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Beyond the Bridle 2026

What an amazing day! Thank you so much to the 200 people who came to watch the inaugural Beyond the Bridle show. We were so touched by all the incredible feedback we had. Beyond the bridle is a brand new, family friendly event, for adults and children alike, that introduced an alternate way of working with horses - which we like to call “ethical or natural horsemanship”. This event was perfect for those looking to build a more connected way to work with their horses, but maybe were not quite sure where to start. Held at the Unicorn Equestrian Centre on Saturday 13th June 2026, it showcased an afternoon of demonstrations, the chance to watch lessons in real time and experience the learning process, food and stands on site and the show-stopper evening performance. Our goal was to inspire and educate our audience, with young trainers and professionals demonstrating that it’s ALL possible, no matter who you are! And then you all watched as dedication, love and harmony came together for the evening performance of bridleless, liberty and everything in between with Beyond the Bridle - A Wonderland Adventure! Kindly Sponsored by GK Horsemanship Equipment (details on sponsorship page). WATCH THIS SPACE FOR DETAILS OF NEXT YEAR'S BTB - SAT 15TH MAY!
HIGHLIGHTS 2026
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Highlights 2026

Captured by Paige Sanders Photography - see more on our socials. Instagram: @Beyond.thebridle.show TikTok: @Beyond.the.bridle.show
Thank you so much for organising a great show on Saturday. I am not really an equestrian but get dragged to these shows by my 13 year old daughter who is horse mad. We have been to HOYS, London International, Harlow Live and Badminton. Your show was the best! It was fascinating and engaging to learn all about horse behaviour during the demonstrations and then the Alice show was fun with some impressive demonstrations of horsemanship. Your daughter is also an impressive and confident public speaker at only 15 years old. I am sure it was a huge amount of work. Well done! Congratulations and thank you,
S.P.
“What a great afternoon. You must be so proud of your daughter, your lovely Meg and yourself. Thea is a natural performer and presenter. So articulate, clear, no ums and ahhs and such quiet confidence with a kind and gentle manner. No wonder her ponies adore her and want to please.....Well done team. Arena party win prizes for comedic moments!”
L.G.
"I wanted to say what a great day it was yesterday, very inspirational and sooooo lovely to see the horses working without force."
C.H.
"I just wanted to congratulate you and your team for the fabulous day yesterday. What a super event with so much on offer for spectators and such a reasonable ticket value. Relevant trade stands with engaging staff. Such a great day...."
A.S.
Thank you so much for allowing Ayla to be part of the Beyond the Bridle day. It was such a positive and memorable experience for both Ayla and Bear, and we are really grateful for the opportunity for them to take part in the show. It was wonderful to see how welcoming and supportive the atmosphere was, and how much encouragement there was for everyone involved. Ayla thoroughly enjoyed the day and felt really proud to be included alongside other participants. She gained so much confidence from the experience, and it was lovely to see the bond between her and Bear shine through in such a positive environment. I know the day has inspired Ayla to continue developing her liberty work with Bear. She has come away with enthusiasm and lots of ideas she is excited to build on. It has been a really encouraging step forward for her, and we are very grateful for the role you played in that. Thank you again for including her and for such a special experience.
R.A.

