Trudi Dempsey: Equine Trainer and Behaviour Consultant

22/08/2025

Some horses should never be ridden, but why does that still make people uneasy?

I think there’s a deep cultural story here. Horses have long been framed in terms of what they can do for us.
They are rideable.
Workable.
Useful.
Horses that cannot be ridden are often labelled as 'problem' horses. They are termed 'useless', or 'wasted'. I see this mindset all over social media. Endless responses on threads asking what to do with a 'broken' horse. There may be one lone voice that will be honest, but the majority will be suggesting the horse is being an *insert any word suggesting laziness or lack of respect for humans here*.

Some horses will be declared 'fit to ride following a vet investigation'. This is usually said to ward off those likely to suggest pain is a contributory factor in most undesired behaviours. I get it, vet investigations are bank breaking but that's not an excuse to ignore the signs.

Making them rideable again becomes less about the horse’s wellbeing and more about showing how impressive the trainer's skills are. There are big egos at play. The story of the rider who 'turned the unrideable horse around' carries weight in many circles. It paints trainers as skilled, maybe even heroic. But whose need is that really serving? The horse’s, or ours?

But here's the truth: not every horse should be ridden. Heck, might we even wonder if any horse should be ridden (but I'm not quite ready to go there yet). Some are living with pain that no training will fix. Some have chronic lameness, neurological issues, metabolic disorders; for some, their conformation limits mean their bodies are simply not able to carry riders without suffering. Ignoring that because we badly want to be part of the 'rehabilitation' narrative does the horse no kindness at all.

Accepting that fact forces us to confront uncomfortable questions. If a horse doesn’t need to be ridden to have value, then what is their value? Can we really allow them to be enough as they are? Can we learn to find joy in other ways of being together through groundwork, scentwork, enrichment, or simply companionship, without constantly trying to fit them into the old story of usefulness?

If we can let go of 'rideable' as the ultimate proof of success, we open the door to something different. We choose the horse’s reality over our own. We learn to see them not as projects to be fixed, but as living beings whose lives matter whether or not they ever carry a rider again. Maybe at that point we might find that riding is back on the cards for some horses, but most likely we won’t.

If we claim to love horses, then surely love has to mean more than usefulness.

I hope you enjoy a summer weekend of alternative 'being' with your horse.

20/08/2025

Join vet Gabriel Lencioni and I for our cooperative care course at the IAABC Foundation

16/08/2025

You all know I loved this weekend but how wonderful to learn that folks feel it is a place to be welcomed, supported and feel safe.

LET'S KEEP HORSES' NEEDS AT THE CENTRE OF THE CONVERSATION!

Last weekend we hosted our fourth Understand Horses Live event, this year at Nottingham Trent University — and what an inspiring, supportive, and thought-provoking gathering it was.

A huge thank you to my wonderful colleagues who shared their knowledge so generously, and to everyone who came along and contributed to such an open and engaging atmosphere. The feedback from attendees has been fantastic, but the comments that have really made me proud are: "What a friendly, supportive and non-cliquey event", "No discussion was off the table”, “I honestly didn't think I'd find a safe space to ask questions in the equestrian world – now I have".

That was exactly the spirit we hoped to create — a place for open and honest conversation, curiosity, and collaboration.

I've shared one of my favourite slides of the weekend from Dr Jo Hockenhull’s superb presentation on horse-human interaction: “What do people want from horses? A dog". Jo discussed how her research had found that horse owners want their horse to be loyal, affectionate, attentive, cuddly, comes to call and wants to be with you all the time. But of course, horses are not dogs, they are horses. The equestrian world often seems to forget that. I want my horses to have a good life – healthy, relaxed and happy in their environment with their equine friends. Their wellbeing should not just depend on what humans want from them, but on recognising and meeting their needs as horses.

Here’s to more open dialogue, evidence-based practice, and putting horses first. See you next year!

Massive thanks to Trudi Dempsey: Equine Trainer and Behaviour Consultant, The Equine Behaviour Vet, Emma Lethbridge Horsemanship, Samantha Couper - Equine ABCs, Rosa Verwijs, Jo Hockenhull, Holly Gallacher, Kelly Yarnell, Carol Hall, Nicola Gregory, Hani Sparks, Tanyel Dede and David Taylor.

15/08/2025

So much can change reinforcer potential!

TL:DR motivating operations!

Reinforcement is a big part of the story. But it's value is not constant. The horse in front of you, the environment they’re in, and what’s going on inside them in terms of emotions can all change the value. These things will change how your horse views the idea of reinforcement.

A behaviour that works beautifully in a quiet arena can disappear the moment you add a flapping tarp, a rattling gate, or some nosy horse neighbours watching. Suddenly the horse who was 'perfect yesterday' becomes 'stubborn' or 'disrespectful' today. NO. That’s not true. In fact, it’s so far from the truth it would make me laugh if there weren’t so many people spouting this online. I see it all the time: people blaming the horse instead of the situation.

The reality is almost always simpler. The environment and the way the horse feels right now can change everything.

