27/08/2026
A book I recommend: The Gift of Fear by, Gavin de Becker.
I’ve been thinking about this book recently after several conversations with horse owners who knew something wasn’t right with their horse. They couldn’t always explain exactly what was wrong, and sometimes their concerns had been dismissed or they had been told everything was fine.
But they knew their horse.
One of the biggest messages from this books is to TRUST YOUR GUT.
Our subconscious is incredibly good at picking up on subtle things; changes in behaviour, body language, patterns and little details that we might not consciously recognise. Sometimes we simply get that feeling that something isn’t right, even when we can’t immediately explain why.
And I think this is particularly relevant for women and their horses.
How many times have you ridden your horse and thought; “something just feels off today.”
Maybe they’re a little different in their behaviour.
They don’t want to go forward quite the same.
They feel uncomfortable going one direction.
They’re reluctant over something they normally wouldn’t think twice about.
Their movement feels just slightly different, or a transition is harder than normal.
You might not be able to put your finger on exactly what it is, but that doesn’t mean somethings not right.
As women, we’re often taught to second guess ourselves, to be polite, to push through, or to tell ourselves we’re imagining things.
But when it comes to our horses, I think we should listen to that little voice that says “something isn’t right.”
You don’t need to know exactly what’s wrong.
You don’t need to diagnose it yourself.
You just need to recognise that something has changed and ask the question.
Sometimes that gut feeling is the very first sign that your horse is trying to tell you something.
So if your horse feels different, trust yourself enough to investigate it. Because YOU know your horse.
The Gift of Fear is one I highly recommend, not just for horse owners, but for everyone.
