Episode Overview:
In this episode, I’m joined by Philippa Christie, founder of Equine Partnership, bridle fitter, behaviour coach, and the force behind the Equine Academy. Philippa shares the story behind her work in equine education, her experience running multiple businesses, and her perspective on creating meaningful change in the industry.
We talk about the turning point that led her to re-evaluate traditional horsemanship practices, her commitment to safety in learning, and how her background in special education shaped her approach to training both horses and humans. Philippa also opens up about her experience with social media, learning to handle criticism, and how to create responsible, respectful conversations online.
What We Cover:
- The clinic accident that shaped Philippa’s desire to create safer learning environments
- How her background in special needs education influenced her horse training approach
- Founding workshops like Horse Listening and developing a large online community
- Why positive reinforcement and clear communication matter, especially in bridle fit
- What it takes to grow educational businesses without a formal academic background
- Thoughts on collaboration across disciplines and reducing judgment in the industry
- Managing criticism on social media and maintaining emotional boundaries
- The importance of speaking to your critics while holding your space respectfully
- Business lessons Philippa would apply if starting again
- What motivates her most: helping improve horses’ lived experiences
Key Quotes for social:
“I think the highlight is hearing that something online I’ve shared has improved a horse’s experience. That’s the validation I come back to.”
‘I didn’t listen to my intuition enough when I started the business’
I’ve made a lot of mistakes
Phillippa started The Equine Academy and Equine Partnerships to create safety for learners after a riding accident.
Would love to see more collaboration between academic and other learning styles – we all have something to contribute towards positive change in the equine industry.
Phillippa is speaking at our 2025 Healthy Horse Conference, and she has an amazing talk planned on bridle fit, and the welfare implications of bridle fit. This is an essential must listen to for both equine practitioners, coaches and horse owners.
Remember we have just 1 week left for our early bird tickets – offer ends 31st July.
You can book your conference tickets here – just select whether you’d like to join us in person or online.
