Ahimsa Equine

04/25/2025

In the words of my mentor William Faerber: good dressage, like good art, is nothing sensational, but instead inspires in the onlooker a silent awe.

What do you notice in this test?
A quiet rhythm, ease of precision, perhaps your own silence as the pair steps into their harmony together as they work.

Take note as well of what you don’t you notice: no tail swishing, no knees jerking about. No grotesque contortion of the neck...

04/17/2025

Put another way, perception of choice is a primary reinforcer. As important to survival as food.

This is why we want to listen to and inspire more from our horses’ innate curiosity about the world… and to never shut them down.

The more frequently we can encourage choice, the more we help bring out their personalities. When we engage with them in play (where they’re given agency) the more we develop trust and try from our horses.

In a world where resignation is often confused for cooperation, job one is recognizing signs of distress, shut down, worry, anxiety in our horses. Our horses’ body language and facial expressions are his or her way of communicating with you.

03/23/2025

All of the “spokes on the wheel” of good horse care and training should work synergistically to support your horse’s development and/or rehabilitation.

I wrote this post in May 2022—almost three years ago—and here I am, still repeating the same message. On one hand, I’m proud to have remained steadfast in my mission. On the other, I sometimes feel like a voice calling into the void, wondering if anyone truly cares about the horse’s welfare.

The original post, May 12, 2022:

A little while back, I wrote a blog on the relationship between bodywork and horsemanship. This importance cannot be highlighted enough. No amount of bodywork can undo training styles that create physiological distress in the system or encourage poor biomechanics.

What this means is that I cannot help you if your horse is consistently being trained in inverted or imbalanced postures. It can become a vicious cycle of working on the physiological structures, only to have it all undone the same week by reverting back to old movement patterns—or worse yet, training that encourages poor biomechanics. How your horse feels about your training will be the ultimate determining factor in how well (or not) their body will be able to hold the work accomplished.

The horse always has the final say on whether what we are doing is working or not, and their physical body never lies. Sadly, I have treated many horses whose owners have reported “excellent” training, but when I assess their bodies, that is not the story that is found to be true.

This is why I stand firm in my values around assessment, as many of the measures—such as active and passive range of motion—leave less room for interpretation. The tissues will present, move, and feel as they do. A healthy, vital body will feel as such, and the same is true for dysfunction.

So, the next time you wonder why your horse seems to keep reverting back to old patterns or just never seems to get better, it’s time to take a look at the ways in which you and others are handling your horse—right down to basic haltering and leading. These skills set the foundation and tone for healthy, functional movement.

To see the full blog, head over to my website.

03/15/2025

Reform will only ever happen when self-proclaimed advocates hold fast to their ethics against corrupt governing bodies who will no doubt attempt to pay them to pander and lie. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Let’s hope it doesn’t go to waste!

Dr. Andrew McLean is proud to announce his collaboration with the FEI in advancing their commitment to equine welfare.

“I’m pleased to be working with the FEI regarding their equine welfare commitment. My remit is to foster the uptake of the ISES 'First Principles of Training' to promote optimal welfare and sustainability in horse sports. Equitation science offers unique potentials for achieving the goals of horse sports, yet within the framework of a good life for horses. It is now more important than ever that riders, trainers, coaches and judges need to know what they don’t know”. - Dr Andrew Mclean

03/15/2025

𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐄𝐈’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠?

Another initiative. Another promise. Another well-meaning attempt to address equine welfare in horse sports. But will it actually work? Or will this, like so many before it, be reduced to nothing more than pretty words on a forgotten press release?

Dr. Andrew McLean’s partnership with the FEI is a major stepbone that brings equitation science to the forefront. But for those of us who have spent years fighting for better treatment of horses in sport, skepticism is warranted. How many times have we seen committees form, reports get published, and yet, behind the scenes, nothing really changes?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝘀. 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲

The biggest obstacle? Tradition. The equestrian world is steeped in it. Riders, trainers, and judges have spent their lives operating on “what’s always been done.” Some are open to change, but many see modern science-based training as a threat rather than a solution.

We already know that the evidence is there. The ISES First Principles of Training are backed by research that proves they improve welfare and performance simultaneously. We know that horses learn better when they are trained with clarity and reinforcement rather than force and coercion. Yet, despite this, the resistance to change is fierce.

And let’s be honest, the FEI itself has been painfully slow to act on welfare concerns in the past. Rollkur? Years of outcry before they took action. Tight nosebands? Still rampant, despite growing evidence of their harm. Hyperflexion, excessive pressure, questionable training methods, these things still show up in warm-up rings at the highest levels of sport.

Will 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗘𝗜 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗘𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲?

Here’s where the real test lies. It’s not enough to introduce principles. They have to be enforced.

• 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙟𝙪𝙙𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙨?

• 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙗𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 (𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜) 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜?

• 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙙𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙨?

If the answer to these questions is no, then this collaboration, despite all its potential, will be nothing more than another empty gesture.

𝗛𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘃𝘀. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

For those of us fighting for equine welfare, this partnership is both exciting and frustrating. Exciting, because Dr. McLean’s influence could push real, science-backed change into mainstream training. Frustrating, because we know change in equestrian sport is slow, and it’s up against deeply ingrained resistance.

So will this work? It depends. If riders, trainers, judges, and governing bodies actually listen, if they embrace what equitation science is telling us, then yes, this could be the shift we’ve been waiting for.

But if the FEI fails to enforce its own welfare commitments? If it continues to protect top riders at the expense of horses? Then this will be just another disappointment in a long line of missed opportunities.

The horses don’t get a say in this. It’s up to us to make sure this isn’t just another failed promise.

Good Luck Dr. Andrew McLean, you’ll need it and don’t be influenced by brown envelopes. 💰

03/10/2025

What is “just conformation,” and what is possible with a whole-horse approach to care, training and rehabilitation?

03/08/2025

Quick question, are custom saddles better?

03/04/2025

Imagine!

02/02/2025

Learn from Susan & Ken — how to joyfully and eagerly disagree with your colleagues.

Disagreement is an opportunity for connection and learning among colleagues who share your values!

01/26/2025

Neoprene: “easy to clean, sticky and grippy, heat resistant, and shock-absorbing.” Translation: “rips your horse’s hair out, traps heat and non-wicking, if you need it to stop your saddle slipping…your saddle doesn’t fit.”

01/26/2025

“So again, why use force?”