Horse trainer and author Kate Sandel invites you to rethink what it really means for a horse to be well – in body and in mind. If your horse isn’t mentally with you, she argues, you’re not truly training together, you’re just doing things to them.

In this conversation, we explore how to see the horse in front of you more clearly, soften your expectations, and build a partnership that feels good for both of you. Drawing on French classical riding, horsemanship, and bodywork, Kate shares practical ways to centre the horse’s experience in everyday training choices.

• Why you can’t separate a horse’s physical soundness from their emotional state.

• How to notice who your horse actually is, instead of who you hoped they’d be.

• The truth behind so‑called “naughty” behaviour, and what it might be telling you.

• Why simple walking with your horse is one of the most underrated tools you have.

• What really makes a great teacher – for horses and for humans in the arena.

• How grassroots equestrians can nudge the wider horse world toward kinder training.

Kate is a UK‑based horsemanship teacher, French classical riding practitioner (École de Légèreté trainee), equine sports massage therapist, and author of Riding In Release. From her base on Dartmoor, she runs Soft & Sound, offering lessons, clinics, and online support for more ethical horse–human partnerships.

Links and resources

• Resources & After Hours Q&A (newsletter): https://www.curiousequestrian.co.uk/horse-human-partnership-right-question

• Soft & Sound: https://softandsound.org/

• Riding In Release: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/4745/9781908809940

• Newsletter: https://www.curiousequestrian.co.uk

• Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrian

• Merch: https://curiousequestrian.teemill.com/

Do you care for a senior horse and want to ensure they are happy and healthy? Then you won't want to miss this episode written and narrated by Sue Palmer.

Sue is an experienced equestrian physiotherapist with over 25 years in the industry. Sue has worked with inspiring owners and professionals during her career, and she's here to share her insights and expertise on caring for older horses.

Sue's Free Horse Massage Mini MasterclassThe Inquisitive Herd — free newsletterEvery episode includes an after-hours conversation available only to subscribers. Subscribe free at www.curiousequestrian.co.ukBooks written by Sue PlamerHorse Massage for Horse Owners — Sue Palmer Harmonious Horsemanship — Sue Palmer and Sue Dyson Browse our bookshop: bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrian

Sue Palmer is a chartered physiotherapist who works with horses and riders every day. Her mission, which she has given herself until 2030 to achieve, is straightforward: she wants every equestrian to understand that pain and behaviour in horses are linked. That when a horse is called naughty, difficult, or lazy, the first question should be whether that horse is in pain.

In this episode, Anna Louise sits down with Sue to talk through what horse massage means in practice - not as a luxury, but as a tool for listening.

Free Horse Massage Mini Masterclassthehorsephysio.co.uk

The Inquisitive Herd — free newsletter

Every episode includes an after-hours conversation available only to subscribers. Subscribe free B

ooks mentioned in this episode

Horse Massage for Horse Owners — Sue PalmerHarmonious Horsemanship — Sue Palmer and Sue Dyson

Browse our bookshop:

bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrian

A $13 roll of tape is showing up in equine rehabilitation yards. The question is whether the claims stand up.

Rebecca Haddock has spent 30 years working at the edges of equine therapy. In this episode, she explains how kinesiology taping works in horses, why the equine version is built entirely differently from human tape, and how she's simplified the technique so that any horse owner can learn it. We also ask why she threw out the rulebook on who can access this training.

Learn more about Rebecca's work at equitecs.com

***If this episode made you curious, the newsletter is where we pick the conversation back up. The questions we saved until the recording light went off. Free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime. 👇www.curiousequestrian.co.uk/p/384842a6-5d1f-475f-975d-8d675909007a***

Learn more about Rebecca's work: Website: https://www.equitecs.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equi_tecs/https://www.facebook.com/EquiTape

****

Support the podcast: Shop our merch and browse our bookshop (links below)Subscribe to our newsletter: www.curiousequestrian.co.ukBook shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrian

Merch: https://curiousequestrian.teemill.com/

The views expressed are those of the guest. Nothing in this conversation constitutes veterinary advice. Always consult a qualified vet for the diagnosis and treatment of your horse.

Bonny Mealand - Equine Podiatrist, Touching Wild Academy

In this episode: Bonny Mealand has spent 20 years studying wild horses, she talks about how horses' entire lives revolve around social relationships, and how watching wild horses changes the way we advocate for domestic horses.Key topics:- Why social relationships are horses' primary need (not hierarchy or survival)- The two-year commitment: not riding until her mare genuinely agreed- How wild horse behavior reveals what we're missing in domestic horse careGuest contact & resources:Intro Video Credit: Lizzie MacKenzie, Of The Wild - visit the Touching Wild Academy to watch in full.

