Northumberland College Equestrian Centre at Kirkley Hall

04/06/2026

🎬 Session 4 - Artificial Intelligence: the future is here – National Equine Forum 2026

Another recording from the Forum is now available.

Watch here:
https://youtu.be/4_rPUC3RVPs

04/06/2026

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03/06/2026

What your horse's mouth is telling you 🐴
When a horse opens his mouth under saddle, we tend to call it resistance.
The research suggests he's far more often telling us something simpler: that he's uncomfortable.

Mouth opening, tongue movement, head tossing, tail swishing - behaviours scored as faults in dressage - are, in much of the evidence, signals of discomfort, pain or stress. But because the rules frame them as the horse's problem, we reach for a solution aimed at the horse: a tighter noseband.

It's a perfect example of a band-aid. The signal goes quiet, but nothing underneath it has changed.

In our recent paper - the Horse Welfare 12 - we use this to show what working at deeper levels could look like instead. Giving riders rein-tension feedback so they can SEE the pressure they're applying. Building that tension into how dressage is scored. Creating spaces for riders, judges and officials to examine the mindset underneath it all.

None of this is about blaming riders. Riders are responding intelligently to a system that rewards a quiet mouth and penalises a busy one. That's the whole point — the behaviour is the system speaking through the individual.

The FEI introduced a noseband-tightness limit in 2025. It's a meaningful step. Our framework helps explain why, on its own, a number is rarely enough.

The paper is published in a subscription journal, which means not everyone will have access via the journal, but you can access an author's copy via our website:
• Journal version: https://doi.org/10.1080/10888705.2026.2676630
• Author's manuscript (free download): https://tinyurl.com/HW12-AM

03/06/2026

CONGRATULATIONS to Alexus Walden for passing her BHS stage 2 exam!
Alexus is an Equine Apprentice at Stepney Bank Stables where she has been trained and supported throughout her apprenticeship. A great achievement. Very proud !
Stepney Bank Stables

02/06/2026

02/06/2026

We still have a few spaces available for working livery/ loan horses. for 2026/27. We offer 2 different working livery packages for the new academic year, starting in September, to run alongside our existing loan agreement. Are you starting a family, going to university but don't want to sell your horse and just need them looking after while your away. Maybe you're just struggling to get your horse worked through the week due to work commitment's? We may have a livery package that would suit your needs. Horses must be sound, safe and sensible in all aspects of ridden and in hand work. Ideally horses over 15hh and of cob type. No thoroughbreds please. For more information please email [email protected]

29/05/2026

Proud to work with Emma Carmichael Equestrian who supports and trains equine apprentices- Maisie Taylor and Olivia Bingham. We wish the whole team a very successful Defender Bramham Horse Trials.

29/05/2026

Not sure we are experiencing the current heatwave here in the North East….

But if it does warm up again 😎, these will be useful!

28/05/2026

Great initiative and fantastic to see British Bridleless Competition. Good luck to everyone competing!

27/05/2026