The Psychology Of:
A Learning Library
Webinar Series
“Every decision we make with horses has a psychological consequence, whether we acknowledge it or not.” Kerry M. Thomas
Educational webinar series hosted by Kerry M. Thomas, founder of Herd Dynamic Profiling™ and Sensory Soundness™, created to explore the emotional and psychological experience of the horse across a wide range of disciplines an topics.
At its core, this series is grounded in equine welfare; not as a checklist or regulation, but as responsibility that begins with understanding. Welfare does not start with rules or outcomes; it begins with recognizing how the horse experiences the world before we place expectation upon them.
Each webinar centers on a specific subject from pain and performance, saddle fitting and trailer loading, to training methods, management choices, emerging technologies, and everything in between, and examines it through the lens of natural herd dynamics, sensory processing, and emotional responsibility.
Kerry is joined in each session by a guest instructor; a respected professional, innovator, or thought leader working within their own area of expertise. Together, they bridge technical knowledge with the horse’s lived experience, offering insights that honor both science and sentience, and invite a more complete understanding of welfare in practice.
Horsemanship does not begin in the saddle, nor does it end with a ribbon; it begins within you, long before you ever touch a horse.
This series is not about quick fixes or rigid answers. It is about learning how to see the horse more clearly; understanding how our choices shape what the horse feels, carries, and remembers long after the moment has passed.
What to Expect
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45–70 minute recorded, classroom-style webinars
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A clearly outlined curriculum premise for each topic
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Practical insights grounded in real-world application
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Thoughtful discussion between disciplines, not siloed thinking
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A learning environment designed for the everyday horse person and the seasoned professional
Up Coming Webinar
The Psychology Of: Pain
with guest instructor Nancy Heiber
Pain is not just a physical event.
It is a neurological and psychological experience, one that shapes behavior, movement, perception, learning, and trust.
The inaugural webinar in The Psychology Of: series explores one of the most misunderstood and emotionally complex topics in the equine world: pain.
Hosted by Kerry M. Thomas and joined by internationally respected trainer and educator Nancy Heiber, this session examines the nature of pain, what it truly is, and how it is experienced by the horse before it is labeled, diagnosed, or addressed.
Together, Kerry and Nancy explore the intersection between physical discomfort, emotional and physiological processing, sensory load, and behavioral expression. The conversation asks not only where pain shows up, but how it lives within the horse, and how our interpretation, timing, and choices influence the horse’s ability to cope, adapt, or recover.
Grounded in welfare-first understanding, this webinar invites students to look beyond surface signs toward deeper awareness, responsibility, and compassionate decision-making.
Have a Question You’d Like Considered?
Participants are invited to submit thoughtful questions related to The Psychology Of: Pain for Kerry M. Thomas and guest instructor Nancy Heiber to consider during the recorded session.
Questions should explore understanding, interpretation, welfare, or the horse’s lived experience of pain. Selected questions will be discussed during the webinar, with first name and general location acknowledged where appropriate.
Please submit questions using the Question Submission Form provided on this page.
Submission Deadline:
Sunday, January 18
Please note:
This webinar is a recorded educational session, scheduled for recording on January 19. Submitting a question does not imply live participation. The webinar will be released to the Learning Library following post-production, anticipated on or after January 22, depending on final processing.
If your question is selected for discussion, you will be notified in advance and offered a thank-you discount toward this webinar.
Your Input Matters
Participants are invited to submit questions or topic-related considerations in advance of each scheduled webinar. Selected questions will be thoughtfully discussed during the recorded session, with first name and general location acknowledged where appropriate.
If your question is selected for discussion, you will be notified in advance and offered a thank- you discount toward that webinar. (Submission does not imply live attendance; webinars are recorded educational sessions.)
At its heart, The Psychology Of: exists to help us be the bridge, not the block. To better understand the operating system running the machine, and to close the gap between natural herd dynamics and the domesticated world we ask horses to live in.