Kate Matthews Equestrian

31/01/2026

We made it 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
The last day of January is here!

Roll on February, roll on springtime 🌼

Congratulations everyone that was officially the longest month EVER!!!

🌺🌷💐

30/01/2026

Elvis stash of rosettes over the last 4yrs!! 😳

What do you all do with rosettes? Couldn’t possibly display them all 🤷🏼‍♀️

28/01/2026

How nice to have been nominated by a lovely client 🥰 what a lovely compliment on this sunny morning xx

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AMehHtc7H/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Instructor of the Year – in association with Equinnect

Great instructors are often the reason people stay riding or build a bond with their horse. They build confidence, put safety and horse welfare first, and support riders through every stage, from nervous first lessons to long-term goals, be it in or out the saddle.

This award is about recognising those instructors who make a real difference. The freelance coaches, the riding school instructors, the quiet one-person operations, and the people who show up week after week with patience, knowledge, and genuine care.

If you know an instructor who goes the extra mile, someone who explains, encourages, challenges, and truly supports you, we’d love to hear about them.

Nominations are now open for Instructor of the Year, in association with Equinnect.

Whether they teach full-time, part-time, or independently, this is your chance to recognise their impact.

👉 Please share this post, tag your instructor in the comments and nominate someone who deserves recognition via our website

25/01/2026

Lovely clinic this morning , so grateful to have this lovely little indoor arena at this time of year.

Thank you to all the riders that came and worked hard, and all the smiley faces at the end of the sessions, as always a bit rubbish with the photos but did remember the first two groups 🤗

Happy Sunday x

24/01/2026

Love this ❤️

Mistakes = Training Opportunities

23/01/2026

I’ve learnt so much having Elvis out, I’m embarrassed to say that convenience blurred the vision of what he needed, he’s 100% living his best life, I am 100 % covered in mud all the time 🤣🤣

I’m going to say something that makes people uncomfortable.
I’m okay with that.

If the idea of your horse slipping, tripping, tweaking something, or injuring themselves while just… being a horse feels intolerable to you, it might be time to pause and reflect on horse ownership.

Not judge. Reflect.

Horses are not fragile antiques. They are not fine china. They are not financial portfolios that must be preserved in mint condition.

They are big, reactive, occasionally chaotic prey animals who evolved to move, roam, graze, roll, argue with the wind, and yes, sometimes fall over for no good reason at all.

I hear versions of this constantly:

“My horse is too valuable to risk turnout.” “He’s had an injury, I can’t let him move freely.” “I just couldn’t cope if something else happened.”

And honestly, I understand that fear. Loving a horse rewires your nervous system. The stakes feel enormous.

But here’s the uncomfortable part.

When fear starts dictating:

• minimal turnout
• restricted movement
• prolonged confinement
• lives shaped around human anxiety rather than equine needs

We quietly slide from protection into control.

Welfare is not the same as risk elimination. Welfare is about weighing risk against quality of life.

A horse can injure themselves in a stable. A horse can colic standing still. A horse can suffer a catastrophic injury doing absolutely nothing dramatic at all.

Removing all risk is a fantasy. Movement is real. Choice is real. Social contact is real. Being allowed to live like a horse is real.

Of course there are nuances. Rehab cases. Acute injuries. Vet-led restrictions. This is not a call to be careless or irresponsible.

It is an invitation to ask an honest question:

Am I managing my horse’s wellbeing…
or am I managing my own fear?

If the thought of your horse living a full, imperfect, slightly risky life feels unbearable, that’s not a moral failing. But it is something worth sitting with.

Because horses don’t owe us lifelong soundness. They don’t owe us predictability. They don’t owe us protection from our own anxiety.

They deserve a life.

🐴

23/01/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C7CMnbR5h/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Happy Friday all 🤗

I’ll just be here praying for some sunshine ☀️

I wanted to share with you some comments I’ve had this week from returning clients 🥰

“I feel better the minute I’ve made the appointment”

“It feels like a treat, like me time”

“Before sessions I feel a bit apprehensive but after I feel instantly lighter”

“I have been a better person since I’ve understood my nervous system better, not so grumpy and reactive”

This week has been a great week for some really powerful sessions, and I’m loving the progress with returning clients.

It’s easy to get started, just book your initial FREE call, and we can work, face to face, online or at

Have a great weekend

Kate 🥰

22/01/2026

Anyone else tried this?
What did you think?
Can’t decide if it’s nice or not 🤣

22/01/2026

Rocked up to our lesson today covered in mud and rocking the “we live out” vibe 🙄

Proceeded to be consistently on the wrong diagonal, despite this Elvis was a rockstar as always, training will be the motto of 2026, thank you as always to .lamy.1 who quietly but effectively kicks me where is needed!!

Loving the learning as always 🙃

22/01/2026

‼️Spaces available at Downe this Sunday at 12 noon for poles to jump clinic, all welcome 🤗 ‼️

Pls get in touch if you’d like to book in, it’s a lovely indoor school, always a great supportive crowd of riders too 💪🏻