Dorothy Heffernan

Dorothy Heffernan is the author of a series of blogs about equine behaviour, ethology and psychology written to help horse owners and trainers gain a greater insight into why their horses might behave the way they do. She enjoys working with horses and their people to find evidence based ways to develop training and observation skills, with the aim of creating a more harmonious and enjoyable relationship.   She’s especially interested in making the science of “learning theory” more accessible so that it can be applied in day to day life with horses in an enjoyable and ethical way.   She has ridden bitless for over 15 years, and loves helping people transition to this approach.   Her four equine companions provide inspiration, information and insight.   Dorothy is based in Scotland, just outside Glasgow, and runs a local positive reinforcement and equine ethology group who meet regularly to learn, study, train… and share coffee and cake! If you’d like to come to some of the regular meet-ups, seminars or training sessions, please do get in touch via the email listed on the Horses Under Our Skin site. If you’d like coaching, feedback on equine behavioural issues or to organise a local seminar on equine behaviour or optimal management of horses at traditional livery yards, it would be great to hear from you. To learn more, visit Horses Under Our Skin