Equitation Science Archives - Horses and People

How to Judge Equine Welfare Research: What Horse People Need to Know

by Cristina Wilkins | Feb 5, 2026 | Horse Welfare, Science | 0 |

Horse people are often told a practice is “evidence-based” — but how can you tell whether research truly puts horses’ welfare first? This article explains why behaviour and equipment studies carry hidden risks, introduces the COMPASS Guidelines, and shows how non-researchers can ask better, welfare-focused questions before trusting claims or volunteering their horses.

When welfare becomes culture: patching the leaky bucket in horse sport

by Cristina Wilkins | Dec 17, 2025 | Equitation Science, Horse Welfare | 0 |

Why do welfare problems persist in horse sport despite growing knowledge and regulation? Drawing on a webinar by Lisa Ashton, this article argues that welfare fails when culture fails — and explores how mental security, reciprocity, and whole-systems thinking can help patch the leaky bucket.

From Principles to Practice: How Riding Schools are Reshaping Welfare Culture

by Cristina Wilkins | Dec 17, 2025 | Equitation Science, News | 0 |

Across the UK, riding schools are rethinking welfare from the horse’s perspective. The Riding School Futures Project shows how integrating the Five Domains Model, equitation science, and staff education is reshaping everyday practice — not through rules, but through cultural change.

A Reply to Response to Comments on ‘Noseband type and tightness level affect pressure on the horse’s face at trot’

by Dr Orla Doherty, MVB MSc PhD, Dr Kate Fenner, PhD, Assoc. Prof Janne Winther Christensen, Dr Andrew McLean, Assoc. Prof Peter Thompson, Mette Uldahl, DVM and Prof Paul McGreevy, BVSc, PhD, FRCVS | Oct 13, 2025 | Equitation Science, Horse Welfare | 0 |

This letter, declined by the Equine Veterinary Journal, responds to MacKechnie-Guire et al.’s defence of their noseband pressure study. It clarifies key methodological and interpretive issues that remain unresolved and highlights why transparent discussion is vital to the integrity of equine welfare science.

A Reply to Response to Comments on ‘Facial pressure beneath a cavesson noseband adjusted to different tightness levels during standing and chewing”

by Cristina Wilkins, Assoc. Prof Janne Winther Christensen, Dr Orla Doherty, MVB MSc PhD, Dr Kate Fenner, PhD, Prof Rafael Freire, Dr Cathrynne Henshall and Prof Paul McGreevy, BVSc, PhD, FRCVS | Oct 13, 2025 | Equitation Science, Horse Welfare | 0 |

In academic publishing, critique and reply are essential to scientific progress. This letter—declined by the Equine Veterinary Journal—is published here to complete the public record. It clarifies key methodological issues in a study of noseband pressures and highlights the importance of open discourse for equine welfare policy.

The Perfect Bit for your Horse

by Emeritus Professor David Mellor | Oct 10, 2025 | Horse Welfare | 0 |

Emeritus Professor David Mellor—architect of the Five Domains Model—explores the biological and behavioural evidence showing that all bits, regardless of design, cause mouth pain. Drawing on decades of welfare science, he argues that the perfect bit is the one never placed in a horse’s mouth.