PRACTICAL COOPERATIVE CARE WITH HORSES
Understand Horses presents a practical weekend workshop on cooperative care with horses with equine behaviourists and trainers Justine Harrison and Trudi Dempsey.
12-13 SEPTEMBER 2026
LODDINGTON COPPICE EQUINE HEALTHCARE, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
Justine Harrison & Trudi Dempsey
PresenterS
PRACTICAL COOPERATIVE CARE WITH HORSES
An interactive two-day workshop that brings together behavioural science and practical husbandry training to explore what genuine cooperative care looks like for horses at home and in veterinary and husbandry settings.
Through presentations, live demonstrations, behavioural observation, practical training sessions and structured discussion, we'll explore how horses learn, how to recognise and respond to stress, and how to prepare horses for common husbandry and veterinary procedures in ways that improve both welfare and safety.
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The first day focuses on the foundations of cooperative care: recognising and interpreting behaviour accurately, using a structured assessment framework to identify when a horse is ready to proceed, and understanding how the physical and social environment influences behaviour before training even begins. A unique feature of the workshop is the opportunity to learn within the environment of Loddington Coppice Equine Healthcare, a purpose-built equine nursing facility and free movement livery designed to minimise stress and support horse welfare during treatment, rehabilitation and recovery. Together we'll explore how thoughtful design, handling systems and day-to-day management can influence behaviour, reduce stress and improve the horse's experience, and discuss how many of these principles can be applied in everyday veterinary practices, livery yards and private homes.
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The second day builds on these foundations, exploring how learning theory underpins cooperative care, how individual husbandry behaviours can be trained, and how to develop behaviour chains that encourage willing participation during veterinary and husbandry procedures. We'll demonstrate a variety of cooperative care techniques, consider how they can be adapted to different horses and situations, and discuss the practical decisions that underpin successful training.
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Suitable for everyone with horses in their care or as part of their work, including veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, equine behaviourists, trainers, yard managers, rehabilitation professionals, equine dentists, farriers, physiotherapists and horse owners with an interest in moving beyond compliance-based handling towards evidence-informed, welfare-centred practice.
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This workshop takes place at Loddington Coppice Equine Healthcare, a purpose-built equine nursing facility and free movement livery. We will have the opportunity to tour the venue with owner Sam Tibbetts, a registered equine vet nurse. We will explore how the environment itself has been designed to reduce stress, support recovery and improve horse welfare, and discuss how many of these principles can be adapted to their own veterinary practice, yard or home.
Throughout the weekend, we will observe horses working in real time, analyse behavioural responses, discuss training strategies and examine the ethical questions that arise when balancing necessary care with horse welfare. We'll consider what choice looks like in horses, where cooperative care sits within a broader commitment to equine wellbeing, and how evidence-informed decision making can help create safer, calmer and more positive experiences for both horses and the people caring for them.
Two-day workshop: £240 per person.
Tickets must be purchased online in advance.
The ticket price includes a buffet lunch and tea/coffee on both days.
No ticket refunds are available within 7 days of the start of the event.
Tickets will be refunded in full if the workshop is cancelled for any reason.
MEET THE PrESENTERS
TRUDI DEMPSEY
Trudi is a Certified Equine Behaviour Consultant with the IAABC and a member of their Application Review Committee. She is also an Accredited Animal Behaviourist with the ABTC offering in-person and online consultations. Trudi has been offering her own unique blend of classical dressage and positive reinforcement since the ’90s. She specialises in developing behaviour change by creating low stress learning environments. Trudi presents clinics, talks, and workshops in person throughout the UK and webinars and courses online around the world. She contributes to Your Horse magazine and the peer reviewed IAABC Journal. She hosts the behaviour and training podcast ‘Lead a Horse to Water’.
On-Demand Courses:
AN INTRODUCTION TO TRAINING HORSES WITH FOOD
HOW TO CREATE A SUCCESSFUL TRAINING PLAN
UNDERSTAND CLICKER TRAINING FOR HORSES
Accredited Course:
PROFESSIONAL HORSE TRAINER CERTIFICATE
On-Demand Webinars:
BETTER BEGINNINGS - BUILDING RESILIENCE IN YOUNG HORSES
(with Gabriel Lencioni)
BUILDING TRUST: CO-OPERATIVE CARE FOR HORSES
(with Gabriel Lencioni)
EQUINE BEHAVIOURIST OR TRAINER?
(with Justine Harrison)
JUSTINE HARRISON
Justine is the founder of Understand Horses and has been practicing as a horse behaviour consultant since 2007. She is a Certified Equine Behaviour Consultant with the IAABC, the organisation’s UK Co-Chair and a member of the Application Review Committee. She is also a registered Accredited Animal Behaviourist with the Animal Behaviour & Training Council. Justine is a visiting lecturer on the BSc (Hons) Equine Behavioural Science degree at ARU Writtle (formerly Writtle University College) and also acts as an expert consultant in court cases involving equine behaviour. She holds lectures and workshops around the UK and regularly contributes to a wide variety of international publications – either writing articles, commenting or answering specific questions about horse behaviour and training.
On-Demand Courses:
UNDERSTAND EQUINE BODY LANGUAGE
Instructor-Led Course:
HORSE BEHAVIOUR CONSULTING MENTORSHIP
On-Demand Webinars:
AN INTRODUCTION TO HORSE BEHAVIOUR CONSULTING
EQUINE BEHAVIOURIST OR TRAINER?
(with Trudi Dempsey)