09/12/2025
๐ ๐ช๐ฒ๐น๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต, ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ!
Iโll be straight with you, I didnโt get into coaching to churn out robots, chase rosettes, or shout โkick harderโ until Iโve lost my voice. I got into this because horses matter. Because their voices matter. And because Iโd rather be known as the coach who put welfare first than the coach who broke a horse in the name of โprogress.โ
People need to open their eyes. Welfare first coaching doesnโt mean being fluffy, soft, or letting horses and riders off the hook. In fact, itโs often harder. It means saying โnoโ when everyone around you is saying โjust one more round.โ It means being stricter, fairer, and more consistent. It means standing your ground when shortcuts look tempting, but you know theyโll cost the horse in the long run.
๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐
Letโs not overcomplicate it. Without the horse, there is no sport. Yet too often, ambition trumps welfare. A welfare first coach flips that on its head. The horseโs comfort, health, and happiness come first. Always.
๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐
Steady doesnโt mean slow. Fair doesnโt mean soft. It means no rushing, no drilling until the sparkle is gone, no pushing past what the horse can give. But it also means no excuses, no sloppiness, no โoh well, thatโll do.โ Horses thrive when they have boundaries, clear guidance, and fairness. Sometimes Iโll be stricter than you expect but youโll never catch me being unfair.
๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒโ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ
This one matters. Too many still label horses as โnaughtyโ when really, theyโre just trying to tell us something. Pain, fear, confusion, even boredom, it all comes out in behaviour. A welfare first coach doesnโt punish the horse for speaking. They listen, they adapt, they respect.
๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด
kindness doesnโt mean weakness. It doesnโt mean letting bad habits slip. It means teaching without humiliation, guiding without tearing someone down. Riders learn best when they feel safe to try, safe to fail, and safe to laugh at themselves. Iโll be firm when needed, but Iโll never shame you. Expect honesty. Expect humour. Expect to be pushed, but never crushed.
๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐
No two horses are alike. Forcing one rigid method on every horse is lazy coaching. Welfare-first means tailoring the approach: in-hand work, variety, rest days, hacking, groundwork, poles, whatever keeps the horse engaged and sound. The horse tells us what works, if only weโd listen.
being welfare first is not the easy option. Itโs the right option. It takes guts to go against the old-school โshut up and rideโ mentality. It takes backbone to tell a rider theyโre not ready for that jump yet, even if it makes you unpopular. And it takes pride to stand up and say, I will not put sport before the horse.
Iโm proud to be this kind of coach. Proud to say my riders learn empathy, patience, and discipline in equal measure. Proud that my horses are listened to, not silenced. Proud that Iโll never sacrifice welfare for a rosette.
If that makes me โtoo softโ in some eyes, so be it. If it makes me โtoo strictโ in others, fine. The horse doesnโt care about labels. The horse cares about how theyโre treated. And thatโs where my loyalty lies.
So yes, Iโm a welfare first coach. No shortcuts. No nonsense. No cruelty dressed up as tradition. If that makes a few people uncomfortable, maybe itโs time they asked themselves why!
๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ก???
