“I am against using force in any way, whether with bits or without. Harm can be inflicted bitless just as much as with a bit. I prefer choosing the softest option possible and, above all, choosing what the horse prefers. My personal preference for most horses and situations is the soft cavesson and the cordeo.”

I am not against equestrian sports themselves. I am against any form of force or harm, whether intentional or not. My focus is on making sure the horse’s basic needs are met and that training is done through positive reinforcement and classical principles, with the horse’s preference always guiding the way. When those conditions are respected, horses can enjoy participating in different disciplines, whether professional or leisure.”

Yes — I do cover husbandry, nutrition, and natural remedies in detail. These are essential parts of understanding the horse’s basic needs, overall well-being, and (regaining) health when needed. By combining this knowledge with positive reinforcement and classical in-hand work, the book offers a complete approach to caring for and training horses in a compassionate, force-free way that truly helps keep them happy and healthy.

Yes — many behavioural issues are actually rooted in unmet basic needs, miscommunication, or pain. My book not only addresses these, but also offers a unique and effective approach to helping horses overcome trauma. This is actually the core of my work and why it has been so successful all over the world. By meeting the horse’s natural needs, using positive reinforcement, and applying classical in-hand work, the aim is to build trust and clarity — resolving the cause rather than suppressing the behaviour. This is actually the core of my work and why it has been so succesful all over the world.

Dressage in hand is currently available in English and Dutch.

German translation is in the works for 2026-27

Riding Without a bit in German and English.

The children's books are in English and Dutch and other Geman is planned for 2026.

My method works for every breed, size, and age. You will even find Shetland ponies and big Belgian drafts in my book. The principles are universal — based on the horse’s needs, body language, and learning — and can be adapted to any individual. I also believe that training ponies with dressage in hand creates safe and sensational riding masters, perfectly suited to teach children the classical craft — from shoulder-in to passage and piaffe.

My approach is suitable for both beginners and experienced horse people. Beginners appreciate it because it gives them a safe, structured, and compassionate way to start, while experienced riders discover a deeper layer of understanding that often fills in gaps left by traditional methods. Positive reinforcement and classical in-hand work meet you where you are — and help both horse and human grow together.

That is up to you, but I myself prefer a cavesson, a snaffle bridle or a double bridle, depending on what you and your horse are working on. You can also work freestyle or with cordeo. I personally never work with rope halters or hackemores.

No — positive reinforcement is not bribery. Bribery is when you wave food in front of the horse to lure them into doing something against their will. True positive reinforcement is about clear communication: the horse offers a behaviour, and you mark and reward it. Over time the horse learns to enjoy the process, not just the food, because training becomes a conversation instead of an obligation. The treats are simply a tool to build motivation and confidence — the real reward is the trust and harmony that develops. In fact, food rewards have been part of classical dressage for centuries, and the Spanish Riding School of Vienna still uses them today.

Yes, since 2025 I do earn a little from social media (about 70 dollars in total), but that has never been my goal.

My main reason for being on these platforms is to spread knowledge, inspire change, and give a voice to horses. Any income I receive simply helps me continue creating content, writing, and caring for my own rescue horses or those of the Dutch Horses Need Help Foundation — it all goes straight back into the work and the horses themselves.

I have been a horse welfare activist and rescuer for 35 years. All of those hours have been unpaid, and every bit of money I could spare has gone into rescuing horses or helping other organisations to do so.

Yes — every horse can be trained with positive reinforcement, including stallions and traumatised horses. In fact, those horses often benefit the most, because positive reinforcement gives them choice, safety, and trust instead of more pressure. Over the years I’ve successfully worked with many so-called ‘dangerous’ or ‘hopeless’ cases, and positive reinforcement proved to be the key to unlocking their potential. My book explains step by step how this approach works in practice.

No — you get what you reward. With correct timing, training with treats creates well-behaved, safe, and motivated horses. This has been proven for over 450 years at the Spanish Riding School. My book explains in detail how to combine equine body language, timing, and rewards to achieve harmony and understanding.

Because in-hand dressage allows the horse to learn without the weight and interference of a rider. It’s a clear, gentle way to build strength, balance, and understanding while keeping the training force-free. On top of that, it offers solutions for both physical and mental rehabilitation — and it’s a fun way to work together with your horse when he cannot be ridden. I have a dream that instead of giving up on horses that can’t be ridden, people discover the joy of doing dressage in hand with them. Dressage in hand can be both a means to an end — improving health, trainability, and ridability — or the goal in itself.

