The Equine Catalyst

25/10/2026

☕ Sunday Musings - The Girl I Used to Be

This week I've been travelling around Ireland, revisiting places that were once a huge part of my life.

Twenty-five years ago, I spent a lot of time here. Ireland had an extraordinary hold over me. The history, the countryside, the horses, the people. I felt such a strong connection to this country, and every time I left, there was an almost overwhelming longing to return.

And now, at 51, I'm back.

Half a lifetime later.

Those words have been rattling around in my head this week. Half a lifetime. It's quite confronting when you put it like that!

I've been driving around the countryside, visiting old haunts, and yesterday I found myself wandering around Punchestown Racecourse, trying to piece together memories of horse shows from all those years ago.

Where were the arenas? What did the grounds look like back then? Why couldn't I remember things that had once been such a big part of my life?

Some memories came flooding back. Others were frustratingly elusive. And some places weren't quite how I remembered them at all.

It was a strange feeling, realising just how much time has passed. How much life has happened. And how even memories that once seemed so vivid can gradually fade.

But something else has surprised me about this trip.

That extraordinary longing I once felt for Ireland hasn't exactly disappeared. It's more like it's dissolved.

I still love this country. I still find its history fascinating and its landscape beautiful. But I no longer feel that desperate pull to stay, or the sadness I once felt about leaving.

And I've been wondering why.

Perhaps it's because the girl who first fell in love with Ireland was still searching for something. A sense of belonging, perhaps. A place, or people, that made her feel she was exactly where she was supposed to be.

And now, after 25 years of living, loving, making mistakes, learning lessons, and some fairly significant personal growth, I don't feel that same need to search.

I've been thinking about the difference between *longing* and *belonging*.

Perhaps belonging is no longer something I need to find somewhere else. It's something I've gradually learned to carry within myself.

And that brings me back to the 25-year-old girl who was here all those years ago.

I've found myself thinking about her quite a lot this week.

Her innocence. Her enthusiasm. Her intensity. Her hopes and dreams. And just how much she still had to learn about life, relationships, and herself.

She had absolutely no idea what the next quarter of a century would bring.

And I find myself feeling an enormous amount of tenderness towards her.

Not embarrassment about the things she didn't know. Not regret about the things she got wrong. Just love and compassion for a young woman who was doing her best to find her way in the world.

Perhaps that's one of the unexpected gifts of getting older. Being able to look back at our younger selves with a little more kindness and understanding.

And I think I've finally worked out what this trip to Ireland has really been about.

I thought I was coming back to visit the places I used to know.

But it turns out I've come back to visit the girl I used to be.

And oh, how much love I have for her. ❤️

20/10/2026

It was great to meet the team behind Beyond The Track at Equifest and "claim" Leaderboard into my stable. If you have an exracehorse here in New Zealand be sure to sign them up into this scheme. It's free and there is so much value in doing so... go take a look! 👀

20/10/2026

I really enjoyed this explaination from Becks Nairn today. Its never as simple as lower the neck and the back will raise....

THE BOW AND STRING THEORY IN HORSES

For decades, the Bow and String Theory has been used to explain how a horse’s back functions. But how accurately does this theory represent the complexity of the horse’s anatomy?

The concept compares the horse’s vertebral column to a bow, with the abdominal muscles acting as the string. When the abdominal muscles contract, they can contribute to lifting and flexing the back, while other muscular forces influence extension.

So, is the theory correct?

There is certainly scientific evidence supporting aspects of it. We know the abdominal muscles contribute to spinal movement and stability, that head and neck position can influence the back, and that the vertebral column responds to forces generated throughout the body.

However, the theory also has limitations.

A horse is not a mechanical bow. Its spine consists of numerous individual vertebrae capable of moving in three dimensions, supported by an incredibly complex network of muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia.

The theory also struggles to adequately explain the influence of the pelvis, lumbosacral junction and the multiple pathways through which forces are transmitted throughout the body.

And this is where I think we need to be careful.

The Bow and String Theory has heavily influenced how we interpret correct movement in horses. We often hear phrases like “lift the back”, “engage the core” and “work over the topline”.

