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Kerry M Thomas
 Equine Psychology 

 

"Blending the Art of Horsemanship,

with the Science of Nature".

Education, Consulting,

Behavioral Analysis & Coaching

"Be the Bridge, Not The Block"

"Bridging the gap between the natural herd dynamic and the domesticated world."

Step through the Doorway of Equine Psychology

When people ask me to describe my work in Horse Psychology, I often say that I am a translator of the equine mind. As an Equine Psychologist, my focus is on understanding and interpreting the psychological and sensory dynamics of horses, delving deep into how they perceive and respond to their environment. We all know what horses are; my work is about uncovering the unique elements that define who a horse is. It’s a journey of discovery, revealing the emotional and psychological nuances that shape their behavior and performance, bridging the gap between human intention and equine emotion.

What You’ll Discover: At the core of my approach is the belief that every horse has a unique psychological profile—a combination of Sensory Soundness, Stress Tolerance Thresholds, Individual and Group Herd Dynamics, Performance Capacity, and Emotional Intelligence Levels. These pillars shape a horse’s experience of their world and understanding them is key to fostering a deeper connection and a more effective partnership between horse and human. Through ongoing research and innovative methodologies, including the pioneering concept of Sensory Soundness, I aim to enhance the bond between ourselves and our horses. Sensory Soundness connects the physical world with the emotional horse, acting as the operating system that runs the machine. It measures a horse’s capacity to harmonize with their environment, mitigate emotional stress, and achieve the all-important harmony and contentment through the efficiency of their sensory sequence. For the herd-wired horse, harmony with their environment and contentment with their peers is the true definition of happiness. Understanding herd dynamics and the impacts of herd psychology in the domesticated environment is critical to comprehending how horses emotionally absorb, process, and express stress. This insight is central to my work in Equine Psychology, as I strive to help horses achieve a better state of emotional well-being. By analyzing a horse’s sensory profile—encompassing visual, auditory, and tactile sensitivities—we gain invaluable insights into who the horse is, not just what they are. This holistic perspective acknowledges the interconnectedness of a horse’s sensory experiences with their overall emotional well-being and performance all within the framework of natural herd dynamics. Your Journey with Us: As you explore this website, you’ll discover a wealth of resources—from in-depth equestrian lessons and lectures to tailored services—all crafted to deepen your understanding and support of your equine partners. Whether I’m leading a clinic, presenting a lecture, or pioneering new research, my mission is to equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to better understand and enrich your relationship with your horse, and to appreciate the internal beauty inherent in all horses. Through the lens of herd psychology, I explore how horses interpret their surroundings, adapt to situational chaos, and manage stress relative to their physical movements and the emotional environments around them—concepts that form the backbone of my educational offerings. This unique approach blends the art of horsemanship with the science of nature, offering you a journey of discovery that will deepen your understanding of the horse and unlock the hidden talent within each of you. Join me on this journey through the equine mind. Explore our services, dive into our educational opportunities, and discover the profound connection that can be achieved when we truly take our view, from the hoof. "When we discover how our horses are communicating with their environment, we can learn how to properly communicate with them. To better understand the world of the horse, we must explore the horse's view of their world." —KMT

Live Webinar *

January 30th, 2025 1:00pm - 3:00pm Eastern/ NYC USA. 

Understanding Herd Psychology in a Domesticated World 

Develop tools to “be the bridge and not the block,” creating better communication and relationships.

Who is this webinar for? Equine professionals, including trainers, breeders, and behaviorists, looking to enhance their understanding of natural herd dynamics to improve training and performance outcomes. Equestrian enthusiasts who want to deepen their knowledge of horses’ emotional and social structures. People interested in learning innovative, practical strategies for bridging the gap between natural and domesticated environments. Horses in domestication often experience psychological isolation, residual stress, and challenges in adapting to artificial herd environments created by humans. Many owners and equine professionals struggle to: Interpret the nuanced emotional and social dynamics of horses. Maintain emotional connectivity when physical freedom is limited. Understand how hierarchy, herd roles, and peer filters influence a horse's behavior and training outcomes. This webinar addresses these gaps by teaching students how to communicate with their horses effectively and create a more emotionally harmonious environment, even in domestication. By attending this webinar, students will: Gain a deep understanding of natural herd dynamics and the emotional relationships within a herd. Learn practical strategies to build emotional connectivity with their horses, fostering harmony and reducing stress. Develop tools to “be the bridge and not the block,” creating better communication and relationships. Discover how to support their horses’ inherent psychology and emotional needs in a domesticated setting, leading to improved training results and overall well-being.