Yes, I do ride — I have ridden all my life within classical dressage, starting over 40 years ago. I’ve practised garrocha and working equitation with only a cordeo, and for years I trained with Spanish Riding School bereiter Helmut Oberauser. But I never saw riding as the first or most important thing to do — just one of the many ways we can work with horses. I’ve always kept or rescued horses that cannot be ridden, and since 2015, when I was diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis and a frozen pelvis, riding has become less self-evident for me. On top of that, my current rescue horses are not suited for (much) riding. So when I ride it is very rare and usually short. That is why dressage in hand has become my main focus — not only as a trainer, but also for myself and my horses.
I have given many riding lessons across the world for almost 30 years. Due to health issues, I no longer teach since 2025.

I never felt the need to compete because my focus has always been on the horse, not on ribbons.

For me, the true reward is seeing a horse heal, grow, and move with joy and pride — not standing on a podium. Most of my life I have worked with traumatised and rescue horses, which meant I never had the resources, the horses, or the time and energy to compete, even if I had wanted to. I did, however, ride in many clinics with classical trainers such as Oberbereiter Kottas-Heldenberg and Bereiter Oberauser, which gave me the guidance and inspiration I needed. Since 2019, my health has prevented me from riding or training much, from participating in clinics, and even from giving clinics myself — which is one of the reasons dressage in hand has become my main focus.

The point is the horse’s well-being and the joy of working together. Advanced training is not just for competition — it builds strength, balance, and confidence, which keeps horses healthy in body and mind. It also deepens the partnership, creating a shared language between horse and human. For me, the highest reward is not a ribbon, but a horse that feels safe, happy, and proud to move with you. Having said that, I have also worked to make dressage in hand competitions a reality — with the very first one being held in the Netherlands at EquiDay on September 21, 2025.

It’s not just a few bad apples — abuse is systemic. When racehorses are trained from the age of one and often broken or killed before six, or when the top three in dressage show blue tongues, it’s clear that harm is built into the system itself. This doesn’t mean every rider is abusive, but it shows the structures of competition reward results over welfare. My work is about offering an alternative: training that honours the horse’s needs, uses positive reinforcement, and proves that harmony can replace harm. If you want more information, take a look at the whistleblower album on my Facebook page.

Yes — in fact, these so-called ‘problem horses’ are often the ones that benefit the most. Behaviours like biting, rearing, or refusing to load usually come from fear, pain, or unmet needs, not from the horse being ‘bad’. By learning to understand the horse’s body language, addressing the real cause, and using positive reinforcement to rebuild trust step by step, these horses can become safe, reliable, and even joyful partners. Many of my most successful cases were once labelled hopeless — and all the information you need to do the same can be found in my book.

I am not against shoeing as a blanket statement. What I am against is doing anything to a horse out of habit or tradition rather than necessity. In general horses are happier and healthier barefoot, and that is always my preference where possible. But in some situations, for medical reasons or specific needs, shoeing may be temporary option. The key is always to choose what benefits the individual horse most.

However, in most cases, shoeing does more harm than good. It is often a lack of understanding of the horse’s basic needs and hoof function that makes it seem as though horses ‘need’ shoes. In essence, shoeing can only mask pain — it does not heal the underlying problem, whether metabolic or functional. My preference is always to address the root cause and support the horse in a way that truly restores health and comfort. Whether shoeing or not. 

I am not against rugging in itself, but I am against over-rugging. Horses have evolved to regulate their own temperature, and most are healthier without heavy or constant rugging. Over-rugging often causes more harm than good — from skin issues to limiting daylight intake and restricting natural movement. My preference is always to let the horse’s needs and comfort guide the choice: if a horse is sick, clipped, older, or exposed to extreme weather, a rug can be the softest and most compassionate option. But for most horses, fresh air, movement, and proper forage are the best protection for most of the year.

Freedom, Friends, Forage, Force-Free, and Free Feet are my personal five foundations of true horse welfare.

Freedom means freedom to move, the choice to be outside or inside, and the freedom to express natural behaviour in a correctly designed equine habitat.

Friends acknowledges the horse as a herd animal, ensuring that every horse has at least one equine companion to move and interact with freely.

Forage reflects the need for constant access to species-appropriate food, mainly hay or safe grass and shrubbery.

Force-Free training means no coercion, but communication through trust, body language, and positive reinforcement, based on correct biomechanics and the natural movement developed with classical dressage.

Free Feet recognises that horses are healthiest with functional hooves, allowed to work as nature intended. The basis for this is species-appropriate nutrition and unrestricted movement — without invasive trimming, restriction, or unnecessary shoeing.

Together these five elements form the basis of my work and my vision for compassionate horsemanship, also known as the #YellowHorseRevolution.