The term ethical riding school has become more common over the last few years, but the reality is there are no official parameters for what makes a riding school ethical or not. Unlike some industries, there is no checklist a school has to meet before using that label. In many ways, “ethical riding school” is still a newer term, and because of that, people often have very different ideas about what it means. Some people see it as unnecessary or just another modern trend. But for many riders...

One of the most important questions we can ask a horse is a quiet one. Can you stand still and be calm in your body?

Because very early on, often without meaning to, we start equating bravery with more . More height. More speed. More pressure. More tolerance from the horse. And when bravery is framed this way, it doesn’t just shape how riders ride, it shapes how they think, how they measure success, and how they learn to listen (or not listen) to their horses. For almost every rider we call brave, there is often a horse dealing with confusion and frustration. For every young rider excused with, “They’re...