But does a rounded back automatically mean the horse is functioning correctly? Does a lowered head mean the abdominal muscles are properly engaged? And is spinal extension necessarily a bad thing?

Not necessarily.

Spinal extension is a normal and necessary part of locomotion, just as flexion is. A healthy back needs the ability to move, stabilise and adapt to the forces placed upon it.

Through anatomical dissection, we can appreciate just how interconnected these structures really are. The abdominal muscles aren’t one continuous string, and the back muscles aren’t simply cables running along the spine. Their architecture, attachments and relationships are far more complex.

The Bow and String Theory isn’t necessarily wrong, but it is incomplete and it also didn’t account for the relationship to the limbs.

It remains a useful model for understanding certain mechanical relationships, but we should be cautious about using it to explain every aspect of spinal function or to determine what correct movement should look like.

Science should evolve as our understanding evolves.

Perhaps instead of trying to make the horse fit the theory, we should be asking whether the theory truly explains what we’re seeing in the horse. Every horse is an individual and the anatomy varies wildly as we see in dissections.

The photo below is of a broodmare whose prep***c tendon ruptured 4 months before foaling. She lived for 10 months total after the foal was safely delivered, a miracle on its own. Just 10 months for the tensegrity chain to be broken via the pre p***c tendon and then topline vanished. It wasn’t a food problem, it was a functional mechanical problem. Tensegrity had been lost. Muscles need activation to stay functional, both in the nerves and the vascular system. When I see muscles wasted away the tissues colour is light pink from poor vascularisation, this indicates the muscles been functioning poorly. Well innervated and vascularised muscle looks like a deep red, think prime fillet steak. You can clearly see her pelvis has fallen to an anterior tilt because the prep***c tendon had ruptured loosing tension on the ventral chain. The video of her dissection is available on patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/Becks_nairn/posts/prepublic-tendon-136347818?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

https://www.patreon.com/Becks_nairn/posts/todays-16-year-135886244?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Tensegrity is an inter connected chain in the horse and one ventral or dorsal line is not better than the other. Extremes are not good for horses in my opinion, examples would be absolute elevation(vertical riding) and on the forehand peanut rolling(western pleasure) you should develop the ventral and dorsal lines in respect for each other, each with unique benefits to the body.
When we look at the body before rigor has set in, in fresh dissection we see how everything is tensioned. Agonist and antagonist, flexion and extension, dorsal and ventral flexion ect…..the yin and yang of the body.

It’s a beautiful piece of organic engineering. I go into this subject further in my book, it’s such a large topic.

If you would like to read the science I will list the studies below.

1. Van Weeren, P. R. & Haussler, K. K. (2010). Science overview: Development of a structural and functional understanding of the equine back. Equine Veterinary Journal. A particularly valuable review of historical models, including the bow-and-string concept and its limitations.

2. Slijper, E. J. (1946). Comparative biologic-anatomical investigations on the vertebral column and spinal musculature of mammals. Proceedings of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Foundational work associated with the modern bow-and-string model.

3. Stubbs, N. C., Hodges, P. W., Jeffcott, L. B., et al. (2006). Functional anatomy of the caudal thoracolumbar and lumbosacral spine in the horse. Equine Veterinary Journal, Supplement 36, 393–399.

4. Zaneb, H., Peham, C. & Stanek, C. (2013). Functional anatomy and biomechanics of the equine thoracolumbar spine: A review. Turkish Journal of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, 37, 380–389.

5. Baudisch et al. (2024). Computed tomographic study analysing functional biomechanics in the thoracolumbar spine of horses with and without spinal pathology. Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia.

6. Baudisch et al. (2025 volume; published online 2024). Influence of surgical intervention at the level of the dorsal spinous processes on the biomechanics of the equine thoracolumbar spine. Equine Veterinary Journal. This experimental study adds insight into spinal movement and the role of associated soft tissues.

17/10/2026

☕ Sunday Musings – The Privilege of Having a Voice

This morning's coffee comes with a rather full head, a slightly overpacked suitcase, and plenty to reflect on!

