board of directors
susan mcclafferty
Founder & president
Susan McClafferty didn’t set out to start a movement. She simply couldn’t stay quiet anymore.
Throughout her life, she’s been drawn to horses others might overlook: the sensitive, the complex, the ones who had been lied to. Many arrived physically or emotionally compromised, and those experiences left a lasting impression. Over time, Susan stepped away from competition, realizing that neither she nor her horses enjoyed it anymore. There was more to a meaningful equestrian life than the show ring.
For Susan, the horse has always come first.
She never chased ribbons. For a time, sport felt like a way to measure partnership, but she came to see that, for her, it was taking something away. Sport can be done ethically, but it should never define the relationship.
As an equine fine art photographer, Susan met like-minded equestrians who put compassion and connection first. Inspired, she began supporting them by purchasing horses they could care for as their own while backing their dreams without competitive pressure.
That philosophy became the foundation of the Horse First Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to education, empowerment, and change.
Because protecting horses isn’t just an owner’s job, it’s everyone’s responsibility.
We can do better.
Put the horse first. Always.
susan legge
secretary
Susan lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. She has loved horses since childhood and been involved in the competitive hunter/jumper world for over forty years.
Susan judges and stewards regularly at Equestrian Canada competitions from the bronze to platinum level. As a part of her work as a steward, she acted as a reporting member of the Equestrian Canada task force studying the effects of nose band tightness on competition horses in Canada.
In her life outside the horse world, she is currently pursuing a PhD in education. Susan has two beloved horses: Rain, who is retired, and Inky, with whom she trains and competes.
She is a passionate advocate for horse welfare and is particularly concerned that the well-being of the horse must be the first consideration for everyone who cares for and interacts with horses.
LR
treasurer
Coming Soon