Understand Horses

17/03/2026

UNDERSTAND HORSES LIVE 2026 - EVENT PROGRAMME NOW AVAILABLE

Join us for two days of lectures, practical demonstrations and workshops exploring the science and practice of horse behaviour, training, physiology and welfare.

27–28 June 2026
Reaseheath College, Cheshire (UK)

This year’s programme includes sessions on:

• Troubleshooting common training challenges

• Equine cognition and problem-solving

• Giving horses choice and consent in training

• Supplements and medication in behaviour modification

• Prevention and management of gastric ulcers

• Reducing stress during gastroscopy

• Low-stress handling and veterinary care

• Managing emergency rescue and high-risk situations

• Trauma-informed care using the SAFETY framework

• Navigating difficult conversations with owners and professionals

Saturday focuses on lectures and discussions.

Sunday features practical demonstrations and workshops with horses.

View the full programme and book your place here:
https://www.understandhorses.com/understand-horses-live-event-programme-2026

Understand Horses Live 2026 is supported by World Horse Welfare, Redwings Horse Sanctuary, International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, Dengie Horse Feeds and Black Horse Design.

27-28 June 2026 at Reasheath College, Cheshire. Lectures, demos & workshops on horse behaviour, training, physiology, equine science and welfare.

16/03/2026

TRAUMA-INFORMED HORSE TRAINER CERTIFICATE

This groundbreaking accredited 8-week course hosted by Emma Lethbridge Horsemanship starts again in April.

Learn how fear and trauma affect horse behaviour and master compassionate, science-based training approaches you can use professionally or with your own horses.

Learn trauma-informed, evidence-based horse training with guidance from Neuroscientist and equine behaviour consultant Emma Lethbridge, and develop compassionate professional skills.

15/03/2026

IS ‘BAD BEHAVIOUR’ A SHORT-SIGHTED DIAGNOSIS?

New research highlights an under-recognised cause of behaviour change: eye pain and impaired vision.

When a horse suddenly becomes resistant, spooky or defensive around their head, we tend to think in terms of training issues or handler influence. Sometimes, however, the issue is not behavioural at all but related to visual impairment.

Vision plays a vital role in how horses interpret their environment. If sight becomes painful or compromised, the world can feel unpredictable and unsafe for them. A horse who once moved confidently may begin to hesitate, a previously relaxed horse may startle more easily, a co-operative horse may resist handling around the face. These responses are not disobedience, they are adaptive.

A recent veterinary review explains that some horses experiencing eye pain may show visible clinical signs, while others may first present with changes in their behaviour.

Possible indicators of ocular pain or visual disturbance include:

• Squinting or tight blinking (blepharospasm)
• Eyelid swelling
• Increased tearing or discharge
• Rubbing the eye
• Head shyness
• Increased spooking, even in familiar settings
• Reluctance to move forward, particularly into shadows or bright light
• Headshaking
• Rearing or sudden reactivity

Painful eye conditions such as corneal ulcers or uveitis can be intensely uncomfortable. Other issues, including cataracts or degenerative changes, may reduce visual clarity without obvious external signs.

Horses are often stoic and mask discomfort well. Subtle vision loss, especially if gradual or affecting one eye, may go unnoticed until we see changes in behaviour.

The author stresses that a thorough ophthalmic examination, including pupil dilation, is essential when behavioural change lacks a clear explanation. Identifying and treating ocular disease early may prevent unnecessary escalation in training and reduce the risk of creating additional fear-based associations.

Equine veterinary review article: Knickelbein KE. Ocular pain and vision impairment as contributors to behaviour problems in horses.

28/02/2026

WHEN DID YOUR HORSE’S BEHAVIOUR PROBLEM START?

Behaviour problems rarely appear overnight. In most cases, the issue will have been developing quietly for some time and the early warning signs have been missed or ignored.

Behaviour problems in horses are not random. They are usually the result of pain, fear, inappropriate management, an unsuitable environment, harsh or confusing training, or a combination of these factors. Sometimes what is labelled as ‘misbehaviour' can also be normal behaviour that the handler has misinterpreted.

Early warning signs may be subtle behavioural changes rather than obvious or dramatic responses. These could include changes in behaviour like hesitating when being led, avoiding a particular place in the arena or field, turning the head away when tack is brought out, becoming tense in situations where they were previously relaxed, or withdrawn where they were previously engaged. Subtle shifts in facial expression, posture, or willingness are often the first signs that something is not right.

When these signals are overlooked, the traditional response is often to keep asking for what we want and apply more pressure. If the underlying issue remains unresolved, behaviour may then escalate into something more obvious and sometimes more dangerous. Alternatively, a new behaviour may appear as the horse shifts to a different coping strategy, masking the original problem.

Horses do not ‘misbehave’ to be difficult, every behaviour serves a function. When behaviour changes, it provides information about how the horse is coping with their current situation. Instead of escalating your demands, a more appropriate response is to pause and ask why. Are they uncomfortable? Are they confused? Has something changed in their management, workload, training, social group, or environment?

