Kate Johnstone Equestrian Coaching

15/08/2026

After the conference, I’m determined to make my horse pasture more enriching: Hot weather enrichment - apple bobbing.

14/08/2026

My favourite slides from ISES conference 2026

13/08/2026

ISES conference 2026 -I’ve had an incredible time at “The Nature of Horses” conference.
I had the opportunity to present my research poster and connect with fellow equestrian enthusiasts from around the globe. The experience was rich in learning, delicious food (those cakes were a highlight!), and fun activities. I even rode a rollercoaster for the first time in over 20 years !
Feeling inspired and grateful for the new friendships and knowledge gained. Can’t wait to apply what I’ve learned to my coaching!

11/08/2026

ISES conference is underway. I am proud to present my poster and have already had some very interesting conversations and met people doing research in similar coaching of learning theory in equestrian areas!

02/07/2026

After a lot of hard work, late nights, determination, and plenty of learning, I'm so happy to say that I have achieved my MSc in Equitation Science with Distinction!
This journey has given me the opportunity to learn so many new things while also challenging and updating what I thought I already knew. It's been fascinating, thought-provoking, and incredibly rewarding.
I'm grateful for all the support I've received along the way from my brilliant tutors, partner and work colleagues. Now it's time to celebrate and then put all that new knowledge into practice!

05/06/2026

Interesting -worth a read over your tea n biscuit!

Our charity will reveal results of annual YouGov opinion poll at a briefing for horse sport leaders and the media on 3rd June.

04/06/2026

What do you see? 👇 This is what we see. Perhaps you see differently?

1. Mouth and Lip Seal

Top horse
* The lips parted, mouth open
* The tongue maybe blue from compression
* Excessive saliva dripped onto the chest
* The horse’s lip seal broken for correct breathing
* Nostrils tight, nose wrinkled

Bottom horse
* Lips and mouth closed
* No disruption of the mouth
* No saliva
* Natural appearance of muzzle

2. Head and Neck Posture

Top horse
* The neck has visible “break” or acute angle in the upper-to-mid cervical region
* Head behind the vertical
* Neck posture highly compressed
* The throat lash area compressed

Bottom horse
* Head in front of the vertical
* Poll is highest point
* Neck less compressed.
* Open angle through throat-latch

3. Rein Contact

Top horse
* Reins visibly taut
* Visible tension on the bits - the shank bit especially compressing the tongue and causing the mouth to open

Bottom horse
* No reins
* No bit
* Self-carriage
* No compression on the sensitive oral cavity so mouth closed

4. Forelimb Loading

Top horse
* One forelimb elevated dramatically, does not match hind leg elevation
* Supporting forelimb loading significant proportion of body mass, fetlock is severely distended

Bottom horse
* Forelimb and hind limb elevation match
* Loading on supporting forelimb is not severe

5. Facial Expression

Top horse
* Eye is tense.
* Muzzle is tight
* Mouth movement is visible

Bottom horse
* Eye is soft
* Muzzle is relaxed
* No mouth movement

Given the growing body of evidence that bits cause pain and that hyper flexion is a recognised welfare concern, why do governing bodies continue to require bitted competition while excluding modern ethical bit-free bridle alternatives? Is it because the top horse could not be ridden without force and pain due to inadequate and inappropriate training?

20/05/2026

Another great PCA post

You ask your horse to move forward, but they plant their feet.

You ask for canter, and they rush, pigroot or pin their ears.

You ask them to stand quietly, but they paw, call out, fidget or pull back.

It can be easy in those moments to say the horse is being naughty, lazy or stubborn. But unwanted behaviour is information. Labelling a horse as naughty, lazy or stubborn can stop us from understanding the cause.

The Pony Club Australia Horse Welfare Policy is clear that using terms like naughty, lazy or stubborn to describe unwanted behaviour demonstrates a lack of understanding.

That does not mean people are trying to do the wrong thing. These words are common in horse communities, and many of us have heard them used for years. But they can lead us down the wrong path.

When we call a horse stubborn, we may stop asking whether the horse is confused, worried, uncomfortable, in pain, tired, overwhelmed, or responding to unclear aids.

The Policy reminds us that horses need clear and consistent aids, and consistent expectations for their behaviour. When aids are unclear, or expectations change from one day to the next, the horse’s world can become confusing and worrying.

Good horsemanship means looking deeper. Before we label the horse, we need to ask:

❓ What is the horse trying to tell us?

❓ What part might our timing, pressure, training, handling or environment be playing?

❓ How can we make the right behaviour easier for the horse to understand?

Understanding the cause helps us support the horse, improve safety, and build better partnerships.