Our Horses’ Biggest Behavioural Problems… Come From Us? Horsemanship Trainer Leo Rauscher Explains

What if some of the behavioural problems we see in our horses are actually behaviours we have unintentionally taught them?

In this episode of The Stable Hour, Eva Cappelen sits down with horsemanship trainer Leo Rauscher, who works predominantly within the international showjumping industry, helping people understand their horses and helping horses understand their people.

But this conversation isn't only about difficult horses.

It's about everything that happens before a problem becomes a problem.

Understanding how horses communicate. How they respond to pressure. Why preparation matters. The balance between empathy and leadership. And how the small things we do every day can shape the behaviours we see later.

Together, Eva and Leo discuss young horses, groundwork, travelling, loading, handling, pressure and release, trust, leadership, and why we sometimes unintentionally teach horses the exact behaviours we later try to correct.

They also question some of the habits deeply rooted in our sport: why we lead, lunge, free-jump and warm up horses predominantly in one direction, why we expect horses to simply know how to handle situations they may never have been properly prepared for, and whether we have become so specialised in the sport that we sometimes overlook the foundations underneath it.

A thought-provoking and practical conversation about horsemanship, behaviour, communication, and becoming better at understanding the horses we work with every day.

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Hosted by Eva Cappelen

Creative Director & Brand Design: Paulina Sakuta

Produced by: The Stable Hour Productions ApS

Music: Saachi Studios