School starts this week and I am sharing what considerations come in to play bringing the horses back into work after a 5 week holiday. Want support with conditioning your horse? Email me on katie@equestrianmovement.com Ready to be a holistic horse rider? Check out our free masterclass: Say yes to a happy willing horse
Being the most adult adult in the room can mean that the nervous system state we take in to our training session with our horses is not the most conducive to connection and a positive training experience. Body awareness for tension holding is a key skill for communicating to our horses it is safe to relax. However, it is not always a comfortable experience! Especially when we have a lot of stress and responsibilities. If this brings anything up for you you might want to see a psychologist. In ou...
Join us in this episode as we discuss working with professionals and problem solving ongoing health and behavioural issues with our horses. The is the foundation of our first do no harm philosophy and how we implement it with our herd of horses. Ready to be a holistic equestrian? Join our program and get life time access: https://www.equestrianmovement.com/holistichorsehandling
Have you ever felt disconnected from reality, stuck in limiting beliefs, or struggled to rewire your nervous system? In this episode, we explore a personal journey of navigating belief systems, nervous system rewiring, and the profound impact it can have on personal and professional growth. Melissa shares a pivotal experience in her early 20s, realizing that her beliefs didn't align with reality, leading to a challenging period of self-discovery. The absence of guidance made the journey harder, ...
Ever wondered how the magic between horses and humans in therapeutic settings unfolds? How can our emotional states impact a horse's movement and, in turn, influence the well-being of both? Often, we overlook the profound connection between our emotional states and the movements of horses, especially in therapeutic settings. Horses are intuitive beings, but our lack of awareness or misinterpretation can lead to missed opportunities for healing and growth. In this episode, we dive deep into the w...
You likely hear a lot about how personal development is part of being an equestrian and how amazing equine therapy is. If you've listened to a lot of our catalogue of podcasts you will hear how we inevitably end up on a personal development topic. In this episode I will share how I see it relates to being an equestrian. If this brings anything up for you, please make sure to reach out to a professional for support Books I'm enjoying and that are influencing my training at the moment: Polyvagal e...
Sensitising your horse to your aids is foundational to an easy ride that flows. Check out this episode for some tips and tricks on how to improve your horses responsitivity to aids. Ready to become a holistic horse trainer and rider? Check out our online program: Holistic horse handling Want to learn more about attention? Check out this book peak mind...
Acceptance of contact and submission to the bit are not the same thing. Check out this episode where we tease apart the differences that allow the horse to move more functionally to build long term soundness. Ready to become a holistic horse trainer and rider? Check out our online program: Holistic horse trainer Check out Mills Consilient on facebook Check out Dr Aline LaPierre's work neuroaffective touch Check out Celestes work on nerve release therapy...
How can we improve our communication with horses and develop a deeper understanding of their movement and behavior? Many riders overlook the importance of mastering the walk and fail to recognize their own imbalances and limitations, which can significantly impact their horse's performance and well-being. By focusing on mastering the walk, understanding the horse's body language, and acknowledging our own physical limitations, we can establish a more effective and harmonious partnership with our...
Have you ever wondered if the traditional training methods we use with horses are really as effective as they seem, or are we missing something crucial? Many horse owners and riders often resort to forceful training techniques and equipment, believing they are helping their horses improve. However, these methods might be causing more harm than good, leading to behavioral issues, injuries, and long-term discomfort for the horse. In this episode, we dive deep into the misconceptions surrounding ho...
Have you ever wondered why your horse exhibits certain behaviors, even after addressing their physical issues? Many horse owners struggle with understanding their horse's behavior beyond physical symptoms. Ignoring these signs can lead to persistent problems and a lack of progress in their training and overall well-being. It can be frustrating when you've tried various treatments and therapies, yet your horse continues to show signs of discomfort, resistance, or behavioral issues. The missing pi...
Our biggest take-home lesson for 2023. We are getting to that time of the year when schooling is about to wrap up, and the ponies at the Equestrian Spirit School of Holistic Riding are about to go on a well deserved vacation. Which of course has me mulling, “where did the year go, what did we do well, and what can we do better next year”. And not just for my horses, but for you as well! So in this episode of the First Do No Harm Podcast, I share some of my favourite trainings and exercises from ...
It can't be denied dominance theory is still going strong in the wider population of horse trainers and coaches under the guise of creating safe horses. It also can't be denied that approach lacks the development of a felt sense of safety for horses and doesn't incorporate the beauty that we see when trust and confidence in relationship is cultivated. Join us on this episode as we cover this topic and how we address it in our school today. Ready to join the movement? Jump on the link below for o...
Join us on this episode as I unpack how learning some lessons can simultaneously improve your skills for working with horses and make horses more antagonised and less cooperative. In this episode I will share a couple of big mistakes I have made in training which you might also be making. Ready to join the movement? Jump on the link for our masterclass as we dig in to the elements of working with our horses for emotional resilience. www.equestrianmovement.com/sayyes Ready to be a holistic hors...
Join us on this episode as I discuss how to work with our horses to make dressage easier. Ready to join the movement? Jump on the link for our free masterclass as we dig in to the elements of working with our horses for emotional resilience. www.equestrianmovement.com/sayyes Ready to be a holistic horse rider? Check it out here. https://www.equestrianmovement.com/holistichorsehandling Or reach out if you'd like more information about whether or not its the right fit for you by emailing me at Kat...