Intro Photo Credits: Jean Sinclair. Takhi in Mongolia Photo Credit Nancy Clarke.Support the podcast: Curious Equestrian challenges conventional wisdom in the horse world. We interview researchers, vets, and evidence-based trainers to ask uncomfortable questions about how we care for and train horses.🔔 New episodes every two weeksSubscribe to our newsletterBook shopMerch

Additional Resources mentioned in this episode:Horses in Company by Lucy ReesHorses in Our Hands5 Domains of Horse Welfare

This is your comprehensive "Winter Survival Guide." In this deep-dive, Independent Equine Nutritionist Clare MacLeod (MSc) joins us to cover virtually every aspect of managing your horse through the colder months.

From the anxiety of the Hay Crisis to the confusion around rugging and fasting windows, we leave no stone unturned. Clare provides the science-backed protocols you need to prevent colic, manage mud, and keep both "Good Doers" and "Hard Keepers" healthy until spring.

In This Extensive Guide, We Cover:

• The Forage Crisis: Exact protocols for stretching hay and safely mixing forage types.

• Gut Health: The "7-Day Rule" for transitions and the truth about "Ad Lib" feeding.

• Medical Myths: Why the "4-Hour Fasting Window" is critical for ulcer prevention.

• Management: To rug or not to rug? A nutritionist's verdict on calories vs. cold.

• Winter Colic: The link between dehydration, impaction, and cold weather.

• Weight Watching: Using the winter slump to your advantage for "Good Doers."

Guest Resources:

• Clare MacLeod’s Website: https://www.equinenutritionist.com/

• Follow Clare on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClareMacLeodEquineNutritionist

We often think of the Shire horse as a staple of the county show. Huge, gentle, and safe. We assume they are doing fine.

The data tells a different story.

In this episode, Anna Louise sits down with Tracy Wathen-Jones from the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST). We move past the nostalgia of the heavy horse to face the biological reality: we are losing our native breeds.

We discuss:

• The extinction numbers: Why the Exmoor pony and Eriskay are now critically rare.

• The "frozen" insurance policy: Why we are relying on a gene bank of semen from the 1960s to save these breeds from total collapse.

• The lost language: Why handling a Shire requires a different skill set to a warmblood—and why losing the "old boys" means losing the horsemanship skills to keep the breed alive.

• Utility vs. Sport: Why "conservation grazing" might be the only job left for our native ponies.

This is not just a history lesson. It is a conversation about whether the horse has a future if it doesn't have a job.

Special thanks to the following photographers and societies for the images used in the video intro: Jennifer Feleris, John Green, Katrina Bell, Frances Ellis, Louise Blundell, Deborah White, El Dunlop, David Stewart, and the Eriskay Pony Breed Society.Learn more about our UK Native Horse Breeds on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust website: https://www.rbst.org.uk/pages/category/equine-watchlist

The Inquisitive Herd (Membership):The conversation continued after the mics cut off. Members can listen to the After-Hours Tapes, where Tracy shares the specific reality of funding these projects and the "messy" truth of breed societies.

Have you ever thought through exactly what would happen if you fell off your horse while hacking? We often plan our routes, but do we have a plan for when it all goes wrong?

In this vital episode of Curious Equestrian, we are joined by Mike Elkins, Lead Driving Education Manager at South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. Mike is the driving force behind Project Pacer, a campaign dedicated to reducing road incidents involving horses and improving rider safety awareness.

Mike bridges the gap between the equestrian world and the emergency services, sharing eye-opening statistics and life-saving advice that every horse owner needs to hear.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Project Pacer: Why reported incidents (over 3,000 a year) are just the tip of the iceberg.

• The 999 Call: What actually happens when you dial emergency services and how to help them find you in remote locations (including the truth about mobile signal).

• Immediate Action: Why deep breathing isn't just for calming down—it can physiologically slow down bleeding.

• Sirens & Lights: How ambulance drivers are trained to approach horses on the road and why wearing high-vis makes you three times more visible to them.

• First Aid Essentials: What you should carry in your saddlebag and why "just getting back on" isn't always the bravest choice.

Whether you hack on busy roads or remote bridleways, this conversation will leave you better equipped, better prepared, and potentially ready to save a life.

Links & Resources:

• Learn more about Project Pacer via The British Horse Society

• Check your phone for AML (Advanced Mobile Location) settings.

Disclaimer: This episode discusses medical trauma and road accidents. Please listen with care.