Curious Equestrian

Curious Equestrian, produced by Theresa McCaffrey, hosted by Anna Louise Claydon
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Pets & Animals
  • Twice monthly

Curious Equestrian: Where Conventional Wisdom Gets Bucked. The podcast for riders who question "because we've always done it that way." We interview researchers, vets, and evidence-based trainers about horse care, training, welfare, and the messy realities of horse ownership. No gurus, just better questions. New episodes every two weeks. Support the Podcast Newsletter: https://www.curiousequestrian.co.uk Merch: https://curiousequestrian.teemill.com/ Book Shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrian

  1. 11 Jul

    Horse's Hierarchy of Needs with Marcel Olivé

    What if your horse isn't being naughty at all, but telling you something you were never taught to hear? Horsemanship expert Marcel Olivé joins Curious Equestrian to challenge everything we assume about horse psychology, and why the words we reach for, stubborn, lazy, mischievous, moody, almost always miss what the horse is actually saying.Drawing on more than 15 years with horses and his book The Truth About Your Horse, Marcel argues that good horse psychology starts by dropping the idea that we're the boss. Horses aren't kings and queens who want luxury; they're animals with a hierarchy of needs, and until food, freedom, safety and social contact are met, no amount of training will build the partnership we're after.In this episode:→ Why "we treat horses like kings and queens" fundamentally misreads what a horse actually wants→ The Horse's Hierarchy of Needs explained, from food and freedom of movement to safety, socialisation, confidence and fulfilment→ Why most "bad" behaviour is hidden pain or fear rather than stubbornness, and what horse psychology asks you to look for instead→ How the release of pressure, not the pressure itself, is what actually teaches a horse anything→ Why "respect the no" matters, and how forcing a horse into a trailer or a headcollar tends to backfire→ What walking with your horse, and sometimes doing nothing at all, does for connection that riding never will→ Why Marcel says the human, not the horse, is almost always the thing that needs to changeAbout Marcel OlivéMarcel Olivé is a horsemanship expert, equine-assisted facilitator and performance coach who came to horses as an adult and has spent more than 15 years pruning traditional methods down to what actually holds up under scrutiny. He is the author of The Truth About Your Horse and the creator of The Horse's Hierarchy of Needs, a free infographic he wants on the wall of every yard, stable and training centre. His work covers horse psychology in all its forms: horse behaviour and communication, equine welfare, the horse's hierarchy of needs, pressure-and-release training, and why understanding a horse matters far more than controlling it. Marcel's books are available on Amazon, and more about his current projects can be found on his website. Resources & links→ https://www.marcelolive.com/original-horses-hierarchy-of-needs→ Marcel Olivé's website: https://www.marcelolive.com/ Subscribe & exploreSubscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@curiousequestrian?sub_confirmation=1Newsletter: www.curiousequestrian.co.ukBookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrianMerch: https://curiousequestrian.teemill.com/If horse psychology, horse behaviour and equine welfare matter to you, subscribe so you never miss an episode.

    Horse's Hierarchy of Needs with Marcel Olivé

  2. 24 Jun

    She worked inside horse racing. This is what they don't show you

    She worked inside horse racing. Then she started saying the things most people in the sport won't.After multiple racehorse deaths at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival and Grand National, the outrage landed on race day. But Alex Fleming says the deaths you see are not horse racing's biggest welfare problem. The harder question is the ordinary life of the racehorse: stabled for most of the day, little or no turnout or herd life, hard feed in place of forage, and stomach ulcers so common they have come to be treated as normal. They are said to live like kings, she argues, when what they actually want is to live like horses.It's a candid, good-faith conversation about what needs to change in horse racing, and why Alex believes education, not blame, is what will change it. She points to yards proving that better welfare and real success go together, and explains why she isn't calling for a ban, but won't rule one out either.Alex Fleming got into racing after a trip to Cheltenham for her 18th birthday. She trained at the British Racing College, worked in racing yards and freelanced riding out, and now retrains and rehomes ex-racehorses. Her Facebook post calling for an overhaul of the sport went viral after the 2026 Grand National.In this episode:– Why the deaths on race day aren't horse racing's biggest welfare problem– What daily life is really like for a racehorse: turnout, forage and stomach ulcers– Why nearly every ex-racehorse comes home with ulcers, and what that tells us– How breeding for speed has raised the risk of injury– What happens to thoroughbreds when their racing days end– Why educating the owners who fund racing might be what finally changes itA note on this conversation: Alex speaks from her own experience and opinion, and deliberately does not name the yards she refers to. This is a public-interest discussion of horse welfare, not a criticism of any particular yard or individual, and it is general discussion rather than veterinary advice. If you have concerns about your own horse, speak to your vet.Join our free newsletter, The Inquisitive Herd, for the listener Q&A with Alex that carries on after the cameras stop, plus producer Theresa's take.Find Alex Fleming on Facebook (Alex Fleming) and at coaching4confidence.co.uk

