14/09/2025
𝗔 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵, 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲!
I’ll be straight with you, I didn’t get into coaching to churn out robots, chase rosettes, or shout “kick harder” until I’ve lost my voice. I got into this because horses matter. Because their voices matter. And because I’d rather be known as the coach who put welfare first than the coach who broke a horse in the name of “progress.”
People need to open their eyes. Welfare first coaching doesn’t mean being fluffy, soft, or letting horses and riders off the hook. In fact, it’s often harder. It means saying “no” when everyone around you is saying “just one more round.” It means being stricter, fairer, and more consistent. It means standing your ground when shortcuts look tempting, but you know they’ll cost the horse in the long run.
𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁
Let’s 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 horse’s comfort, health, and happiness come first. Always.
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀
Steady doesn’t mean slow. Fair doesn’t 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 “oh well, that’ll do.” Horses thrive when they have boundaries, clear guidance, and fairness. Sometimes I’ll be stricter than you expect but you’ll never catch me being unfair.
𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲’𝘀 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲
This one matters. Too many still label horses as “naughty” when really, they’re just trying to tell us something. Pain, fear, confusion, even boredom, it all comes out in behaviour. A welfare first coach doesn’t punish the horse for speaking. They listen, they adapt, they respect.
𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴
kindness doesn’t mean weakness. It doesn’t 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. I’ll be firm when needed, but I’ll never shame you. Expect honesty. Expect humour. Expect to be pushed, but never crushed.
𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞
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 we’d listen.
being welfare first is not the easy option. It’s the right option. It takes guts to go against the old-school “shut up and ride” mentality. It takes backbone to tell a rider they’re 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.
I’m 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 I’ll never sacrifice welfare for a rosette.
If that makes me “too soft” in some eyes, so be it. If it makes me “too strict” in others, fine. The horse doesn’t care about labels. The horse cares about how they’re treated. And that’s where my loyalty lies.
So yes, I’m a welfare first coach. No shortcuts. No nonsense. No cruelty dressed up as tradition. If that makes a few people uncomfortable, maybe it’s time they asked themselves why!
𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡???
