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Understand Your Horse Like Never Before
​Expert guidance to build deeper trust, emotional connection, and lasting results with your horse.
Understanding Horse Depression
Knowing Symptoms, Identifying Causes, and Finding Cures

Coming November 2025

"A groundbreaking look at today’s “healthy body, broken spirit” phenomenon in domestic horses, and how we can change it."

TSB

A horse’s eyes, once bright and curious, now look sad and dull. His head, once held high, now hangs low. His body, once full of energy, seems tired and lifeless. What is the cause of distress this horse is experiencing? His body is healthy, but his spirit seems broken.

Traditionally, humans care for horses’ physical needs—feeding them, grooming them, and ensuring they are sheltered from the harsh elements. But their emotional well-being, equally if not more important, has long been neglected, as their subtle signs of distress can easily go unnoticed.

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As a lifelong horsewoman and educator, I’ve spent decades learning from horses—not just about training and performance, but about their emotional lives. In Understanding Horse Depression, I bring together research and hands-on experience to explore how horses experience stress, emotional disconnection, and even depression.

Horses are deeply social, emotionally complex animals. Just like us, they can struggle when their needs aren’t met or when life becomes overwhelming. In this book, I explain how to recognize the often-overlooked signs of equine depression, why they matter, and what we can do to help.

Inside, I share:

  • The three core influences connecting stress and depression in horses

  • How learned helplessness shows up in training and daily life

  • Subtle changes in posture, attention, and responsiveness that can signal a problem

  • What anhedonia (the inability to feel joy) looks like in horses

  • Risk factors for depression and the dangers of leaving it unaddressed

  • Practical steps you can take to support your horse’s mental well-being

My goal is to help riders, owners, and trainers understand what their horses might be feeling—and to provide tools for making meaningful change. When we pay attention to our horses’ mental health, we create space for real partnership, deeper trust, and a more fulfilling life for both horse and human.

"Joanna Lepiarczyk is, on the one hand, an expert in the field of horses and equestrianism, and on the other, a true lover of these animals. She is a person with immense knowledge and experience, curious and constantly seeking ways of development in the field she has chosen. Her excellent understanding of the horse’s body and psyche allows her to approach horses and equestrianism in a holistic way, which she expresses in her thermographic and psychological practice, as well as in valuable publications devoted to this topic.

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Joanna Lepiarczyk is also an open and communicative person, willing to engage in substantive discussion and exchange of views. I recommend Joanna Lepiarczyk as a trustworthy person. Working with her will certainly bring positive results for both people and horses."

Eliza Anna Niemczycka, DVM

Welcome to Horses Explained, where science meets intuition in the art of horsemanship. I'm an equine behaviour expert, international coach, and author of Understanding Horse Depression. I help horse owners, riders, and trainers build lasting partnerships with their horses through tailored coaching, equine mental health education, and horse personality portraits.

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Whether you're looking to improve your horse's behaviour, gain confidence in the saddle, or understand your horse's unique personality, I offer in-depth guidance based on decades of hands-on experience and research. I teach online and in-person, specializing in rider-horse connection, emotional wellness, and individualized training plans that respect the horse's mind and body.

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Explore lessons, workshops, and resources designed for thoughtful riders who want more than just results—they want real progress, built on trust.

 

Joanna Lepiarczyk​

This website was created for all horses. 

Welcome to the Hoses Explained ​​​​​

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About Joanna Lepiarczyk
Equestrian Coach | Educator | Author

I’ve been immersed in the horse world my entire life, growing up on a family-run riding facility and showing horses since 1998. As a certified coach in both Poland and Canada, my focus is on building respectful, enjoyable partnerships between horse and rider—always with the horse’s mental and physical well-being in mind.

I specialize in working with horses that need extra patience and understanding, using a calm, structured approach that supports learning and confidence. My teaching is guided by the Effective Training Model – SET®, emphasizing Safety, Experience, and Training in practice.

My credentials include:

  • Equine Canada Competition Coach

  • Specialized equine orthopedic training

  • Certified thermographer (equine thermal imaging)

  • FEI courses in conformation and movement evaluation

  • Specialization in Animal Psychology

I’m also the author of Understanding Horse Depression, a book exploring equine mental health, stress, and depression, offering practical tools for better care and deeper connection.

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Through coaching, writing, and my educational platform @horsesexplained, I aim to help riders and horses grow together with clarity, empathy, and trust.

Let’s work together to create a fulfilling path for you and your horse.

Reach out anytime—I’d love to hear from you. 

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