Have you ever struggled with understanding and adapting to the unique rhythm of each horse you ride? Many riders, both beginners and experienced, often overlook the importance of recognizing and working with their horse's individual rhythm. In this episode, we'll delve into the critical role rhythm plays in your horse's soundness and your riding success. Discover how failing to understand and adapt to your horse's rhythm can lead to discomfort, injury, and stalled progress. We'll also explore pr...
How can we truly understand and address the root causes of horse behavior issues? Many horse owners struggle with behavior problems in their horses, often overlooking the physical aspects that contribute to these issues. In this episode, we dive deep into the physical and behavioral aspects of horse training with Amy Skinner, an expert in postural and behavioral rehabilitation for horses. Discover the keys to unlocking your horse's potential. BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN: 👉 Th...
Are submission and willingness the same? No! But in the long-standing horse industry we all try to work in, there is a lot of confusion as people use the words interchangeably. We first need to ask ourselves, if the horse was given the option without pressure, would they still participate? In the latest episode of the First Do No Harm Podcast, we talk about submission, willingness, and a new phrase “congruence”. Want to know more about working with congruence and connection? Join the free mini c...
We are in relationship to everything. Whether you believe in it or not doesnt matter. In this episode we discuss training our horses as a holistic approach incorporating their emotional and intellectual response to us and not just their behaviours or did they do the thing we asked or not. Our holistic horse handling program is open to enrollments. Jump over and have a look around. We look forward to seeing you on the other side. https://www.equestrianmovement.com/holistichorsehandling...
It's not so important what you can make a horse do as it is how you converse with your horse and how they feel about the conversation. Join us in this episode where I share how I see a lot of horse riders go wrong in communication with their horse. Join us in our stronger bond workshop to see how we put this in to practice. https://www.equestrianmovement.com/strongerbond
Join us in this episode where I share some key tells on whether the school horses are engaged in training or starting to lose interest and potentially rupturing the quality of relationship with the asks. Join us for our stronger bond workshop to learn more. https://www.equestrianmovement.com/strongerbond
Does your horse seek you for direction? If you are a leader worth following, your horse will seek your direction and ask “what's next”? But in a world of submission and dominance training, our horses can’t see us as a leader worth following, but a bully and someone who disregards their need - even if that isn’t our intention. In the latest episode of the First Do No Harm Podcast, “Connected Leadership in Horse Training”, I share some of the self- ruling principles that allow us to ALWAYs show up...
Nag, nag, nag! Transitioning from giving our green horse lots of direction to allowing them perform independently of our consistent instruction is challenging as a rider and often we get caught micromanaging and nagging our horses. Check out the latest First Do No Harm Podcast, which focuses on learning how to "sensitise" or "tune your horse in" by getting quiet and doing less, so we can stop being horse nags and become Holistic Riders! Looking for new opportunities to understand your horse? Tak...
Clear is kind and clear is communication. Do you have a clear, intentional and strategic way of not only communicating with your horse but also your horse communicating its needs with you? This is the challenge of training. Intentional shaping plans that create vocabulary with our horses that layer into the complex skills. When you keep changing how you are going to teach that language you will never progress because your horse will keep getting confused about what you want and lose confidence i...
Is your horse being naughty, pushing you around and being disrespectful? Even though I grew up in a world of power battles and being taught to be scarier than the thing your horse is scared of, it is a conversation most people won't win, especially beginner to intermediate riders AND its not a very pleasant conversation to have to be continuously engaging in with your horse. We prefer to consider instead our compassionate leadership skills. Respect isn't demanded of the horse. It is a display of...
"Why does my horse headbutt me?" This was a question from one of our students. Sometimes I forget that we do things a little differently. Quite often people are told that their horse is being naughty when they head butt and to punish the horse before it gets dangerous. Check out this training theory about why horses head butt and how we deal with it. Grab our free connection training: https://www.equestrianmovement.com/connection
Respect in regards to working with horses is a loaded topic. Join us in this episode as we unpack how we discuss respect in terms of horse behaviour in our school of holistic horse handling. Grab our free connection training to learn more https://www.equestrianmovement.com/connection
Join us in this podcast as we dig in to willingness and submission and how we implement our holistic horse handling skills in training Want access to our holistic horse handling program? Doors are open for only a couple of days. Check it out at https://www.equestrianmovement.com/holistichorsehandling
Have you lost your nerve or feel scared around your horse? You're not alone. I've been there many times before and I have no doubt I will go there again. In this episode I will share with you multiple times I've lost my nerve with my horse and how I've over come it. Are you wanting to work on your connection and relationship with your horse? Make sure you've signed up to our stronger bond workshop. https://www.equestrianmovement.com/strongerbond...
Adele Shaw is an internationally recognized mentor, behavior consultant, and trainer focused on creating a positive relationship between horse and human through science-based training and care practices. Drawn to horses labeled as “trouble makers” and “lost causes” from an early age, Adele has always had a passion for understanding the “why” behind behavior and a deep desire to help horses find their way back to wellness. This holistic approach examines the horse’s environment, lifestyle, and ph...
