Ep. 40 Rethinking Riding Schools: Welfare, Workload and Industry Change

This episode explores a research paper surveying Canadian riding lesson facilities to understand how lesson horses are managed and the challenges of maintaining welfare. Caleigh Copelin and Dr Katrina Merkies discuss findings showing that while horse welfare was generally positive outside of riding, riding sessions themselves were associated with increased stress due to factors such as inconsistent rider techniques and demanding workloads. The conversation highlights gaps in regulation and oversight, industry perceptions of welfare, and practical ways to support lesson horse wellbeing through education, improved management, and wider industry standards. You can view this paper here: https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/cjas-2025-0008