About
What does life feel like… to the horse living it? In this keynote, Kerry M. Thomas presents a foundational perspective on equine welfare, one that moves beyond standards and practices, and into the lived experience of the horse. Drawing on Herd Dynamic Profiling™ and Sensory Soundness™, this talk explores how horses perceive, process, and respond to the environments we create and why true welfare cannot be separated into stages like breeding, training, and performance. Instead, it must be understood as one continuous life. Herd Dynamics and the horse’s natural operating system Sensory Soundness™ and perception-based behavior The difference between reaction and response Why behavior is communication—not a problem to fix The role of environment in emotional and physical development Why technology must align with the horse’s lived experience The importance of education in equine welfare and policy Welfare is not something we add to the horse’s life. It is something the horse experiences through the life we create. And if we do not understand how that life is experienced— then we cannot truly claim to provide welfare. Equine policy and welfare should not be built into disciplines… disciplines should be built around welfare. This keynote is intended for horse owners, trainers, breeders, veterinarians, policymakers, and anyone seeking a deeper, more meaningful understanding of the horse.
