Changing Rein

Should riding bit-free be an option for all equestrian sports? Should racing include whipping horses to make them run? What is the most important project in the realm of sport horse welfare right now ? Listen to this episode of Changing Rein and find out from arguably the world's most influential person in horse sport welfare, Roly Owers, CEO of World Horse Welfare (WHW). Roly Owers has huge influ...

Summary In this episode, Bronwen Williams discusses the principles of Motivational Interviewing, emphasizing the importance of respectful conversations and understanding the fixing reflex. The conversation explores the stages of change, the role of self-efficacy, and how to navigate identity shifts during change. The hosts and Bronwen also discuss strategies for supporting individuals in making ch...

We're taking a few weeks break, and we'll be back before you know it with some great guests and great new content. Before that we thought we'd share with you some of the highlights of Season 2 - now is your opportunity to catch up on listening to some really interesting guests discussing all things horse sport and equine welfare. Thanks for sharing our journey - and be sure to share with your frie...

Dr Jo Hockenhull is Head of Research at The Donkey Sanctuary. Jo has had a wide-ranging and varied career in animal welfare science – her particular interests include horse behaviour and welfare, human-animal interactions and the possibilities inherent in the science of Human Behaviour Change to improve the welfare of animals.   Jo’s research output can be found at this link: https://www.researchg...

Background - about Meredith Meredith Chapman was appointed as Equestrian Australia's (EA) first National Health and Safety Manager. This role was actioned following the tragic deaths of two young eventing horse riders in 2016. Meredith’s primary role was to lead the implementation of all 31 coronial recommendations following a coronial inquest. Meredith worked extensively with all Australian State...

Upskilling instead of conditioning - coaching expert Marianne Davies shares her dynamic approach to coaching and training that has coaches, riders AND horses wanting more Marianne Davies is an expert in coaching riders and developing equestrian coaches. She is a senior coaching developer for UK Coaching and runs her own coaching business, Dynamics Coaching and in her spare time she is completing a...

To say Vicky Leonard is brave is probably an understatement. Back in 2017 she published a series of blogs where she outlined the threat poor horse welfare poses to the racing industry. It caused quite a stir. Since then she has been advocating for change in the industry because as she sees it, horse welfare is the one issue that could bring racing down. In the seven years since that post, she has...

While Prof Madeleine Campbell was in our virtual studio we took the opportunity to record a second episode with her - this one is about the ethical aspects of horse breeding (her previous episode, Ethical Equestrianism, is definitely worth a listen). Without breeding, horse sport would not exist, but ethical consideration has been lacking. Are we breeding the right horses, at the right time, in th...

Control or communication? It's an interesting question and how we answer it tells us a lot about how we see the world and our relationship with our horse. This week we talk to Hungarian dressage rider Krisztina Szucs, founder of My Way to Dressage . Krisztina started her dressage career as many people do, as a junior, and achieved gold medal success at the national level as a young rider. After a...

Dr Camie Heleski has worked in horse management and welfare research for over 25 years. She recently served on the FEI Ethics & Wellbeing Commission and she is an Honorary Fellow of the International Society for Equitation Science. Additional information   D. Wayne Lucas - famous US racehorse trainer inducted into both Racing and QH Hall of Fame - Camie mentions him in her journey. Heleski, C....

This week on Changing Rein Karen and Meta talk to Fran Berry , a premier jockey from Ireland who rode more than 1300 winners across a career spanning 23 years. Fran was born into a racing family and has ridden horses all over the globe, making him the perfect person to help us learn about the world of racing and explore opportunities for creating a more sustainable horse industry built on horse we...

The ethics of using horses in sport has never been more topical. Join us as we talk to vet, horsewoman and Prof of Veterinary Ethics Madeleine Campbell and we discover that ethics is something everyone loves to talk about.

Lee McLean has spent a lifetime with horses. She describes herself as a ranch wife, horse trainer, lifelong writer and stroke survivor, and in this episode we learn about her childhood with her sister riding their ponies bareback on the family ranch in British Columbia, her training in classical dressage, and about her day to day work with horses at Keystone Equine with her husband Mike. In  our c...

In this bonus episode we chat to one of our Season 1 guests, William Micklem, about how and why he developed the Micklem Bridle and Girth.

As the well known Irish singer Christy Moore sings: 'Everybody needs a break, climb a mountain or jump in a lake' so we're off on a short break to recharge, regroup and return with some really great guests in Season 2. Stay tuned!

Video released this week showing high-profile Olympic rider, Charlotte Dujardin, whipping a horse has sparked a huge reaction around the globe. This week on Changing Rein, Karen and Meta ask the question - could this be the catalyst to spark much needed change in the horse world? Background information for this episode: Ludger Beerbaum - show jumping (German Olympic medallist) https://www.chronofh...

In this episode William Micklem joins us to discuss how making things simpler in our interactions with horses could be the key to success. We learn about the importance of being inquiring, being demanding and being generous, about why you should buy a horse with an ugly head, and about the value of coaching the coaches. Above all, there is a sense of love for, and delight in, horses in this episod...

In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr Jake Veasey we discuss his approach to understanding the needs of particular animals, and using the tiger as an example, Jake explains how by knowing what is important to an animal, can transform the way we care for them. We then talk about the needs of horses, how current horse-keeping aligns (or doesn't align) with those needs and what changes we could m...

Dr Jake Veasey, passionate animal welfare and conservation innovator talks caring for endangered species and horses. Karen Luke and Meta Osborne interview Jake Veasey, founder and CEO of Care for the Rare, an organization specialising in the welfare and conservation of some of the world's most endangered animals. They discuss the importance of perspective and different approaches to animal welfare...

In this episode we chat to racehorse trainer John Berry, whose interests range beyond the day to day of training horses and include the history and heritage of horseracing and his involvement in local politics (including a stint as Mayor of Newmarket). John has intriguing things to say about how he runs his ‘free-range’ yard, and forthright opinions on the use of intra-articular medication in race...

This week on Changing Rein, co-hosts Karen Luke and Meta Osborne, chat with Dr. Andrew McLean, a pioneer in studying horse welfare, behavior, and training, and a founder of the International Society for Equitation Science . Dr. McLean shares his journey from zoology to equitation science and the pivotal moments that shaped his research. And Karen and Andrew realise they both owe their start in psy...

This week on Changing Rein, co-hosts Karen Luke and Meta Osborne chat to a man who wears many hats in Irish racing, Kevin Blake. Kevin talks about the challenge of balancing media exposure with the scrutiny that it brings, social licence, adapting to the changing understanding of horse welfare and being open to change and continuous improvement. Kevin highlights the need to communicate the level o...

This week on Changing Rein, co-hosts Karen Luke and Meta Osborne chat to Naomi Ainley, Curriculum Manager at Northumberland College, who shares her journey from groom to equine science educator. The conversation covers a range of topics related to equine science, horse welfare, and the future of horse sports. Naomi highlights the positive effect of integrating learning theory into her training pra...

Introducing Changing Rein, and your hosts Karen Luke and Meta Osborne. Changing Rein is a podcast about horses, people, and horse sport, with horse welfare at its heart. This prequel episode tells you a little bit about the co-hosts Karen Luke and Meta Osborne and the 'why' of the podcast. You'll also get a sneak peek at the guests who were interviewed for Season 1. You can sign up for...