Curious Equestrian

Horse riding has a cost problem the industry rarely addresses directly. Lessons most families can't afford. Schools closing at a rate that suggests something structural is breaking down. A sport quietly narrowing its own audience.
Chloe is doing something the industry says isn't viable: offering riding lessons for free, funded by a social media following and a community that believes access matters. This episode is about how she built it, what it actually costs to run, and whether a free lessons model can survive long term.
Anna Louise asks the questions that often get avoided: who is horse riding actually for? And if the traditional riding school model keeps failing, what comes next?
Chloe is honest about the financial reality, clear-eyed about the pressures of daily content creation, and not interested in making it sound simpler than it is.
📧: [email protected]/Chloeincornwall

www.youtube.com/@chloeincornwallSubscribe to the Curious Equestrian newsletter at https://www.curiousequestrian.co.uk

Hay prices have doubled. Some suppliers have nothing left. If you're a horse owner right now, this episode could save you time, money, and a lot of sleepless nights.Anna-Louise sits down with Nick from NP Nunn — a major hay, bedding, and feed supplier to stud farms and racing yards across the UK — to get an honest, ground-level view of the 2026 hay shortage crisis. Nick explains exactly why the shortage happened, how he's adapted his business to keep horses fed, and what horse owners can expect for the rest of the season.https://npnunn.co.uk/In this episode:Why the UK hay shortage started last June — and why it's still getting worse.How suppliers like NP Nunn are now importing hay from France, Belgium, Ireland and Scotland.The hidden nightmare of customs: one lorry held for 28 hours with correct paperwork.Why prices have doubled — and the extra 10% fuel surcharge now hitting buyers.The difference between French "crow hay" and UK meadow hay — and whether it's safe for your horse.What Nick predicts for the new hay crop and when supply might ease.How the war in the Middle East is affecting the wider equine supply chain.Whether you're a livery yard owner, a private horse keeper, or just trying to keep your horses fed this spring — this one is essential listening.🕒 Support the podcast: Shop our merch and browse our bookshop (links below)The Curious Equestrian challenges conventional wisdom in the horse world. We interview researchers, vets, and evidence-based trainers to ask uncomfortable questions about how we care for and train horses.🔔 New episodes every two weeksSubscribe to our newsletter: www.curiousequestrian.co.ukBook shop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrianMerch: https://curiousequestrian.teemill.com/

Horse trainer and author Kate Sandel invites you to rethink what it really means for a horse to be well – in body and in mind. If your horse isn’t mentally with you, she argues, you’re not truly training together, you’re just doing things to them.
In this conversation, we explore how to see the horse in front of you more clearly, soften your expectations, and build a partnership that feels good for both of you. Drawing on French classical riding, horsemanship, and bodywork, Kate shares practical ways to centre the horse’s experience in everyday training choices.
Why you can’t separate a horse’s physical soundness from their emotional state.

How to notice who your horse actually is, instead of who you hoped they’d be.

The truth behind so‑called “naughty” behaviour, and what it might be telling you.

Why simple walking with your horse is one of the most underrated tools you have.

What really makes a great teacher – for horses and for humans in the arena.

How grassroots equestrians can nudge the wider horse world toward kinder training.

Kate is a UK‑based horsemanship teacher, French classical riding practitioner (École de Légèreté trainee), equine sports massage therapist, and author of Riding In Release. From her base on Dartmoor, she runs Soft & Sound, offering lessons, clinics, and online support for more ethical horse–human partnerships.
Links and resources
Resources & After Hours Q&A (newsletter): https://www.curiousequestrian.co.uk/horse-human-partnership-right-question

Soft & Sound: https://softandsound.org/

Riding In Release: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/4745/9781908809940

Newsletter: https://www.curiousequestrian.co.uk

Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrian

Merch: https://curiousequestrian.teemill.com/

Do you care for a senior horse and want to ensure they are happy and healthy? Then you won't want to miss this episode written and narrated by Sue Palmer.
Sue is an experienced equestrian physiotherapist with over 25 years in the industry. Sue has worked with inspiring owners and professionals during her career, and she's here to share her insights and expertise on caring for older horses.
Sue's Free Horse Massage Mini MasterclassThe Inquisitive Herd — free newsletterEvery episode includes an after-hours conversation available only to subscribers. Subscribe free at www.curiousequestrian.co.ukBooks written by Sue PlamerHorse Massage for Horse Owners — Sue Palmer Harmonious Horsemanship — Sue Palmer and Sue Dyson Browse our bookshop: bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrian

Sue Palmer is a chartered physiotherapist who works with horses and riders every day. Her mission, which she has given herself until 2030 to achieve, is straightforward: she wants every equestrian to understand that pain and behaviour in horses are linked. That when a horse is called naughty, difficult, or lazy, the first question should be whether that horse is in pain.
In this episode, Anna Louise sits down with Sue to talk through what horse massage means in practice - not as a luxury, but as a tool for listening.
Free Horse Massage Mini Masterclassthehorsephysio.co.uk

The Inquisitive Herd — free newsletter
Every episode includes an after-hours conversation available only to subscribers. Subscribe free B

ooks mentioned in this episode
Horse Massage for Horse Owners — Sue PalmerHarmonious Horsemanship — Sue Palmer and Sue Dyson
Browse our bookshop:
bookshop.org/shop/curiousequestrian