If you notice a change in your horse’s behaviour, start with a veterinary assessment. If they receive a physical all clear, involve a qualified behaviour professional. Check teeth and tack. Review feeding, turnout, social contact, training methods, and recent changes. Small adjustments can make a significant difference when made early.

09/02/2026

ANNALISE SIMSEK WINS SCHOLARSHIP

Congratulations to Annalise Simsek, winner of the free scholarship place on Emma Lethbridge Horsemanship’s Trauma-Informed Horse Trainer Certificate, starting 4th April.

Annalise is an experienced equestrian with over 15 years of hands-on horse management and is about to take up a new role as Yard Manager at the National Horse Racing Museum. Her strong academic background includes an MSc in Equine Science, with research focused on stress and overtraining in racehorses.

With a clear commitment to evidence-based, welfare-centred practice and a strong desire to support horses affected by fear and trauma - particularly retired Thoroughbreds - Annalise is a very deserving scholarship winner. Her learning will have an immediate and meaningful impact on the horses in her care and beyond.

Thank you to everyone who applied. We received dozens of applications and were genuinely impressed by the quality and thoughtfulness of the submissions.

You can find out more about Emma and the course here: https://courses.understandhorses.com/courses/trauma-informed-horse-trainer-certificate

The Early Bird rate is a available until 15th February.

04/02/2026

IS YOUR HORSE EATING – AND STAYING WARM – AT NIGHT?

In winter, forage is about more than hunger. Horses rely on fibre fermentation to generate body heat, and they are designed to eat little and often throughout the 24-hour day – including overnight.

If you walk into the stable in the morning and there isn’t any hay or haylage left, it’s likely your horse has already spent several hours without any forage. That can mean they have been standing through the coldest part of the night with nothing to eat – and nothing to help keep them warm.

When forage runs out, stomach acid continues to be produced. Acid sitting in an empty stomach increases the risk of gastric ulcers. Extended periods without food are also linked to frustration, stereotypies and stress.

Research presented at the ISES conference in 2019 examined how stabled horses eat overnight when forage is offered in different ways. Horses were observed from mid-afternoon until the following morning when fed haylage either loose on the stable floor or via slow-feeding systems.

When slow feeders were used, horses spent more time eating overnight and consumed more forage overall. When forage was given loose, horses spent much more time browsing in their bedding – increasing the risk of ingesting bedding material, inhaling dust and developing digestive problems such as impaction colic.

Sadly, the researcher reported that many of the horses used in the study stood facing and staring at the stable door from around 5am, despite the yard not becoming active until 8am. This could reflect anticipation of activity, turnout, or the arrival of their morning feed as their forage had run out.

If horses must be stabled or managed on restricted diets, supporting overnight eating becomes a winter welfare concern.

Things to consider:

• Estimating when forage actually runs out, not just how much is offered
• Ensuring forage lasts through the whole night
• Increasing turnout to reduce prolonged fasting periods
• Increasing forage volume while lowering energy density if weight is a concern
• Providing forage choice rather than a single option
• Using slow-feeding systems carefully to avoid frustration
• Including good-quality straw as part of the forage provision where appropriate

Study: Night-time foraging behaviour of stabled horses fed haylage using different feeding systems, ISES Conference Proceedings, 2019

01/02/2026

HORSE BEHAVIOUR CONSULTING MENTORSHIP

Ready to take the next step towards working as a horse behaviour consultant?

Justine Harrison - Equine Behaviourist's annual Horse Behaviour Consulting Mentorship programme starts again soon - and if want to work ethically, confidently, and professionally with real behaviour cases, this programme will be one of the most valuable steps in your career.

In this mentorship you will:

• Deepen your understanding of equine behaviour science

• Build practical consulting skills you can use with real cases

• Gain confidence and competence in behaviour assessment & planning

• Get expert guidance & personalised feedback

Whether you’re just starting out or wanting to take your existing knowledge further, this is the only programme that bridges the gap between theory and real-world consultancy.

Learn more: https://courses.understandhorses.com/courses/horse-behaviour-consulting-mentorship

22/01/2026

INDIVIDUAL STABLING CAN ALTER A HORSE’S IMMUNE SYSTEM

When horses are moved from group living to individual stables, their bodies don’t just behave differently — their immune systems change too.

A study from Germany followed 12 young Warmblood geldings (2–3 years old) through a series of common management changes, measuring behaviour, stress hormones, and immune cell profiles.

All horses initially lived together at pasture. The researchers first split the group into two smaller pasture groups that could not see each other. After eight days, the horses were reunited and then remained together at pasture for eight weeks.

Later, all horses were moved into individual stables. They could see and touch neighbours through bars, were given short daily turnout in the first week, and were lunged from the second week onward.

Throughout the study, blood samples were taken to assess white blood cell counts and plasma cortisol (a stress-related hormone).