Meet the trainers and performers

Thea Harkness
At just 15 years old, Thea has taken the internet by storm, sharing her journey, what she’s learnt, and is still learning about ethical horsemanship. She aims to inspire the next generation of horse-kids, and show that “traditional” training isn’t always the way forwards. Thea’s advocacy for “connection rather than control” is something... Read More
Mia Rodley, Founder of The Heart of Horsemanship
Founder and creator of The Heart Of Horsemanship and Academy, Mia has always found the connection and friendship we can have with animals fascinating, specifically horses. Dedicated to learning and embracing never ending self improvement, Mia immersed herself in learning and surrounded herself with excellent mentors, some of the best... Read More
Lynn Henry, Founder of Think Like a Pony
Empowering the Next Generation through Ethical Horsemanship Think Like a Pony (TLAP) is ethical horsemanship education dedicated to helping children and ponies thrive together. Through a child-centred, welfare-led approach, TLAP supports young people to build respectful, trusting relationships with ponies, skills that foster confidence... Read More
Sarah Stone, Heart of Horsemanship Instructor
Sarah is a Heart of Horsemanship Instructor with a wealth of experience teaching people of all ages. Sarah has a knack of explaining things in a clear and uncomplicated way, and has helped many people start their Natural Horsemanship journey. Sarah has performed with her horse Barney in several Natural Horsemanship shows over the last... Read More
Jess Harkness, Owner of Back 2 Form
Jess has been connecting with horses since she was a kid, and for the last 21 years has been helping horses feel more comfortable in their bodies through her work treating horses with a variety of bodywork treatments. Jess believes that there is a really important connection between how a horse feels in his body and how he feels in... Read More
Bella Forster
Bella is 16 and always grew up with the urge to take off as much tack as she could. Despite being told it was dangerous, it was all she wanted to do! She strives to advocate for communication, connection and harmony being the forefront of every horse and human partnership. Bella played the White Rabbit in A Wonderland Adventure. She is pictured here with Rebel.
Jodi Bament, Way More Than Riding
Jodi is a natural horsemanship coach working in association with The Heart of Horsemanship. With over 15yrs of experience in the horse industry, Jodi has worked with a variety of horses and people, learning from some of the top horsemen. Before dedicating herself fully to the horse industry, Jodi worked extensively with children and... Read More
Eve Bea
Eve is a 21 year old professional trick rider and has been fortunate enough to trick ride in places such as the grounds of Warwick Castle, Longines Global Champions Tour in London, Cavalluna Park in Germany, and county fairs across the country. Whilst she loves the thrill and adrenaline of trick riding, liberty is where her heart truly... Read More

What was it all about?

Beyond the Bridle was the UK’s first Ethical Horsemanship Demo and Evening performance specifically created for those who are getting started, or early on in their natural horsemanship journey. Beyond the Bridle was an all-inclusive, family friendly event, that introduced an alternate way of working with horses - which we like to call “ethical or natural horsemanship” Have you ever looked at people working with their horses at liberty, or riding bridleless and thought…I would love to try that, but I just don’t know quite where to start? Have you ever wondered if there is a way to improve your connection and partnership with your pony/horse? Have you ever wanted to find easy and positive ways to work with your equine friend that doesn’t involve force or pain? Have you wanted to deepen your connection with your horse so that they trust you more in a competition environment? If the answer to any of these is YES, then you would have loved our day of fun and informative demonstrations given by top UK horsewomen from well respected organisations such as the Heart of Horsemanship, Think like a Pony, Thea Equestrian and Back 2 Form. Watching the magic unfold with lessons in real time, and experiencing the learning process, our audience learnt how they could apply the same principles at home with their horse, or with the ponies they interact with at their riding school. The evening took us all to the wonderful and crazy world of Alice in Wonderland in a spectacular evening production. Our wonderful audience left us at the end of the evening inspired and uplifted, and ready to have fun with their ponies!

Event Sponsors

We were thrilled to have the support of our main event sponsor - GK Horsemanship Equipment, creators of handmade, high-quality Horsemanship Equipment designed to support both horse and handler. GK Horsemanship Equipment have supported Thea since the start of her natural horsemanship journey, and have worked with Thea to develop and create the Affinity Neckrope. We are really pleased that Hoof Bootique also supported Beyond the Bridle. As the best one stop shop in the UK for all things hoof boot, we are really excited that they share our horse welfare first ethos, and wanted to be part of this exciting event!
GK HORSEMANSHIP EQUIPMENT WEBSITE

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When and Where

The first Beyond the Bridle was held on 13th June 2026 at The Unicorn Equestrian Centre We will be back in 2027! Watch this space for details about the next one, or email us to be put on our mailing list to get your hands on earlybird tickets.