Just like us, a horse who’s tense, sore, or frustrated won’t want to offer behaviour. A horse that is frightened, worried, thirsty, or itchy is not going to have their mind on training. Avoiding something unpleasant, a full bladder, dry thirst, a scary flag, can be far more motivating than anything we’re offering.

Good training isn’t about forcing behaviour. It’s certainly never about teaching 'respect.' It’s about noticing the little things. It’s about setting up the environment so the horse can succeed and wants to try. It’s about paying attention to their current state, considering the context, and remembering what has gone before.

Smart, kind trainers think about what the horse actually has. Does this horse have the space, comfort, and desire to make choices? They ask themselves what in the horse's environment or life could be making training hard. Usually, the answer changes the whole approach and therefore the results.

14/08/2025

The last post I shared on how I train, explained that before I ask for any behaviour, I introduce the reinforcement routine.

Now there’s something many trainers don’t realise, the reinforcement routine is actually the last link in the behaviour chain.

In back chaining, we teach the final step first, so the learner always finishes on something they know well and can earn reinforcement for. When your reinforcement routine is clear and predictable, you can build chains backwards from it, with the horse always moving towards that well-understood end point.

It’s a subtle shift, but it changes the motivation for the horse. They know exactly where the end point is and how to get there, so the steps leading up to it make more sense.

This means less frustration and clearer direction when reducing reinforcement later.

My professional trainers are using this and many other clever training set ups. If you want to know how to join the dots using reinforcement routines come and join me next time.

If you want to follow this line of posts search or check out my YouTube account. Next time I'll be considering some different routines!

13/08/2025

Last weekend I packed my bag, loaded the car, and headed off to Understand Horses Live. It was wonderful to catch up with colleagues and friends and the number of those seems to grow every year at this amazing event.

On Saturday I gave my lecture on Rethinking Rein Aids, and on Sunday my practical was The Art of Easy Training. It felt like being in a room full of old friends, even though I’d only just met some of them.

The whole weekend was full of brilliant conversations about horses, learning from other presenters, and feeling part of a community that cares as much as I do about making life better for them. I came home tired in the best way, with a head full of ideas and a heart that felt full.

Huge thanks to Understand Horses and all my colleagues especially Samantha Couper - Equine ABCs, who flew in for the event and shared the BEST wild horse videos❤️

Here’s to next year!

09/08/2025

A brilliant day 😍

Attendees of the Lecture Day at Understand Horses Live are enjoying some fascinating presentations today on a range of equine subjects, including -

• The gut-brain axis in horses

• Assessing complex horse behaviour problems

• Gastric ulcers & unwanted behaviour

• Horse-human relationships

• Human psychology of horse face processing

• Housing equines for optimal welfare

• Improving equine quality of life

• Eye tracking technology in horse-human interaction

• A day in the life of a wild horse

• Rethinking rein aids

Presenters:
Justine Harrison - Equine Behaviourist
Trudi Dempsey: Equine Trainer and Behaviour Consultant
The Equine Behaviour Vet
Emma Lethbridge Horsemanship
Samantha Couper - Equine ABCs
Nicola Gregory
Jo Hockenhull
Carol Hall
Kelly Yarnell

06/08/2025

Yesterday I talked about what I don't do, but I think it’s even more important to share how I do train.

I always plan. Sometimes in my head, sometimes on paper, sometimes just rambling on a voice note to myself. Part of that planning is deciding on the best reinforcement routine for the session.

Every training session begins with me introducing the reinforcement routine.

Before I ask for anything, I show how reinforcement is going to happen.

What it will be: food, scratches...
Where it will be delivered: by hand while they wait, in a bucket by their hooves, somewhere we’ll walk to...
What happens after reinforcement? Should they check in and tell me they’re ready?

This step often gets skipped, but I think it’s one of the most important. If the horse doesn’t understand the reinforcement routine, everything else can feel unclear.

While it is a little about preventing behaviours we don’t want, like interest in the food bag or looking at my hands, it’s much more about building trust and predictability. So the horse knows what to expect, and that they can rely on it.

Before cues. Before behaviours. I teach this.

05/08/2025

I don’t think about the 'quadrants' when I train.

I know them. I study them. I teach them. In my pro trainers course, we go deep into theory including the quadrants because it’s important to understand what’s happening under the surface.

But when I’m actually training, I’m not standing there mentally labelling everything as R+ or R- or worrying whether a moment fits neatly into a category. I’m focused on the horse. On clarity, choice, trust. Mainly on being kind and fair.

The quadrants can help us understand behaviour. They can guide our thinking when we’re planning or stuck. But they don’t define training. They certainly don’t define good training.

Science can support theory. But it’s how we train, with feel, timing, and care that really shapes the experience.

I do believe, with a capital B, in teaching every horse guardian how learning works. How consequences function. How we can be kind and how we don't need to train with tools that cause discomfort. Sometimes that begins with meeting the human on their own journey, where they are now. Over time it will become clear to everyone that understands learning theory that we can be kind or not. The choice is then theirs.

28/07/2025

Are you coming? My favourite event for equines is in less than 2 weeks! Hope to see you there.