From Tradition to Transformation – Reimagining Welfare Horse Sports 🐴✨

Lisa Ashton is back Last time, we talked about social license to operate – this time, we take the conversation further. And wow… there’s a lot to unpack.

Lisa is not only a brilliant thinker but also someone who dares to challenge the status quo. She joins me again to talk about the future of equestrian sports, and the deep, sometimes uncomfortable questions we all need to ask ourselves if we want to do better by our horses.

🎙️ Lisa Ashton is: Senior Lecturer, Equine Welfare Scholar, Equitation Science Consultant, recently appointed ISES Education Officer – and author of the upcoming book ‘Welfare Horse Sports. A Blueprint for Positive Change’ (yes, we talk about the book too)

In this episode, we dive into: ⚡ Can you save a horse by beating it? Or could the situation have been solved much earlier — with understanding, evidence, and empathy? ⚡ How we move from punishment and tradition to compassionate, science-based methods – without losing the depth and complexity of the conversation. ⚡ And why building brave, supportive communities of practice is the way forward if we want lasting change.

This is one of those episodes where you might want to pause, reflect, and rewind. And I hope it sparks new thoughts — and maybe even new actions — in your own equestrian journey.