18/06/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/17ibAzRtKb/
Much respect and total agreeance to this post and sentiment.
Something I try to implement into my way of work with not only my own horses but every horse I care for or the humans that put their trust in me .
Beautifully written ❤️
Welfare in Horses - The Quiet Progress Behind the Scenes
Horse welfare has become one of the biggest conversations in the equestrian world over recent years and rightly so. We are questioning more, observing more, and asking whether the way things have always been done truly serves the horse.
But behind the headlines, debates, and spotlight moments, there are also thousands of people quietly doing extraordinary things for their horses every single day.
Not all welfare work is visible.
It’s in the early mornings and late nights.
It’s in carefully managed nutrition plans.
It’s in slow rehabilitation journeys.
It’s in adjusting training schedules when a horse needs more rest.
It’s in building fitness gradually instead of rushing outcomes.
It’s in turnout choices, enrichment, bodywork, routine veterinary care, listening to behaviour, and making decisions that prioritise long-term wellbeing over short-term goals.
There are many people choosing to put the horse before the sport.
And that deserves recognition too.
The equestrian world is evolving. Not overnight, and not all at the same pace but it is moving.
Every single one of us enters horses differently. Some through competition. Some through leisure riding. Some simply because we love their company and keep them as companions. None of those reasons are inherently wrong.
What matters is what happens next.
Even myself, the things I share here today are not views I have always had. They have come through years of learning, questioning, observing and being willing to change. Because growth means accepting that we don’t know everything.
Science continues to teach us more. Anatomy teaches us more. Dissections teach us more. Research evolves. But perhaps most importantly the horses themselves tell us more, if we are willing to listen.
That can be a delicate subject, because people often say horses must always have a purpose or that we have to get something from them. The reality is people start this journey for different reasons.
Sport. Partnership. Pleasure. Therapy. Competition. Connection.
Whatever the passion, if welfare remains the priority, that is what matters.
Progress doesn’t always look loud.
Sometimes it looks like thousands of horse owners quietly choosing to do better than yesterday.
📸 Fine Photography By Georgia-Emily
