16/08/2025
Good Intentions, Toxic Equestrianism, and Misinformation...
We all want the best for our horses. But is what we "know", what we've been taught, what we see well-respected, top riders and trainers doing, actually the best for them?
Beneath the surface of traditional wisdom and well-meaning advice lies a troubling truth: the equestrian world is saturated with misinformation, and good intentions alone are not enough to protect horses from harm. An important question we all need to ask ourselves on a regular basis is, "is what I'm doing based in science or misinformation?"
Sadly, most of us would be staggered by how much is misinformation, and how damaging this can be to the horses we love and care for so deeply.
Equestrianism remains one of the few sports where folklore routinely eclipses science. Advice is handed down like heirlooms: “Kick to go.” “Show them who’s boss.” “Don’t let them win.” These phrases, spoken with conviction, are rarely questioned - yet they echo from an era before behavioural science, when horsemen were soldiers and obedience was a matter of survival, not partnership. The legacy? Millions of well-meaning riders, owners, and trainers unknowingly inflict physical and emotional harm on their horses every day. Not out of malice, but out of inherited misunderstanding. And I, for one, refuse to be part of that tradition.
*When Good Intentions Go Toxic: What is Toxic Equestrianism?*
Toxic equestrianism refers to the perpetuation of outdated, harmful, and misinformed practices within horse training, care, and competition - often upheld by tradition, peer pressure, and a lack of scientific literacy. It includes:
- Misinformation: Reliance on debunked training myths, pseudoscientific health advice, and emotionally manipulative narratives that override evidence-based practices.
- Outdated Methods: Use of coercive tools, punishment- and fear-based training, and dominance theory despite there being proven methods based in modern behavioural science which are far more effective.
- Cultural Harm: Environments that normalize physical or emotional abuse of horses and humans, often under the guise of discipline, toughness, or “what works.”
- Social Amplification: Online bullying, gatekeeping, and the glorification of harsh methods, which silence reformers and reinforce toxic norms.
But, toxic equestrianism doesn’t always look cruel. It often wears the mask of care:
- A rider punishes a spook, believing they’re teaching bravery.
- A trainer, hoping to "desensitise" her horse, inadvertently floods it and creates learned helplessness, which she interprets as being "bombproof".
- A parent pushes for competition readiness, hoping to build confidence.
- Someone encourages a friend to "get back on the horse" after a fall.
- An owner turns to a gadget to "encourage a frame" in the home of building topline, not realizing that gadgets generally do more harm than good, and definitely don't develop collection
These actions aren’t born from malice - they’re delivered by well-meaning people who simply don't know any better. So, let's make sure that we know better.
*The Science We Ignore*
Equestrian culture often sidelines behavioural science in favour of tradition, anecdote, and charisma. Trainers are praised for “getting results,” even when those results stem from fear, shutdown, or mechanical obedience. Meanwhile, the actual science - neuroscience, ethology, learning theory, biomechanics - sits quietly in the corner, waiting to be invited in. These disciplines don’t just explain behaviour; they illuminate how horses think, feel, and move - and what it costs them when we ignore that.
Sadly, most riders haven't a clue about how the horse’s brain differs from ours: how the size of their prefrontal cortex limits abstract reasoning, how their limbic system processes emotions. Equine behaviour is misinterpreted through a human lens, with fear, confusion, or even trauma labelled as defiance, stubbornness, or “bad attitude.” Heck, most riders don't know that Dominance Theory was debunked almost as soon as it was born. Many top dressage trainers don't teach true self-carriage and collection, or have the foggiest about biomechanics (if they did, they wouldn't do what they do).
In any other field - medicine, education, even dog training - not knowing the basics of behavioural science would be considered embarrassing. Yet in equestrianism, it’s still common for professionals to boast about “feel” while dismissing the very science that could explain and refine it.
Here’s the truth: understanding equine behavioural science doesn’t just make you kinder - it makes you better. Better at reading subtle cues. Better at shaping behaviour. Better at building trust that lasts beyond the arena. Better at getting results (the kind of results that speak for themselves: calmer horses, clearer communication, and progress that doesn’t unravel under pressure).
I know that you care about your horse. That’s why you’re here. And I know you’re not the kind of person who settles for half-truths or borrowed wisdom just because it’s familiar. You want clarity. You want connection. You want to do right by your horse - not just in theory, but in practice. So let’s go deeper. Let’s question what we’ve been taught. Let’s trade myth for meaning, and tradition for truth. Because when you understand the science, the behaviour, the brain, and the emotional world of your horse - everything changes. That change starts with you. And it can start right here.
In upcoming posts, I’ll be exploring the following topics, which I believe every horse person should know, but usually don't. Please don't be overwhelmed when you hear "science", I'll keep it super simple.
- Anthropomorphism in training: why your horse doesn’t think like you; how projecting human emotions and motives onto horses leads to misinterpretation, mistreatment, and missed opportunities for real connection; and how understanding their neurobiology can transform your training.
- Is your horse "bombproof" or actually in a state of "learned helplessness"? The important difference between desensitisation and flooding, how to avoid the former, and how to actually make your horse braver. (You don't want to miss this one!)
- How Join Up actually works (it isn't magic).
- What is self-carriage and collection, and how is this really achieved? (Spoiler alert: gadgets were born from sales strategy not from biomechanics or behavioural science).
If there are any topics that you'd like to know more about, please drop me a comment below (or DM me if you're shy) and I will add them to the list.