Today is the final day of Equifest, where I'll be presenting my talk on ethics and the hidden blind spots in horse welfare. And tonight, I'll be boarding a plane bound for Dublin, Ireland, to represent New Zealand Warmblood breeders at the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses Annual General Assembly.

Two very different events, on opposite sides of the world, but the more I think about it, the more I realise they have something rather important in common.

Both are about questioning the way we've always done things.

At Equifest, I'll be exploring how easily we can develop blind spots when it comes to horse welfare. How practices become normalised, traditions go unquestioned, and how even the most well-intentioned horse people can sometimes fail to recognise what is right in front of them.

In Dublin, I'll be raising some equally challenging questions, although this time they're about the international sport horse breeding industry.

How do we ensure breeders in smaller countries like New Zealand are fairly represented on the world stage? How do we protect the identity and integrity of our studbooks? And how do we ensure that international recognition, pedigree recording and the systems designed to support breeders don't inadvertently disadvantage those of us breeding horses a very long way from Europe?

Different subjects, certainly. But perhaps not such different conversations.

Because progress doesn't come from blindly accepting the status quo. It takes curiosity to question it, courage to challenge it, and a willingness to listen.

And I think that's something worth reflecting on, not just in the horse industry, but in life generally.

It's easy to accept established practices simply because they're familiar. It's much harder to question them, particularly when doing so might make others uncomfortable, challenge long-held beliefs, or mean standing up in a room where your perspective isn't necessarily the prevailing one.

But questioning something doesn't automatically mean we're criticising it. Sometimes it's precisely because we care so deeply about something that we're prepared to challenge it.

As I sit here with my Sunday morning coffee, I'm also feeling incredibly fortunate.

Fortunate to work in an industry that has given me such extraordinary opportunities. To travel, meet fascinating people, continue learning, share ideas, and occasionally have a seat at tables where important conversations are happening.

I certainly don't take any of that for granted. But I also believe that with the privilege of having a voice comes the responsibility to use it. Not necessarily to be the loudest person in the room. Not to pretend to have all the answers. And certainly not to suggest that my perspective is always the right one. But to be prepared to ask the questions that deserve to be asked, to represent those whose voices might not otherwise be heard, and to contribute to conversations that might ultimately make things better.

Whether that's improving our understanding of horse welfare, challenging the way we train and manage our horses, or ensuring that New Zealand breeders receive the recognition and representation they deserve internationally.

And perhaps that's my musing for this Sunday.

If we're fortunate enough to have a voice, shouldn't we be prepared to use it to make things better? After all, change rarely happens because everyone agrees that everything is already perfect. Sometimes it starts with someone being prepared to ask, "But could we do this better?"

Right then. One more coffee, one more presentation, and a rather long flight ahead!

Here's to asking good questions, keeping an open mind, and never being too old (or too set in our ways!) to learn something new. ☕🐴✈️🇳🇿🇮🇪

15/10/2026

🐴 A little sneak peek of what Leaderboard has been learning!

We've just started introducing the Spanish Walk, and he's beginning to get the idea!

I'll make sure I spare a few minutes during tomorrow's groundwork demonstration at Equifest to explain how we've started teaching him this exercise, and the training principles behind it.

📍 Equifest – Friday, 1pm Come along and meet Leaderboard, our million-dollar-winning former racehorse, and see what he's been learning in his new career!

HorseTraining ThoroughbredRetraining

14/10/2026

🐴 MOUNTING BLOCK MAGIC – EQUIFEST 2026!

What do you do with an ex-racehorse that won't stand still to be mounted?

One of the things we need to remember when retraining Thoroughbred racehorses is that they haven't necessarily been taught to stand still for mounting. In fact, many have been taught to keep moving while the rider gets on!

So when we bring them home to retrain, why do we suddenly expect them to understand that they must stand perfectly still?

Rather than spending time telling the horse what NOT to do, I much prefer to teach them a completely new task – something they can understand and actively participate in.

✨ I teach my horses to come TO the mounting block!

Instead of trying to stop them moving away, I teach them to position themselves alongside the block when asked.