Webinar will be recorded

Please note that this webinar will be recorded and made available for purchase on our school platform. By registering, you acknowledge and agree that your participation, including any questions you may ask during the session, may be included in the recording. Tickets are non transferable.

New Masterclass

Mind of the Horse 2

The Mind of the Horse -Lesson Module Two-

Equine Psychology Masterclass

Identifying Stress Tolerance Markers: Part One

How will this course help me?

Takes your horsemanship to a new level; gaining a deeper understanding of how the operating system is running the machine helps you – identify and remedy training issues – build stronger relationships – select compatible horses in your future – teaches you how to enrich and nurture the horses you love.  

About This Module: This module invites you to step into an exclusive, in-depth exploration of equine psychology through a real-time coaching and evaluation session recorded live. You’ll experience what I see as it unfolds, gaining access to my in-the-moment observations, thoughts, and tailored coaching recommendations. These insights are paired with the comprehensive written evaluation of each of the six videos that comprise the full session. Detailed psychoanalysis and film breakdowns provide an even deeper examination, offering actionable insights. This course, shaped by more than 25 years of my life’s work, is your opportunity to look through a Rosetta Stone and truly see what I see. In this module, we focus on recognizing subtle stress markers, empowering you to implement stress release interventions that enhance your horse’s sensory processing and psychological resilience. You’ll discover practical tools to assess stress tolerance, manage mental fatigue, and build your horse’s emotional cushion. These strategies foster lasting improvements that seamlessly translate to real-life environments—whether on the trail, in training, or during competition—improving your horse’s emotional wellness, trainability, and overall quality of life. Join me as I once again work with Deej and Robin in a case study generously shared by Robin because she “wants to help me, help others too!” Together, we identify and address stress indicators, helping Deej learn to self-harmonize within his environment while maintaining an emotional connection with his human partner. The most challenging hurdles for any horse to navigate are the ones between their ears. Sensory inefficiency, mental fatigue, interrupted duration of focus—all contribute to the accumulation of stress, dramatically impeding physical performance. For both horse and rider, time and interpretation present a far more daunting pathway of challenges on the journey of progress than anything physical. Navigating the unseen psychological landscape on an open dance floor allows us to focus exclusively on mentally preparing the horse and rider for the challenges of performance. By strengthening our intuitive relationship, we bridge the gap between the natural herd dynamic and the domesticated world. These foundational life skills deepen the bond between horse and rider, fostering harmony and success in daily routines and shared experiences. By teaching your horse to manage everyday stresses effectively, you’ll minimize the risk of stress accumulation impacting performance or compromising the health of your relationship. Please note that, as this video content stems from a real-life coaching session, some client/coach communication has been muted to respect privacy. The lessons and insights, however, remain as impactful and relevant as ever. Join me on this journey into the mind of the horse, and unlock the tools to enhance your connection, communication, and success with your equine partner. Why This Module Matters Emotional stress profoundly impacts physical performance and overall well-being—for both horses and humans. In horses, emotional stress often accumulates quietly, unnoticed. From the saddle, where physical action and direction dominate our focus—or when we become inwardly preoccupied—it’s easy to miss these subtle cues. The key lies in early intervention: knowing how to release just a little pressure before the teapot begins to whistle. Small, well-timed psychological interventions expand a horse’s duration of focus and mitigate emotional fatigue. While emotional stress can erupt into sudden, seemingly unprovoked reactions, these responses always have an origin. This module will help you identify and address those origins upstream, long before escalation occurs. In this lesson, we explore what I call “in-saddle life skills.” These essential skills are best developed in a controlled, curated environment with minimal distractions, where the focus shifts to time in motion—or what I refer to as a horse’s duration of focus. For many horses, duration of focus is the greatest challenge they face, far outweighing any physical obstacles in their environment. To take your learning even further, this Masterclass includes an exclusive opportunity for personalized coaching. Along with the worksheet designed to enhance your observational abilities and refine your emotional communication, you can submit a video of your observations and notes for my personal review. Through this interactive coaching session, I will provide tailored critique and advisement, helping you identify stress markers, know when and how to mentally intervene, and fine-tune your approach. This addition bridges the gap between knowledge and mastery, offering you practical, personalized guidance to strengthen your connection with your horse. Case Study: Deej In this second module of the Mind of the Horse series, we revisit Deej, a horse whose stress tolerance markers become increasingly evident during our session in the outdoor arena. This carefully curated setting offers the ideal foundation for evaluating a horse like Deej, who tends to express his stress loudly and suddenly in unpredictable, at-large environments. Together, we’ll uncover the “somewhere”—the origin point—from which these seemingly spontaneous reactions emerge. As you stand side by side with me throughout this session, you’ll observe, evaluate, and learn as I coach Robin to anticipate and identify Deej’s stress tolerances. By expanding Deej’s—and Robin’s—duration of focus, we’ll work toward creating a critical psychological cushion. The psychological cushion is where mind and body find balance. It is within this space that we coach, train, and improve, unlocking a horse’s self-awareness and emotional depth perception. Here lies the opportunity to nurture and expand a horse’s psychological capacity for growth. This is Part One of the Identifying Stress Tolerance Markers lesson series, which will feature real-life case studies across a range of disciplines, including Dressage, Eventing, Show Jumping, Therapy, and Thoroughbred Racing, with pleasure horses also forming part of this broader study. Disclaimer: The order and timing of these lessons depend on agreements with private clients who wish to participate. Clients whose cases qualify for these modules will receive their horse’s full psychological evaluation at no cost. While in-person sessions are ideal, they are not strictly required. High-quality video footage can also be used for qualifying cases. Each case is unique, and specific circumstances, environments, and factors will determine eligibility. If you are interested in submitting your horse for this unique lesson module with the Institute for Advanced Equine Studies, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Your case can help us, help others.

