This week we were really lucky to have wounderful Katie Hancox from Informed Rider Coaching, for our first ever guest appearance on the podcast, joining us for a brilliant two-part chat about all things informed riding (we couldn't stop at one podcast... cos we have problems)

Katie is an equestrian coach who helps riders make sense of the huge amount of advice, opinions, and information that exists in the horse world (much needed!).

Her work focuses on helping riders understand the “why” behind what they are doing, rather than just following textbook instructions or trying endless quick fixes we see online/socials.

Katie uses the latest research and her extensive knowledge in equine science, to help you create the best partnership you can have iwth your horse. Katies goal is for you to achieve your goals, big or small and help you navigate the dangerous advice we often see out there.

You can find Katie and learn more about her work at: https://www.informedridercoaching.co.uk/

#ClappingIsFun , as Katie found out. #BePartoftheClap , when you know, you know!

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Got a question you'd like us to tackle?

Send us a voice note.

Your horse. Your question. Your training dilemma.

And we'll work through it in a future episode.

Real cases. Real answers. Real madness.

Voice note your questions on WhatsApp to +353 85 143 8688 to have your questions answered on the Podcast.

Meet Your Hosts

Barbara Hardman (Bright Horse Equiation)
www.brighthorse.ie

📧barbara.j.hardman@brighthorse.ie ☎️+353 85 143 8688

Jen Nash (The Equine Method)
www.theequinemethod.co.uk

📧 Info@TheEquineMethod.co.uk ☎️+44 7902920923

One of our listeners from Canada got in touch with a question that seems to be everywhere at the moment "How can we help horses feel calmer without relying on calming supplements?"

With calming supplements all over social media, it can feel like there's a powder, paste, cookie, or magic solution for every anxious horse. But how much evidence is actually behind these products?

In this episode, Jen and Barbara dive into the world of calming supplements, marketing claims, FEI regulations, ingredient lists, and why "contains" doesn't necessarily mean "works."

We talk about:

• the difference between supplements and medications
• why the language used in marketing is often very carefully chosen
• dose, delivery, and why ingredient lists don't tell the whole story
• tryptophan, serotonin, and some of the science behind common calming ingredients
• why products can be sold without strong evidence of effectiveness
• and how Barbara's background in pharma and clinical research has made her deeply suspicious of the supplement industry

But more importantly, we talk about the horse.

Because if you're looking for a calming supplement, you're probably already asking a really important question: "How can I help my horse feel better?"

Behavioural challenges are rarely caused by one thing, and they're rarely solved by one thing either. We explore what we can do to genuinely support our horses, set them up for success, and look beyond the idea that calm can simply be scooped into a feed bucket.

—

Got a question you'd like us to tackle?

Send us a voice note.

Your horse. Your question. Your training dilemma.

And we'll work through it in a future episode.

Real cases. Real answers. Real madness.

Voice note your questions on WhatsApp to +353 85 143 8688 to have your questions answered on the Podcast.

Meet Your Hosts

Barbara Hardman (Bright Horse Equiation)
www.brighthorse.ie

📧barbara.j.hardman@brighthorse.ie ☎️+353 85 143 8688

Jen Nash (The Equine Method)
www.theequinemethod.co.uk

📧 Info@TheEquineMethod.co.uk ☎️+44 7902920923

One of our listeners got in touch with a question that comes up a lot when people start exploring positive reinforcement training:

"When do I know when it's time to stop giving food rewards?"

It seems like a simple question. But the more we talked about it, the more we found ourselves asking: Why do we want to stop?

If reinforcement maintains behaviour, what happens when reinforcement disappears?

And why are we so keen to remove a tool from the toolbox when it's working?

In this episode, Jen and Barbara get into:

• why behaviours stop when reinforcement stops
• when behaviours can become self-reinforcing
• intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
• antecedents and how reinforcement changes over time
• how our animals are often training us as much as we're training them
• why we don't ask the same questions about reins, leg aids, or other training tools
• and whether the real question is not when can I stop reinforcing? but what is maintaining the behaviour now?

Along the way, Barbara talks about living in the "clicker closet", why she owns more treat pouches than any reasonable person should, and how this is apparently balanced out by Jen's rug-buying habit. (We're not convinced either.)

Because sometimes the answer isn't to stop using reinforcement. Sometimes it's understanding what reinforcement is doing in the first place.

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Got a question you are burning to asking us, nothing is off limitis, or do you have a behaviour issues you’re trying to figure out? Send us a voice note. Your voice, your question, your community is here.

Real cases. Real answers. All madness (guaranteed, the madness bit anyway).

Voice note your questions on WhatsApp to +353 85 143 8688 to have your questions answered on the Podcast.

Meet Your Hosts

Barbara Hardman (Bright Horse Equiation)
www.brighthorse.ie

📧barbara.j.hardman@brighthorse.ie ☎️+353 85 143 8688

Jen Nash (The Equine Method)
www.theequinemethod.co.uk

📧 Info@TheEquineMethod.co.uk ☎️+44 7902920923