A Note From Dr. Steve Peters
Someone in Europe recently asked me, “It seems you’re very busy, and these Horse Brain Science Clinics in the United States fill up quickly. Are there really that many science geeks out there? I would have thought that was a small, esoteric group of academics.” It’s a fair question—but also a common misconception. The people who attend these clinics are not just scientists or horse professionals. They’re horse owners, riders, trainers, caretakers—people from all walks of life who share one thing: a deep desire to understand their horses better.
These clinics are for anyone with a learning mindset. Science doesn’t belong to a select few. It belongs to all of us. And when applied well, it becomes an incredibly practical tool. Science gives us the “why”—why your horse spooks, why timing matters in training, why pressure and release works when done correctly, and why certain methods may be unintentionally causing stress or confusion. It removes guesswork and replaces it with understanding.
What attendees take home isn’t just a list of facts or a collection of brainy terminology. What they take home is a new way of seeing and interacting with their horse. They learn how the horse’s brain processes information, how it forms habits, how it learns—and just as importantly, how it doesn’t. They learn how to recognize signs of stress versus signs of engagement, how to structure sessions to match the brain’s capacity for learning, and how to build trust and communication rooted in neuroscience rather than tradition or trend.
I love seeing the shift when someone holds a real horse brain and suddenly connects the dots between structure and behavior. That spark of recognition—that “Aha!” moment—changes everything. It’s not about memorizing parts of the brain; it’s about applying that knowledge to the real-world context of riding, training, management, and everyday interactions.
Everything your horse does—from standing quietly at the mounting block to navigating a trail, from responding to cues to reacting to novelty—is the result of neural processing. Every skill, every behavior, every moment of learning is written into their brain. Understanding that opens the door to more effective, compassionate, and successful horsemanship.A more scientifically informed and critically minded equine community is a community that elevates the welfare and experience of horses. That’s part of my mission and I believeit can be part of yours too.