 Our Internationally Acclaimed

#1 Service 

Through our Psychological Profile Evaluation, gain unparalleled insights into who your horse truly is. 

A Horses View

“Our Boutique Services, Education Modules, and Special Events are all designed and curated for a refined and deeply insightful approach to equine psychology.” ~kmt

Latest Podcast: 
Equine PTSD and Navigating Trauma

Beyond the hoof Podcast

In this episode of Beyond The Hoof with Kerry & Daphne, we explore the profound impact of Equine PTSD and trauma on horses' emotional and physical well-being. Kerry delves into the mechanisms behind emotional scars, the role of herd dynamics, and the power of positive associations in healing. Learn how understanding a horse's sensory system and anticipatory responses can unlock new pathways to emotional recovery. We also discuss Reflective Learning Therapy and the incredible connection between horses and humans in processing stress and anxiety. Join us for an inspiring conversation on fostering emotional wellness in our equine partners.

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Events: 
2025 schedule of events coming soon!

Testimonials

I came across Kerry from THT Bloodstock about 9 months ago and have been obsessed since.  His knowledge and understanding of Herd Dynamics and Sensory Soundness is unrivalled.  I have listened to podcasts, had my horses sensory soundness mapping done, read his book and even attended his inaugural 2 day seminar in Sutton Forest, Australia.  Kerry’s unique understanding of horses and his ability to teach and enhance horse owners understanding of their own horses is amazing.  I have learnt so much from Kerry and I now look at horses in a completely different way.  Kerry’s saying “the operating system runs the machine” is so vital to understanding horses and their behaviours,  that I feel every horse person should be exposed to Kerry’s teachings.  I can’t wait for all of his new course offerings and I hope that if you are reading this, you too delve into the world of Herd Dynamics and Sensory Soundness.  You will not be disappointed.

 Lisa Savli   ACT, Australia

Wild Horses

"A horse lives by the laws of their nature. Where they fit in to the herd, how they interpret their world, how they learn, how they're coached, how they ultimately perform, is governed by the rules of that nature; it is wise to make and effort, to understand it."

Kerry M Thomas

Advanced Equine Studies Membership
Run Happy Race Horse
Sensory Soundness Clinic
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Kerry Thomas Teaching Seminar
Kerry M Thomas
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Danni Glover and Kerry Thomas
Discover Australia Kerry Thomas
Australia Event Perth
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