WHAT CHANGED — AND WHAT DIDN’T

Dividing the pasture group into two smaller groups caused no detectable stress response. There were no behavioural changes, no cortisol increase, and no immune disruption.

Moving the horses into individual stables was a very different story.

Within days of stabling:

• Key immune cells (including eosinophils, monocytes, and T cells) decreased
• Neutrophils increased, raising the neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio — a classic sign of stress-related immune modulation
• Cortisol levels rose one day after stabling

Cortisol returned to baseline after about eight days. The immune changes did not.

Most immune alterations persisted well beyond the initial stress response, suggesting a longer-lasting impact on disease resistance. Some horses also began showing stereotypic behaviours within just one week of stabling.

The researchers concluded that social isolation is a chronic stressor with negative effects on both welfare and health, while group living supports immunocompetence.

WHY THIS MATTERS

This management shift, from group turnout to individual stabling with the introduction of training, is extremely common, particularly for young horses starting work.

Yet this study shows that even when horses can see and touch neighbours, individual stabling can trigger lasting physiological stress that goes far beyond short-term 'settling in'.

If immune function is compromised, susceptibility to infectious disease may increase – at exactly the time many horses are also facing new training demands.

So the uncomfortable question remains:
How much evidence do we need before increasing turnout and true social housing becomes the norm rather than the exception?

Study: Single housing but not changes in group composition causes stress-related immunomodulations in horses. PLOS ONE (2022).

19/01/2026

UNDERSTAND HORSES LIVE 2026

Get ready for an unforgettable weekend dedicated to deepening your understanding of horse behaviour, training, physiology and welfare!

27–28 June 2026
Reaseheath College, Cheshire, UK

Understand Horses Live returns with two full days of:

• Expert lectures from world-leading equine behaviourists, vets, trainers and scientists

• Practical demos & workshops with horses

• A welcoming, inspiring event for horse owners, students and equestrian professionals alike

Whether you’re passionate about improving horse welfare, building better partnerships with your horse, or staying up-to-date with equine science, this is the event for you.

Tickets are available now:

- Full Weekend (Saturday + Sunday)
- Saturday Lecture Day only

Early booking recommended - tickets are limited!

Learn more:

27-28 June 2026 at Reasheath College, Cheshire. Lectures, demos & workshops on horse behaviour, training, physiology, equine science and welfare.

18/01/2026

WORKING WITH FEAR AND TRAUMA IN HORSES

Emma Lethbridge Horsemanship's groundbreaking on-demand course is now back on sale with additional updated information.

You can purchase the course here:

https://courses.understandhorses.com/courses/working-with-fear-and-trauma-in-horses

Use code JAN2026 at checkout for 20% off all on-demand courses, lectures and webinars - code expires at midnight tonight, 18 January!

11/01/2026

The HORSE BEHAVIOUR CONSULTING MENTORSHIP with Justine Harrison - Equine Behaviourist starts on 7 February.

This in-depth programme is designed for those looking to develop real-world consulting skills, guided by an experienced, accredited equine behaviour professional.

Advance your ability to assess, interpret and solve real world horse behaviour challenges with personalised mentoring and expert feedback.

10/01/2026

WHAT IF THE PROBLEM HAS NEVER BEEN THE HORSE?

A new paper challenges a habit deeply embedded in equestrian culture: how riders and professionals label horses when they don’t comply.

Words like evasion, resistance and disobedience are so embedded in equestrian culture that they’re now normalised – treated as neutral descriptors. In reality, they reflect human expectations, not the horse’s experience.

From the horse’s perspective, these behaviours may arise from pain, confusion, fear, or genuinely conflicting motivations. When behaviours are labelled as wilful or naughty, investigation into the cause of the problem tends to stop and pressure to behave increases. The horse’s welfare is then often compromised.

The authors argue for a redefinition: not evasion, but conflict behaviour. Behaviour that reflects internal conflict within the horse, rather than defiance. That single shift reframes the problem entirely — from suppression to understanding.

This isn’t about lowering standards or excusing behaviour. It’s about recognising that performance and welfare depend on how well we understand what is driving behaviour in the first place. Pain, training, rider influence, the horse’s past experience and context all interact, whether they are acknowledged or not.

Interestingly, the paper also raises the possibility that technology may eventually outperform humans at recognising equine discomfort. Artificial Intelligence could help identify subtle behavioural and movement changes that humans often overlook due to attentional limits, expectations and bias. Research consistently shows that signs of stress and pain in horses are frequently under-recognised across all levels of equestrian experience.

It is very likely that Artificial Intelligence will soon outperform the majority of humans in recognising equine distress. This raises an uncomfortable implication for the equestrian industry – if technology can identify distress that is routinely missed, then long-held assumptions about the source of ‘problem behaviour’ become increasingly difficult to defend.

The paper highlights how frequently equine behaviour is judged rather than examined. Behaviour is communication. Whether we listen is a choice.

Study: No More Evasion: Redefining Conflict Behaviour in Human–Horse Interactions (Animals, 2025)