Horsefriends international

Horse training is like an iceberg. We only see the top 2%, but the real work happens beneath the surface. In this solo episode, Celina takes you into the 98%: the neurological, emotional, and biomechanical layers that shape everything.

With clarity, scientific depth, and ethical grounding, she explains why experience isn't enough, how anthropomorphism leads us astray, and why modern training must be built on interdisciplinary knowledge.

Topics in this episode:

When experience becomes confirmation bias

The problem with humanizing horses

Why dorsal stability changes everything

How neuroscience, ethology & pain science inform training

What ethical horse training really means...

This episode doesn’t sugar-coat:
We discuss the new FEI-backed research video on bits – and why "working" often means "hurting."
With insights from Christina Wilkins and photographer Crispin Parellius.

👉 A call to rethink control, ethics, and equestrian culture.

In this episode, we take a unique look at the horse-human relationship through the lens of archaeology, history, and art.
Our guests, Karoline Kjesrud and Søssa Jørgensen, are part of the interdisciplinary research group The Horse, recently established at the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo. Their aim: to explore the cultural, historical, and ethical significance of horses in Norway – past, present, and future.
Why you should tune in:
This episode offers a rare combination of cultural history and horsemanship. Whether you're into Viking archaeology, ethical equestrianism, or artistic interpretations of the horse-human bond – this dialogue will...

Horses using tools? Yes – and it's groundbreaking. In this episode, Kate Farmer joins us, co-author of the study on tool use in horses conducted with Prof. Konstanze Krüger. What does it mean when horses deliberately use objects to achieve goals? What cognitive abilities are required – and how does this reshape our understanding of horses? Celina Skogan speaks with Kate Farmer about research, training, ethics – and why it’s time to rethink what we believe we know.