Curious Equestrian

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

👇 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

"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/

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.

📧: [email protected]www.paypal.me/Chloeincornwall

www.youtube.com/@chloeincornwallSubscribe to the Curious Equestrian newsletter at https://www.curiousequestrian.co.uk

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/

Horse trainer and author Kate Sandel invites you to rethink what it really means for a horse to be well – in body and in mind. If your horse isn’t mentally with you, she argues, you’re not truly training together, you’re just doing things to them.

In this conversation, we explore how to see the horse in front of you more clearly, soften your expectations, and build a partnership that feels good for both of you. Drawing on French classical riding, horsemanship, and bodywork, Kate shares practical ways to centre the horse’s experience in everyday training choices.

• Why you can’t separate a horse’s physical soundness from their emotional state.

• How to notice who your horse actually is, instead of who you hoped they’d be.

• The truth behind so‑called “naughty” behaviour, and what it might be telling you.

• Why simple walking with your horse is one of the most underrated tools you have.

• What really makes a great teacher – for horses and for humans in the arena.

• How grassroots equestrians can nudge the wider horse world toward kinder training.

Kate is a UK‑based horsemanship teacher, French classical riding practitioner (École de Légèreté trainee), equine sports massage therapist, and author of Riding In Release. From her base on Dartmoor, she runs Soft & Sound, offering lessons, clinics, and online support for more ethical horse–human partnerships.

Links and resources

• Resources & After Hours Q&A (newsletter): https://www.curiousequestrian.co.uk/horse-human-partnership-right-question

• Soft & Sound: https://softandsound.org/

• Riding In Release: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/4745/9781908809940

• Newsletter: https://www.curiousequestrian.co.uk

• Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrian

• Merch: https://curiousequestrian.teemill.com/

Do you care for a senior horse and want to ensure they are happy and healthy? Then you won't want to miss this episode written and narrated by Sue Palmer.

Sue is an experienced equestrian physiotherapist with over 25 years in the industry. Sue has worked with inspiring owners and professionals during her career, and she's here to share her insights and expertise on caring for older horses.

Sue's Free Horse Massage Mini MasterclassThe Inquisitive Herd — free newsletterEvery episode includes an after-hours conversation available only to subscribers. Subscribe free at www.curiousequestrian.co.ukBooks written by Sue PlamerHorse Massage for Horse Owners — Sue Palmer Harmonious Horsemanship — Sue Palmer and Sue Dyson Browse our bookshop: bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrian

Sue Palmer is a chartered physiotherapist who works with horses and riders every day. Her mission, which she has given herself until 2030 to achieve, is straightforward: she wants every equestrian to understand that pain and behaviour in horses are linked. That when a horse is called naughty, difficult, or lazy, the first question should be whether that horse is in pain.

In this episode, Anna Louise sits down with Sue to talk through what horse massage means in practice - not as a luxury, but as a tool for listening.

Free Horse Massage Mini Masterclassthehorsephysio.co.uk

The Inquisitive Herd — free newsletter

Every episode includes an after-hours conversation available only to subscribers. Subscribe free B

ooks mentioned in this episode

Horse Massage for Horse Owners — Sue PalmerHarmonious Horsemanship — Sue Palmer and Sue Dyson

Browse our bookshop:

bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrian

A $13 roll of tape is showing up in equine rehabilitation yards. The question is whether the claims stand up.

Rebecca Haddock has spent 30 years working at the edges of equine therapy. In this episode, she explains how kinesiology taping works in horses, why the equine version is built entirely differently from human tape, and how she's simplified the technique so that any horse owner can learn it. We also ask why she threw out the rulebook on who can access this training.

Learn more about Rebecca's work at equitecs.com

***If this episode made you curious, the newsletter is where we pick the conversation back up. The questions we saved until the recording light went off. Free, no spam, unsubscribe anytime. 👇www.curiousequestrian.co.uk/p/384842a6-5d1f-475f-975d-8d675909007a***

Learn more about Rebecca's work: Website: https://www.equitecs.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equi_tecs/https://www.facebook.com/EquiTape

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Support the podcast: Shop our merch and browse our bookshop (links below)Subscribe to our newsletter: www.curiousequestrian.co.ukBook shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrian

Merch: https://curiousequestrian.teemill.com/

The views expressed are those of the guest. Nothing in this conversation constitutes veterinary advice. Always consult a qualified vet for the diagnosis and treatment of your horse.

Bonny Mealand - Equine Podiatrist, Touching Wild Academy

In this episode: Bonny Mealand has spent 20 years studying wild horses, she talks about how horses' entire lives revolve around social relationships, and how watching wild horses changes the way we advocate for domestic horses.Key topics:- Why social relationships are horses' primary need (not hierarchy or survival)- The two-year commitment: not riding until her mare genuinely agreed- How wild horse behavior reveals what we're missing in domestic horse careGuest contact & resources:Intro Video Credit: Lizzie MacKenzie, Of The Wild - visit the Touching Wild Academy to watch in full.

Intro Photo Credits: Jean Sinclair. Takhi in Mongolia Photo Credit Nancy Clarke.Support the podcast: 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 newsletterBook shopMerch

Additional Resources mentioned in this episode:Horses in Company by Lucy ReesHorses in Our Hands5 Domains of Horse Welfare