You ride your horse with a martingale, but does it actually have the effect you intend it to? You use a twitch to restrain him during unpleasant procedures, but does it help or hurt? These are the types of questions equitation scientists have been trying to answer for more than a decade. They’ve been putting research behind the ways we train, house, and handle our horses to ensure better overall welfare.

We traveled to Vancouver, British Columbia, in August 2015 to attend the 11th annual

International Society of Equitation Science (ISES) conference, and we came away with a wealth of new knowledge about horses’ learning methods, indicators of stress, and responses to various equipment. Download our special report to learn more!