The results can be fantastic! Horses become more relaxed and confident around the mounting block because they understand exactly what we're asking them to do.

It's a great example of how changing the way we approach a training problem can make a huge difference to the horse.

🎥 In this reel, you'll see me working on this exercise with Leaderboard, the million-dollar-winning racehorse, as he learns the skills needed for his new career.

And this is just one of the exercises I'll be discussing in our groundwork demonstration at Equifest!

📍 EQUIFEST – FRIDAY 🕐 1:00 PM – Leaderboard Groundwork Demonstration

Come along and see how we can use equitation science to make retraining clearer, kinder and more effective for our horses.

The Equine Catalyst – Where Sport, Ethics, and Science Collide.

ExRacehorse EquitationScience HorseTraining EquineWelfare RacehorseRetraining EvidenceBasedTraining

14/10/2026

🐴 EQUIFEST – HERE WE COME!

Leaderboard and I are getting ready for Equifest, and I'm really looking forward to sharing some of the training we've been doing since he finished his racing career!

One of the most important exercises we can teach an ex-racehorse is Give to the Bit, where the horse learns to respond to the slightest pressure on the rein, rather than leaning on the reins.

In this reel, I'm demonstrating how we use a technique called combined reinforcement, following the process:

👉 Spot – Direction – Motivator – Release – Reward

It's a simple, systematic way of teaching the horse to understand and respond to our signals.

This is just one of the exercises I'll be discussing and demonstrating in my Friday groundwork session with Leaderboard, where we'll explore how we can help ex-racehorses transition into their new careers using evidence-based training principles.

📍 Equifest – Friday 🕐 1:00 PM – Leaderboard Groundwork Demonstration

Come along, meet Leaderboard (please bring 🥕🥕🥕🥕 😉 ) and see equitation science in action!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

The Equine Catalyst – Where Sport, Ethics, and Science Collide.

ExRacehorse ThoroughbredRetraining HorseTraining EquineWelfare EvidenceBasedTraining

10/10/2026

☕ SUNDAY MUSINGS - Are we looking for horse welfare in all the wrong places?

Horse welfare has never been talked about more than it is today.

We have saddle fitters, bit fitters, bridle fitters, bodyworkers, veterinary specialists and an ever-growing conversation around what equipment we should and shouldn't be using. And that's a good thing. We've come a long way.

But I sometimes wonder whether, in our determination to improve horse welfare, we're overlooking some of the things happening right under our noses. Things that aren't necessarily obvious. Things that don't involve ill-fitting saddles, harsh bits or physical pain.

Things that happen in training arenas every single day - Like the rider who never quite releases the pressure when the horse gives the correct response.

Or the horse labelled difficult or naughty when, in reality, nobody has ever clearly taught it what the aids mean.

Or the horse that undergoes thousands of dollars of veterinary investigations when the answer might also lie in its training history and the way it's being ridden.

And then there's the human element. The rider who understands learning theory perfectly well but, when frustration takes over, forgets everything they know.

We spend so much time talking about the horse's behaviour, but perhaps not nearly enough time examining our own.

None of this is about dismissing pain, defending poor equipment use or suggesting we should stop investigating physical problems.

Quite the opposite. It's about recognising that good intentions don't automatically lead to good welfare outcomes.

And that sometimes the biggest welfare problems aren't the ones we can easily see.
They're the ones we've become so accustomed to that we no longer question them.

Next Sunday at Equifest, I'll be presenting a 45-minute lecture called Welfare Blind Spots in the Riding Arena, exploring five areas where I believe we could be doing better for our horses.

Not from a position of having all the answers, but from over 20 years of applying equitation science to real horses, real riders and real training problems.

Science gives us the framework. But I think welfare depends on what we actually do with it.

☕ I'd love to hear your thoughts. What's one aspect of horse welfare you think we don't talk about enough?

📍 Equifest, Claudelands, Hamilton
📅 Sunday 18 October
🕛 12:00–12:45 pm - NSC Saddles Classroom

The Equine Catalyst - Where Sport, Science and Ethics Collide.

