weird year! A year of not accomplishing much other than just surviving and healing but I am so grateful for so many happy memories, quiet moments and the opportunity to meet so many lovely people and horses!

Happy New Year all 🩵

29/12/2025

Three weeks ago, I had surgery and was diagnosed with endometriosis. Scars were removed from both ovaries, and recovery has been far rougher than I expected. I have been fighting for answers for nearly 15 years and have been dismissed countless times. This recent experience made me reflect on our attitude towards mares.

We have all heard, and even made, comments about “typical” mares. We dismiss their behaviour, blame it on the fact that they are female, and often say we prefer geldings because they are easier.

I have done this myself. I always said I never wanted a mare, and for several years after getting Doris, I insisted she would be my last. I repeated to everyone that geldings were simply easier.

In truth, my mare’s behaviour was not normal. She was struggling, she was unhappy, and I regularly dismissed it by saying, “Oh, she’s just a typical mare.”

Once I made the necessary changes to her lifestyle, she became a completely different horse. No, she is not as openly affectionate as some horses, but that is not because she is a mare. She has had a much harsher life than many, and she is less trusting, for very good reason. Yet she is gentle, she is kind, and she has a heart of gold.

Mares are strong, independent, and maternal by nature. If a mare is displaying “mareish” behaviour, something is wrong, and she is trying to tell you. I spent 15 years fighting for answers, and at least I could explain my symptoms to doctors. Our horses do not have that ability, so we must pay close attention to their behaviour.

In essence, misogyny is so deeply rooted in society that it even shows up in the horse industry. So many women know what it is like to be medically ignored and gaslighted, so why are we doing the same to our mares?

•••

31/05/2025

‼️Riding a dangerous horse is not something to be proud of‼️

For years, I powered through every explosion because I thought it would make me a better rider. I ignored the warning signs even though my horse was screaming out at me.

Behaviour like this is a sign that something is not right. This is not something that should be ridden through, it should be investigated.

From experience, I can tell you that it is not worth it for you or your horse.

In 2018, I stupidly took Doris out on my own and fell off. I don’t remember the fall, I just remember waking up in the middle of a field to find Doris galloping round with the reins hanging between her legs. It was terrifying and concussion is truly awful.

Doris is never going to be sound, accepting that was tough and I really miss riding but retiring her was the best decision I ever made, I fix what I can and as long as she is comfortable enough to plod round her field, nothing else matters.

The horse’s welfare should always come first 🩵