    She worked inside horse racing. This is what they don't show you

  3. 11 Jun

    Bullied and Burnt Out: The Hidden Truth About Being a Horse Groom, with Lucy Katan MBE

    Lucy Katan MBE spent more than eight years as a horse groom, including time at the top of international dressage. She loved the horses, but she was also bullied on the yard and, after a dangerous 24-hour drive home from the 2002 World Equestrian Games, decided enough was enough. She wrote one letter to the British Equestrian Federation, and it became the British Grooms Association. In this episode, Anna Louise and Lucy talk honestly about why so many grooms struggle: illegal hours, pay below the minimum wage, bullying that gets excused as "just the way it is with horses", and the 2017 survey in which 83% of grooms reported poor mental health and more than 70% reported bullying at work. Lucy also shares practical advice for anyone in a difficult yard, and where to find help. An honest conversation about welfare, work and worth in the equestrian industry. Find help and support:British Grooms Association: https://britishgrooms.org.ukGrooms Minds: https://britishgrooms.org.uk/member-services/grooms-minds/grooms-mindsEquestrian Employers Association: https://equestrianemployers.org.ukRiders Minds, 24/7 helpline: https://ridersminds.org

    Bullied and Burnt Out: The Hidden Truth About Being a Horse Groom, with Lucy Katan MBE

  4. 3 Jun

    Why This Equestrian Refuses to Show Her Face

    What does it mean to fight for horse welfare when being visible would cost you your livelihood? Riverstown Farm Stables — an anonymous Irish equestrian with over 37,000 followers and no public face (we've altered her voice to protect her identity) — joins Anna Louise at Curious Equestrian to talk honestly about the equine welfare conversations the industry keeps sweeping under the carpet. Drawing on years of working in professional yards across Europe, Riverstown argues that the equestrian world is still hiding from some basic truths: about turnout, about where horses end up when we sell them, and about what it actually takes to put the horse before the sport, the tradition, or the convenience. In this episode:→ Why a welfare campaigner with 37,000 followers chooses to stay anonymous→ What working at a stallion station in Germany taught Riverstown about horses living behind bars with no turnout and no social contact→ Why paddock gardens are a genuine step forward — but can also be abused to replace real turnout→ The uncomfortable reality of horse slaughter in the UK and Ireland, and the passport loopholes that make it invisible→ Why horses still don't have the same traceability system as cattle — and what it would take to change that→ What the bitless dressage movement signals about where equestrian sport could be heading→ How traditional farming families are starting to question practices they have accepted for generations About Riverstown Farm StablesAn anonymous welfare-first Facebook page with over 37,000 followers. Based in rural Ireland, the person behind the page is a riding instructor and equine welfare advocate who created the page to give horse people a space for honest, unfiltered discussion without the politics of personal identity.www.facebook.com/RiverstownStablesNorthTipp About Curious EquestrianA horse-first podcast about welfare, behaviour, and the messy realities of ownership. Subscribe to the free newsletter for after-hours Q&As and bonus content: www.curiousequestrian.co.uk

    Why This Equestrian Refuses to Show Her Face

  5. 20 May

    What Happens When a Horse Stops Being Useful?

    👇 INSIDE THE EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:• Theresa Demarest's 5-year journey making the film and why she centered the horses' perspectives.• Katherine Gregory (CEO of Colorado Horse Rescue) on the hidden realities of the rescue economy.• The truth about "kill pens" and why buying horses from them often funds the next truckload.• Why there is currently no minimum standard of care for horses in the US. Note: Throwaway Horses won two Winnie Awards at the 2025 Equus Film and Arts Festival, including Best Director. 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED:• Watch the film / Book a screening: https://www.throwawayhorses.com (Streaming on Amazon Prime US & Vimeo worldwide)• Colorado Horse Rescue: https://chr.org 📣 JOIN THE HERD:Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter for horse owners who have started questioning the received wisdom: https://curiousequestrian.co.uk

    What Happens When a Horse Stops Being Useful?