07/10/2026

🐎 OFF THE TRACK THOROUGHBRED CAMP – WHO'S KEEN? 🐎

I'm thinking of doing something a little different this November, and I'd love to gauge how much interest there might be!

A three-day camp dedicated entirely to off-the-track thoroughbreds and their owners!

Over the years, I've worked with many people and their off-the-track thoroughbreds as they transition from racing into new careers. One thing I've learned is that while these horses have often had plenty of life experience, there can be some pretty significant gaps in their basic training.

And sometimes those gaps show up as tension, rushing, resistance, confusion, or behaviours that their owners find difficult to understand or manage.

So I thought, why not dedicate three whole days to helping people understand and train their thoroughbreds?

Using the principles of Equitation Science, we'd work through everything from groundwork and handling to flatwork, poles, confidence building and individual training challenges.

This wouldn't be your typical riding camp!

The focus would be on understanding WHY your horse does what it does, identifying what's missing in its training, and giving you practical tools to make real progress.

And you certainly don't need to have a problem horse to come along. If you've got a lovely OTTB and simply want to improve your training and partnership, you'd be just as welcome!

🐴 The details:

📅 28–30 November 2026
📍 Hartstone Equestrian Arena, Raglan
🐎 Maximum of just SIX horses
🏡 Accommodation and camping facilities included, along with facilities for the horses
👀 Auditors welcome too!

With only six horses, we'd have plenty of opportunity to work individually with each combination, while everyone gets to learn from the other horses and their different challenges.

I'd love this to be three days of learning, problem-solving, sharing experiences and, hopefully, a few lightbulb moments!

So, before I lock everything in, I'd love to know...

👉 Would you be interested in attending something like this with your thoroughbred?

Pop a comment below or send me a private message if you'd like more information.

If there's enough interest, I'll get the final details and bookings organised!

Please feel free to share or tag someone with an OTTB who might benefit. ❤️

03/10/2026

SUNDAY MUSINGS: Judges Are Shaping the Future of Our Sport

This weekend I'm down in Christchurch, rolling out our new Working Equitation judges training programme. And it's got me thinking about just how much influence judges have over the future of equestrian sport.

Because here's the thing. What judges reward, riders will train for.

It's really that simple.

For years, equestrian sports have largely followed established judging traditions. And while there's an enormous amount of knowledge and experience behind those systems, I've always wondered what would happen if we approached judging from a slightly different direction.

What if, instead of rewarding the most spectacular performance, we rewarded the quality of the training that produced it?

One of the beauties of living in a small country like New Zealand is that we have the opportunity to think outside the box. We don't necessarily have to keep doing something simply because that's how it's always been done.

And that's exactly the opportunity we've had with Working Equitation.

We've developed a judging approach that brings together two of my greatest passions: equitation science and competitive horse sport.

Our system isn't about rewarding extravagance. It's about recognising whether the horse and rider have achieved clearly defined training objectives.

Has the horse maintained its rhythm? Is it correctly aligned? Is it balanced? Can it maintain its posture while performing the task? Is the rider demonstrating clear, effective communication?

These aren't simply aesthetic preferences. They're observable qualities that reflect the horse's training and development.

And importantly, there's a progression. We don't reward a horse for displaying spectacular movement if the fundamental training objectives haven't been achieved.

Rhythm comes before alignment. Alignment comes before we start rewarding more advanced qualities such as posture and uphill balance.

In other words, we want to reward the building blocks of good training, rather than simply being impressed by the finished product. This is where I think judging becomes so incredibly important.

When judges consistently reward these qualities, riders have a reason to train for them. Trainers have a reason to teach them. And horses ultimately stand to benefit.

Our judges education programme is about far more than teaching people which number to put on a score sheet. It's about developing a shared understanding of what correct training actually looks like, how to recognise it and how to reward it consistently.

Does that mean our system is perfect? Of course not. It will continue to evolve as we learn, test and refine it.

But I'm enormously excited about the opportunity we have to do something a little differently.

And perhaps that's the bigger question for all of us involved in equestrian sport.

If judges are shaping the future of our sport through the qualities they reward, are we making absolutely sure we're rewarding the right things?

Food for thought on a Sunday.