Mareopause is a growing community dedicated to supporting equestrians through perimenopause, menopause and healthy ageing.

Founded by lifelong horsewoman and health and wellbeing expert Kate Field, Mareopause was created to tackle a challenge that affects thousands of riders but is still rarely discussed openly within equestrian circles.

Women can spend more than a quarter of their lives navigating the menopausal transition and healthy ageing beyond it, yet very little support is designed specifically for equestrians. The ability to ride, care for horses, compete, hack, lift haynets, muck out, travel to shows and enjoy life with horses depends on far more than horsemanship alone. Our health matters too.

For many women, horses are far more than a hobby. They are a source of friendship, purpose, identity, adventure and joy. We spend years learning how to care for our horses—thinking about their nutrition, fitness, emotional wellbeing and long-term health—yet many riders reach midlife without the same understanding of how to care for themselves.

Like many riders, Kate’s own journey with horses has not followed a straight line. Horses were at the centre of her childhood and early career. She came through Pony Club, gained her BHSAI and later trained as a lecturer in Equine Studies, with placements at Hartpury College. As career and life took over, horses remained part of the picture but no longer sat at its centre.

That changed when Freddie, her own heart horse, came into her life and reignited her passion for riding and horsemanship. At the same time, Kate found herself asking questions that many horsewomen eventually face: How do we stay healthy enough, strong enough and confident enough to keep doing the thing we love as we move through midlife and beyond?
The more she explored the science of mid-life, menopause, healthy ageing and long-term wellbeing, the more she realised that many of the challenges women experience in the saddle are rarely recognised for what they are.

Many riders are surprised by how hormonal changes can affect life with horses. A sudden loss of confidence, increased anxiety, disrupted sleep, slower recovery, reduced strength, brain fog or simply feeling less like yourself can influence everything from hacking out alone to competing, caring for horses and enjoying time in the saddle. Often women assume they are simply getting older or losing their nerve, when there may be much more going on.

Through Mareopause, Kate is building a community where horsey women can access evidence-based information, practical support and honest conversations about navigating midlife and menopause whilst continuing to do the thing they love most.

Alongside her equestrian background, Kate has spent more than 20 years working in health, wellbeing and behavioural science. Her experience spans workplace wellbeing, epidemiology, mental health, ergonomics, healthy ageing and menopause. She is an award-winning thought leader, international keynote speaker and recognised expert in health, wellbeing and the future of work. Her work and commentary have featured across BBC Radio, The Times, Raconteur and Nikkei Japan, among others.

Alongside Mareopause, Kate founded Balanced Transition to provide tailored support for individuals and organisations seeking to better understand menopause, healthy ageing, wellbeing and how these factors influence confidence, capability and performance both at work and in the saddle.

Although much of Kate’s professional career has focused on human health and wellbeing, horses have remained a constant thread throughout her life. Whilst eventing was Kate’s passion in earlier years, her focus today is on supporting the long-term wellbeing of both horse and rider. Her approach to horsemanship is rooted in consent, emotional regulation, enrichment and gentle functional movement. She is horse trauma-informed and is currently training in Equine Touch, reflecting her belief that wellbeing and performance are inseparable for both ends of the lead rope.

Her mission is simple: to help horsey women protect the health, confidence and capability that make a lifetime with horses possible.

Because if we want to ride our heart horses well for their lifetime, we need to stay well for ours.