Learn Equine, Glasgow (2026)

A holistic approach, supporting you to a happier, safer partnership. Currently training as a Relational Counsellor and EBA Specialist.

16/09/2026

Do you reflect after spending time with your horse?

I’ve been thinking about how often we actually reflect after doing something with our horse.

When I attend a clinic, we always begin the second day by reflecting on the day before, what happened, what we noticed and what we might want to explore during that day’s session.

It made me wonder whether it would be helpful to do something similar after each ride, especially as I usually ride on my own and don’t regularly have an instructor there to offer another perspective.

I imagine how useful it is depends partly on whether I can approach it with openness, self-awareness and curiosity, without it becoming an opportunity to judge myself or focus only on what went wrong.

Then I thought, it doesn’t just have to be after riding. It could be after groundwork, training, handling, or even something as ordinary as bringing our horse in from the field.

It’s not something I routinely do at the moment. I’ll often finish what I’m doing, put him away and move on to the next part of the day. But I’m beginning to think that taking even a few minutes to reflect could be really valuable.

Not to pick apart everything that went wrong or criticise myself, and definitely not to decide whether something was “good” or “bad”, but simply to be curious about what happened between us.

• How was I feeling before we started?
• How might he have been feeling?
• Was there a moment when something changed?
• What helped us?
• Was there anything he was trying to communicate that I didn’t fully notice at the time?
• What went well that I’d like to carry into next time?

Sometimes we notice much more once we’ve stepped away from the moment and our own emotions have had time to settle.

I think I’m going to start trying this, even if it’s just noticing one or two things after each time we do something together.

Is this something you already do with your horse? If so, does it help, and what kinds of things do you reflect on?

Lisa 🐴🌿

26/07/2026

How much pressure are we putting on ourselves without even realising it?

At my last clinic, Perry Wood said something that really stuck with me.

He told me to be more counsellor and stop letting my feelings take over, I’m paraphrasing 😊

I agreed with him, and it definitely made me think.

Not because I don’t think feelings matter, they absolutely do, but because I realised how often my emotions were writing the story before the facts had a chance to.

When I ride on my own, it’s different.

It’s just us.

I’m not thinking about anyone else. I’m not wondering what people think. I’m not worrying whether today’s ride means we’re moving forwards or backwards.

I’m simply with him, in that moment.

Then put me in a clinic, or around other people, and something changes.

If he feels tense…

All those previous worries and concerns about him come back, unconsciously, into my body and mind.

And unconscious pressure I’ve placed on myself.

Pressure to ride well.
Pressure to show progress.
Pressure because I care so much.

As a counsellor, I spend a lot of time helping people notice the stories their minds create.

I need to remember to do the same when I’m in the saddle.

Instead of asking, “What’s going on, what’s wrong?”

Maybe the better question is…

“What’s actually happening right now for me?”

Sometimes that’s enough to bring us back to the horse in front of us.

Lisa 🐴🌿

22/07/2026

What if we remembered that horses are sentient?

Sometimes, without even realising it, we talk about horses as though they're machines.

"He's being stubborn."
"She's just naughty."
"He's taking the mick."
"She knows exactly what she's doing."

Those words can shape how we respond.

But horses aren't machines programmed to obey us, and they're not plotting against us either.

They're sentient beings.

They experience fear, curiosity, comfort, discomfort, frustration, excitement and relief. They learn from their experiences, remember what feels safe, and respond to the world based on what they've lived through.

That doesn't mean every behaviour has a simple explanation, or that every horse has experienced trauma.

It does mean there's always value in asking:

💭 What might this horse be experiencing right now?
💭 What need are they trying to communicate?
💭 What might I be missing?

Changing the questions we ask often changes the answers we find.

And perhaps that's where better horsemanship begins.

🐴🌿

09/07/2026

Coming soon, August 10th - delighted to have Marc Bekoff presenting a webinar for us.

It will include discussion on his new book, 'Love in Their Hearts: A Celebration of Animal Emotions and a Guide to Compassionate Action' - co-authored with Jeff Campbell and including a foreword by the wonderful Jane Goodall. There will also be a broader discussion on animal emotions and sentience. So bring questions!

Marc is a professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He has published more than 30 books. He has won many awards for his research on animal behavior, animal emotions (cognitive ethology), compassionate conservation and animal protection including the Exemplar Award from the Animal Behavior Society, is co-chair of the ethics committee of the Jane Goodall Institute, and is a former Guggenheim Fellow. He also has worked closely with inmates at the Boulder County Jail. In 2022 he was recognized as a hero by the Academy of Dog Trainers.

Recent books include
The Animals' Agenda: Freedom, Compassion, and Coexistence in the Human Age

Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do, Unleashing Your Dog: A Field Guide to Giving Your Canine Companion the Best Life Possible

A Dog's World: Imagining the Lives of Dogs in a World Without Humans

Dogs Demystified: An A to Z Guide to All Things Canine

The Emotional Lives of Animals (second edition)

Jane Goodall at 90: Celebrating an Astonishing Lifetime of Science, Advocacy, Humanitarianism, Hope, and Peace

For more about Marc and his work, you can visit marcbekoff.com.

Book at: https://www.trybooking.com/uk/GRMY

08/07/2026

🧐 I'd love your thoughts...

I'm doing some research into ideas for future Learn Equine services, and I'd really appreciate your feedback.

One idea I'm exploring is a Learning Lesson.

Alongside a normal lesson, there could be an optional upgrade that includes:

🎥 Your lesson recorded using a Pivo so you can watch it back.
☁️ A private online folder with your video.
📝 Personal feedback and a worksheet with key points and homework.
🎯 Exercises to work on before your next session.

The thinking behind it is that it's easy to leave a lesson feeling like you've understood everything, but by the time you ride again it's often difficult to remember exactly what was said or what you were supposed to work on.

Would something like this interest you?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

1️⃣ Would you be interested in something like this?

2️⃣ What would make it really valuable for you?

3️⃣ If it were an optional add-on to a lesson, what do you think would be a fair price?

05/07/2026

Most people think confidence comes first.

Working with horses has taught me something different.

Confidence usually comes after we take the first step.

Swipe through ➡️ and then tell me…

💬 What’s one thing you’ll be proud you did by this time tomorrow?

I’d love to hear it.

Lisa 🐴🌿

Mindset PersonalGrowth SmallWinsBigGrowth

Address

Glasgow

Website

http://www.learnequine.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Learn Equine posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Learn Equine:

Learn Equine