Awakened Equestrian

05/06/2026

📊 What if what we consider “normal” isn’t actually normal?

A study following 135 horses during dressage competitions focused on so-called conflict behavior – expressions that may indicate stress, discomfort, or resistance.

The results are more than telling:
👉 100 % of horses opened their mouths during the tests
👉 86.7 % of horses swished their tails

This means one thing – these behaviors are not exceptions. They are a common part of competitive performance.

The research didn’t focus only on the behavior itself, but also on its context. It considered factors such as the type of bridle (double vs. snaffle), competition level, and the horse’s head position.

It turned out there is no single simple cause. Horse behavior is the result of a combination of multiple factors.

💭 Maybe it’s time to shift our perspective.
Instead of asking “Is it normal?”, we should ask:
👉 What is the horse trying to tell us?

Because even small signals can carry great meaning. 🐴

Source: Rifka Faithfull, et al (2025). Influences of Double Versus Snaffle Bridles on Equine Behaviour at Dressage Competitions and Factors That Interact with Their Effect. Animals.
Photo: Pexels

03/06/2026

Most riders spend years learning how to train their horse.

But how much time do we spend learning about ourselves?💡

Our body.
Our emotions.
Our nervous system.
Our ability to be present.

Because horses respond to far more than aids and technique.

They respond to tension.
To breathing.
To confidence.
To clarity.

This is the idea behind both of my ebooks:

📘 How to Become a Better Rider

for riders who want to develop greater awareness, confidence and connection.

🧘 Meditation (Not Only) With Horses for Beginners

for riders and horse lovers who want to calm the nervous system, release tension and become more present around horses.

Because better riding begins within.

👉 Explore both ebooks at awequestrian.com

27/05/2026

🐴 When Is the Right Time to Mount a Young Horse?
There are many opinions about this in the equestrian world. But a horse’s growth and development is about much more than age alone. 🐎
Bones, joints, the spine, and even the nervous system continue developing far longer than many people realize. And starting work too early can affect not only the horse’s physical health, but also their emotional wellbeing and relationship with humans.
Sometimes we become so focused on performance that we forget to ask one important question:
👉 Is the horse truly ready for this?
Young horses do not need to be rushed.
They need time.
Safety.
Trust.
And gradual development of both body and confidence.
Maybe patience is one of the greatest forms of respect we can offer a horse. 🤍
Check our article, where we talk about:
✔ how horses develop physically
✔ why development does not end at 3 years old
✔ the risks of starting too early
✔ why every horse should be assessed individually
Read the full article here:
https://awequestrian.com/blog/growth-and-development-when-is-the-right-time-to-mount-a-horse/

27/05/2026

🐴 When Is the Right Time to Mount a Young Horse?

There are many opinions about this in the equestrian world. But a horse’s growth and development is about much more than age alone. 🐎

Bones, joints, the spine, and even the nervous system continue developing far longer than many people realize. And starting work too early can affect not only the horse’s physical health, but also their emotional wellbeing and relationship with humans.

Sometimes we become so focused on performance that we forget to ask one important question:
👉 Is the horse truly ready for this?

Young horses do not need to be rushed.
They need time.
Safety.
Trust.
And gradual development of both body and confidence.

Maybe patience is one of the greatest forms of respect we can offer a horse. 🤍

Check our article, where we talk about:
✔ how horses develop physically
✔ why development does not end at 3 years old
✔ the risks of starting too early
✔ why every horse should be assessed individually

Read the full article here:
https://awequestrian.com/blog/growth-and-development-when-is-the-right-time-to-mount-a-horse/


https://awequestrian.com/blog/growth-and-development-when-is-the-right-time-to-mount-a-horse/

Learn about the ideal time to begin riding your horse by understanding its skeletal development and growth phases. Ensure your horse's health and longevity with informed training decisions.

26/05/2026

Horses can “calm” each other – social environment matters.

Horses are highly social animals, so it’s not surprising that the presence of another horse can influence stress responses 👥🐴.

Some experiments showed that when an inexperienced horse was exposed to a sudden stimulus alongside a calm, experienced horse, its fear response was significantly reduced.

This phenomenon is called social transmission of emotions, or social buffering. In simple terms – one horse’s calmness can help soothe another.

Interestingly, the opposite effect was also observed. In some cases, the presence of another horse did not change the immediate stress response but helped the horse recover physiologically faster – for example, heart rate returning to normal.

These insights have practical applications in situations such as:
➡️Training young horses
➡️Introducing horses to a new environment
➡️Transport or veterinary procedures

Having an experienced partner can help reduce stress and make it easier for horses to handle new situations 💛.

