The Compassionate Equestrian

This book presents a collaboration between veterinarian and author Dr. Allen Schoen and trainer and competitor Susan Gordon. It introduces the 25 Principles of Compassionate Equitation, a set of developmental guidelines designed to encourage personal awareness. These principles apply not only to interactions with horses but can extend to all humans and sentient beings. The 25 Principles include stories and peer-reviewed studies supporting training, handling, and care methods that create safe, healthy, non-stressful, and pain-free environments for horses. Through the Compassionate Equestrian program, the authors encourage those in the horse industry to approach their work with compassion and a commitment to reducing suffering. By developing deeper compassion for their horses, equestrians can transcend differences in breed preferences, riding disciplines, and training methods. This fosters empathy and connection within the global community of horses and horse people. The authors argue that because people involved with horses occupy influential positions across society, they have potential to influence wide circles of friends, acquaintances, and coworkers. They present these as simple changes that can have broad impact on both the horse industry and society.