Wondering where to find a horse behaviour specialist?

If your horse is anxious, frightened, aggressive, or behaving in ways you do not understand, it can be hard to know where to turn. You sense you need specialized guidance, but may feel hesitant trusting your horse with just anyone. Here is how to find the right help for you both.

But first, an unfortunate reality (with a practical solution).

In Canada and the United States, the horse training industry is completely unregulated.

This means anyone can provide services as a horse trainer or behaviour professional, regardless of experience or qualifications. Few owners would trust their horse to someone offering to perform colic surgery without first confirming they were a qualified veterinarian. Yet this is essentially what happens every day in the training world, often without owners realizing it. This lack of awareness can put both horses and their owners at risk.

While this reality is concerning, there is a clear solution: understand how to identify the right professional. The first step is knowing who you actually need to help with your horse’s problem.

Tip 1: Understand who you need

Sometimes it can be helpful to use a human analogy to better understand our horses. Imagine a child struggling in their drop-in gymnastics class at a local recreation centre. There could be several reasons why this is happening:

• The child might not yet have the solid skill base needed to perform more complex manoeuvres.

• They might be experiencing pain due to an undiagnosed physical issue.

• Or, some aspect of the class could be causing them to feel anxious.

Each situation requires a different solution and professional: one-on-one lessons with a gymnastics coach, an appointment and workup with a paediatrician, or support from a mental health professional.

When horses show behaviour problems, they are usually doing so because they are experiencing stress and strong emotions such as anxiety, fear, frustration, or even anger. Just as a mental health professional is best suited to help an anxious child, emotion-based behaviour problems in horses are best addressed by someone with specialized education in behaviour and learning. Understanding who you need naturally leads to the next tip.

Tip 2: What to look for in a horse behaviour specialist

When looking for professional guidance with your horse, you should look for someone who has two key qualities:

• An appropriate education

• Relevant experience with your horse's issue

Their education: To assess and address behaviour problems in horses, your professional needs a specialized background. This typically includes formal education in fields such as animal behaviour, learning theory, psychology, physiology, and related sciences.

Behaviour problems are not simply “training issues.” They often involve fear, stress, pain, genetic influences, the horse’s prior learning history, and environmental factors. Without a solid educational foundation in animal behaviour, it is easy to misinterpret horse behaviour and apply approaches that suppress symptoms rather than address underlying causes. A qualified behaviour professional should be able to explain why a behaviour is occurring, not just how to stop it, and should use low-stress horse training methods grounded in modern behavioural science rather than tradition or anecdote.

Their experience: Equally important, a qualified professional will have experience working with the specific problem you and your horse are facing. The best way to determine this is to ask directly. You are well within your rights as a consumer to ask about a professional’s experience and how they have approached similar cases in the past, before you hire them. If your horse has a rare or unusual behaviour issue that the professional has not worked with before, they should be comfortable telling you so and either (a) referring you to a colleague who can help, or (b) collaborating with more experienced colleagues while working on your case.

While interviewing professionals, it can also be helpful to listen carefully to how they discuss possible causes for your horse's behaviour. Potential red flags include explanations that rely heavily on concepts such as dominance, disrespect, or a supposed lack of leadership. Before offering specific training advice, qualified professionals will typically ask detailed questions about your horse’s history, environment, and health, which leads to the next tip.

Tip 3: Before you book that first consult...

Consider having your horse examined by your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Pain is a very common cause of unwanted behaviour in horses, and a qualified behaviour professional will always consider it as a root cause or contributing factor, particularly if the behaviour is new, worsening, or involves aggressive displays such as kicking or biting. One of the ways we identify possible pain in horses is through changes in behaviour, and a qualified horse behaviour specialist will have training in what to look for. With this information, the right professional will also be happy to work collaboratively with your veterinarian to support your horse.

Even the most qualified horse behaviour specialist cannot 'train away' pain.

Because of this, they will almost always ask you about your horse's recent veterinary examinations and medical history. If a professional does not consider pain as part of their assessment, this should be treated as a significant warning sign.

In summary

Horse behaviour problems can feel overwhelming, but you don't have to navigate them alone. Working with a qualified horse behaviour professional can help you better understand your horse’s behaviour, reduce risk, and create a practical, evidence-based plan for lasting improvement.

If you would like individualized guidance for your horse’s specific situation, you can learn more about my online horse behaviour consultation services here.