Source: Hall, C., & Kay, R. (2024). Living the good life? Part 2: Horse-human interactions.
Photo: Canva

25/05/2026

Most riders spend years trying to improve their horse.

But the biggest transformation often begins within the rider.

Not with stronger aids.
Not with more pressure.
But with awareness.

The way we breathe.
The way we carry tension in our body.
The way we communicate through our nervous system.

Because horses feel far more than we think.

📘 How to Become a Better Rider is a mindful guide for riders who want more than just technique.

Inside the ebook, we explore:
🐎 rider awareness
🌿 nervous system & tension
✨ connection and communication
🧘 becoming calmer, softer and more present around horses

For riders who want to build trust, confidence and deeper harmony with their horse.

Because better riding begins within.

👉 Link in BIO

19/05/2026

🎓 Training can change a horse’s behavior – but not always its emotions.

One of the most interesting findings from research is the effect of training on horse responses. A well-trained horse may appear calmer in a stressful situation than an inexperienced horse – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t feeling stress 🐎.

In experiments where horses crossed unusual obstacles (e.g., a tarp or plastic strips), researchers found that behavior and physiological responses sometimes did not match.

A horse could complete the task without visible issues, yet its body showed signs of stress – changes in heart rate or body temperature, for example.

This effect may partly result from long-term training that teaches horses to respond in certain ways even in uncomfortable situations.

It also means that welfare assessment cannot rely solely on outward appearance.
It’s important to consider the broader context – environment, horse experience, and individual responses 🔍.

Source: Hall, C., & Kay, R. (2024). Living the good life? Part 2: Horse-human interactions.
Photo: Canva

18/05/2026

Sometimes we focus so much on training the horse that we forget about the state of the rider.

But horses notice everything.

They feel the tension in our body.
The speed of our breathing.
The nervous energy we try to hide.

A dysregulated nervous system can affect our riding far more than we realize.

When we are stressed or overwhelmed, we often become:
• stiff in the body
• mentally distracted
• reactive without noticing it.

And our horse responds to it too.
This is why nervous system regulation matters so much around horses.

Not because we need to be “perfectly calm” all the time — but because awareness changes the way we communicate.

Sometimes a softer breath, relaxed shoulders or a quieter mind can completely change the energy of a ride.
Horses don’t only respond to aids. They respond to how safe and grounded we feel inside ourselves.

Learning how to slow down, breathe and reconnect with the body can create:
🌿 calmer riding
🌿 clearer communication
🌿 deeper connection with the horse

This is exactly why I created ebook 🧘 Meditation (not only) with horses for beginners. (no AI content)

A gentle ebook with simple practices designed to help riders:
• calm the nervous system
• release tension
• become more present around horses.

Because mostly the biggest transformation begins within the rider.

👉 https://awequestrian.com/e-books/meditation-not-only-with-horses-for-beginners

14/05/2026

🧠 Young and older horses respond to stress differently than we might expect.

Research on emotional reactivity shows a surprising difference between young and older horses. At first glance, young horses may seem more reactive – for example, avoiding new stimuli more or exploring unknown objects more thoroughly 🐎.

However, physiological stress indicators tell a different story. Older horses, while appearing calmer, may show stronger stress responses in their bodies.

This suggests that experience and training can influence visible behavior without necessarily reducing the underlying emotional experience.

In practice, this means:
👉 A horse may look calm but still be stressed.
Therefore, welfare assessment should combine behavioral observations with physiological measures, such as heart rate or heart rate variability.

An experienced horse may not always be “less stressed”, it might simply be better at hiding its reactions.

Source: Hall, C., & Kay, R. (2024). Living the good life? Part 2: Horse-human interactions.
Photo: Canva

09/05/2026

Fear and frustration can strongly affect horse learning.

In training, we often focus primarily on methods. Research, however, shows that a horse’s emotional state can be just as important as the training technique itself 🧠.

Studies on horse learning found that an environment filled with positive experiences can improve their ability to adapt to new tasks. Horses exposed to positive situations (e.g. food rewards) showed greater cognitive flexibility – the ability to change strategy quickly and learn new things more effectively.

Conversely, fear can significantly slow learning. In one experiment, a simple stressor – waving a plastic bag – was enough to make horses require more attempts to successfully complete a clicker training task.

Frustration is another important factor. If a horse cannot complete a task, typical frustrated behaviors and increased heart rate may appear ❤️.

In practice, this highlights a clear principle:
👉 Good training should minimize sources of fear and assign tasks appropriate to the horse’s abilities.

When a horse feels safe and successful, it learns not only faster – but also with greater willingness ✨.

Source: Hall, C., & Kay, R. (2024). Living the good life? Part 2: Horse-human interactions.
Photo: Canva