  6. 15 May

    People Think Running a Horse Sanctuary Is a Dream. Here's the Reality

    "People have this romantic idea of animal rescue. It's not like that at all." Billy Thompson has been jailed, physically attacked and throttled unconscious saving animals. He'd do it again tomorrow. This is what running a horse rescue sanctuary actually looks like. At The Retreat Animal Sanctuary, over 30 horses, donkeys and more have each arrived broken in some way — dumped in fields, abandoned on village greens, rescued from roundups. Anna Louise spends a day with Billy and trustee Lil to find out what it really takes: financially, emotionally, and physically. Meet Octavia — a blind horse who lost both eyes to uveitis and now has a guide horse of her own. Andrew — a foal the size of a border collie, given 12 hours to live when he was found collapsed. Pip — 37 years old and proof that a rescued horse can have a long, calm life. And a family of donkeys Billy refuses to split up, no matter how hard it makes rehoming. This animal rescue documentary doesn't shy away from the difficult parts. Some horses don't make it. Some names Billy still can't say out loud. But the majority do recover — and that, he says, is what makes it possible to keep going. Learn more about the work of The Retreat Animal Sanctuary: https://www.retreatanimalrescue.org.uk/

    People Think Running a Horse Sanctuary Is a Dream. Here's the Reality

  7. 29 Apr

    The riding school offering free lessons

    Horse riding has a cost problem the industry rarely addresses directly. Lessons most families can't afford. Schools closing at a rate that suggests something structural is breaking down. A sport quietly narrowing its own audience. Chloe is doing something the industry says isn't viable: offering riding lessons for free, funded by a social media following and a community that believes access matters. This episode is about how she built it, what it actually costs to run, and whether a free lessons model can survive long term. Anna Louise asks the questions that often get avoided: who is horse riding actually for? And if the traditional riding school model keeps failing, what comes next? Chloe is honest about the financial reality, clear-eyed about the pressures of daily content creation, and not interested in making it sound simpler than it is. 📧: info.chloeincornwall@gmail.comwww.paypal.me/Chloeincornwall www.youtube.com/@chloeincornwallSubscribe to the Curious Equestrian newsletter at https://www.curiousequestrian.co.uk

    The riding school offering free lessons

  8. 17 Apr

    Hay Prices Have Doubled. Here's What's Really Happening

    Hay prices have doubled. Some suppliers have nothing left. If you're a horse owner right now, this episode could save you time, money, and a lot of sleepless nights.Anna-Louise sits down with Nick from NP Nunn — a major hay, bedding, and feed supplier to stud farms and racing yards across the UK — to get an honest, ground-level view of the 2026 hay shortage crisis. Nick explains exactly why the shortage happened, how he's adapted his business to keep horses fed, and what horse owners can expect for the rest of the season.https://npnunn.co.uk/In this episode:Why the UK hay shortage started last June — and why it's still getting worse.How suppliers like NP Nunn are now importing hay from France, Belgium, Ireland and Scotland.The hidden nightmare of customs: one lorry held for 28 hours with correct paperwork.Why prices have doubled — and the extra 10% fuel surcharge now hitting buyers.The difference between French "crow hay" and UK meadow hay — and whether it's safe for your horse.What Nick predicts for the new hay crop and when supply might ease.How the war in the Middle East is affecting the wider equine supply chain.Whether you're a livery yard owner, a private horse keeper, or just trying to keep your horses fed this spring — this one is essential listening.🕒 Support the podcast: Shop our merch and browse our bookshop (links below)The 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 newsletter: www.curiousequestrian.co.ukBook shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrianMerch: https://curiousequestrian.teemill.com/

    Hay Prices Have Doubled. Here's What's Really Happening
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Curious Equestrian: Where Conventional Wisdom Gets Bucked. The podcast for riders who question "because we've always done it that way." We interview researchers, vets, and evidence-based trainers about horse care, training, welfare, and the messy realities of horse ownership. No gurus, just better questions. New episodes every two weeks. Support the Podcast Newsletter: https://www.curiousequestrian.co.uk Merch: https://curiousequestrian.teemill.com/ Book Shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrian

Information

  • Creator
    Curious Equestrian, produced by Theresa McCaffrey, hosted by Anna Louise Claydon
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    101
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Curious Equestrian, produced by Theresa McCaffrey, hosted by Anna Louise Claydon
  • Show Website
    Curious Equestrian

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