Welfare & Ethical Practice

Horse Welfare & Ethical Practice‍ ‍

The wellbeing of our horses is central to everything we do. Our work is grounded in respect, choice, and a commitment to creating positive experiences - not just the absence of harm.

The Five Domains of Animal Welfare

We use the Five Domains model to understand not just physical wellbeing, but the horse’s emotional experience.

Nutrition Access to appropriate forage, water, and feeding patterns that support natural grazing and digestion.

Physical Environment Space, shelter, footing, and the ability to move freely and choose distance from pressure.

Health Ongoing monitoring, preventative care, and responsiveness to signs of discomfort or fatigue.

Behavioural Interactions Opportunities for social connection, play, rest, and expression of natural behaviours within the herd.

All sessions are liberty-led and consent-based.

Mental State We prioritise calm, regulated, and positive emotional states. If a horse shows stress, we reduce demand, increase space, or stop.

Our horses live in environments that support movement, social connection, and choice - creating the foundation for ethical, effective work.

We blend guided moments, open exploration, and space to reflect—so theWe embed choice and consent into every interaction.

  • Horses are free to engage, move away, or rest

  • We pay close attention to body language and emotional state

  • We use clear, consistent communication

  • We reinforce through positive experience, not pressure

  • Sessions end with the horse’s wellbeing in mind

Each horse is treated as an individual, with their own needs, preferences, and thresholds. experience feels both focused and fluid.

Choice and Consent

  • “Our horses are not tools—they are partners."

    The Therapeutic Tutors CIC board member

  • “You can’t force a horse to understand you—you have to understand the horse.”

    Buck Brannaman

  • “The better we understand the horse’s natural behaviour, the less we need to control it.”

    Lucy Rees