All episodes

#49 Balanced Bodies, Balanced Nervous Systems with Wendy Murdoch

#49 Balanced Bodies, Balanced Nervous Systems with Wendy Murdoch

75m 32s

Wendy’s desire to understand the function of both horse and human, her curiosity, and her love of teaching have led her to be able to help both the horse and the rider.

She combines her creative talents with her scientific training to break down larger concepts of horseback riding as well as horse health into simple, easy-to-understand, bite-sized “chunks” for students of all ages, abilities, and disciplines. Her ability to make learning enjoyable, engaging, and fun through in-depth presentations helps her students connect the dots and achieve their goals.

Wendy’s willingness to embrace new ideas led her to develop the...

#48 Chasing Your Dreams with Gabriela Reutter

#48 Chasing Your Dreams with Gabriela Reutter

55m 9s

Gabriela, aka Gaby, Reutter is the reigning #1 female Chilean show jumper. Her career is decorated with accolades, including more recently the team Bronze Medal at the 2022 South American Games in Paraguay, as well as victories in FEI classes, Nations Cup events, and European tours.

Gaby’s career is a true testament to her spirit and unwavering dedication. From leading performances at Spruce Meadows and The Hampton Classic to securing top ranks at junior/young rider South American Games, her journey is filled with impressive accomplishments. Notably, her partnership with Rocky saw them on top in prestigious competitions in recent years....

#47 Improving Your Seat & Aids with Dave Thind

#47 Improving Your Seat & Aids with Dave Thind

86m 7s

Dave Thind is the founder of the Dave Thind Method, otherwise known as DTM, which is the breakthrough combination of Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement® and the German classical training system. DTM helps you improve your seat, feel what your horse is communicating and improve the effectiveness and clarity of your aids.

Originally from Canada but now living in the US and spending summers in Germany, Thind has himself competed at the Grand Prix level in dressage and jumping. He is a noted equestrian biomechanics authority, with several published articles and appearances as an expert guest or lecturer to his credit....

#46 The Healing Power of Breath with Holly Barnett

#46 The Healing Power of Breath with Holly Barnett

54m 17s

Holly Barnett is a professional Breathwork Facilitator with a background in Applied Neuroscience, and the founder of her method, Intero Breath.

You may recognize Holly from episode #31 where we chatted about saddle fit. Holly has been a saddle fitter and equine bodyworker for two decades but was beginning to notice a shift in herself and a shift in the way she worked with horses.
Holly used her knowledge in breathwork and applied neuroscience to create a modality to reduce stress, manage emotions and regulate the nervous system.

Holly’s method, which she calls Intero Breath, is a practice that combines...

#45 Change in our Horses starts with Change in Us with Ian Benson

#45 Change in our Horses starts with Change in Us with Ian Benson

33m 5s

Ian Benson’s focus is the relationship between horse and human. He believes that all change comes from us as humans. This means: “We need to be the change we want to see in our horse”.

The method of Humanship is about the whole relationship between you and your horse, all the parts of each of our characters coming together to create the relationship as it is now. Humanship includes a comprehensive philosophy and a practical approach with everyday exercises from the ground and from the saddle. The focus of the exercises is on implementing them in everyday life with the...

#44 The Emotional & Spiritual Connection to Posture & Performance with Dr. Tracy Rainwaters

#44 The Emotional & Spiritual Connection to Posture & Performance with Dr. Tracy Rainwaters

49m 29s

Dr. Tracy Rainwaters holds a very long list of education and credentials, including but not limited to a Doctor of Chiropractic and Animal Chiropractic certification, Neo-Shamanic Breathwork Practitioner certification, and so much more.

Her mission is to bring harmony between horses and their humans. She utilizes a whole-being approach to healing by looking at an issue from the perspective of the physical, mental & emotional as well as the energetic & the spiritual. With that, she combines her medical knowledge as an human and animal chiropractor with her intuitive abilities as an interspecies intuitive and shamanic practitioner to bring whole-being...

#43 Tuning Into the Wisdom of the Horse-Human Connection with Cheryl Eriksen

#43 Tuning Into the Wisdom of the Horse-Human Connection with Cheryl Eriksen

42m 3s

Cheryl Eriksen is an author, blogger, horse midwife, and eternal student of the horse-human connection.

While earning her MSW from Western Michigan University, Cheryl took a special interest in the effects of trauma on the developing brain, and she applied that learning, along with her personal experiences as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, into her memoir, Follow Me, Friend.

Additionally, Cheryl has spent decades as an equine professional and extensively studied equine behavior and how it is influenced by what the human brings to the relationship. Through her work in the field of equine assisted psychotherapy and learning, Cheryl...

#42 Moving Forward After a Challenging Year with Maddie Houser

#42 Moving Forward After a Challenging Year with Maddie Houser

106m 36s

Maddie Houser is a USDF Bronze and Silver Medalist with her now retired Dutch Warmblood mare, Leah, and since 2021 has been focused on helping shed light on the versatility of the Quarter Horse and their place in the dressage ring. Maddie’s Instagram account, The Blonde & The Bay, showcases her training progressions, the ups and downs of horse and farm ownership, equestrian fashion, and more.

In this episode, we’re focusing on the new year. Maddie didn’t have the year she expected with her horses, and rather than taking that energy into 2024, we’re talking about how to realign goals,...

#41 Being a Safe Space for Horses with Buck Brannaman

#41 Being a Safe Space for Horses with Buck Brannaman

37m 38s

For over 30 years, Buck Brannaman has been working with horses and their owners and today is one of the world’s leading practitioners of handling horses based on classical concepts from the California vaquero tradition; which includes working with the horse's nature, as well as using an understanding of how horses think and communicate to train the horse to accept humans and work confidently and responsively with them.
One of his goals is to help horses feel safe and secure around humans so that the horse and rider can achieve a true union.

In this episode, we discuss common issues...

#40 The Power of the Horse-Human Connection with Jess Roberts

#40 The Power of the Horse-Human Connection with Jess Roberts

83m 27s

Jess Roberts is the owner and trainer of Harmonized Horsemanship, an approach to horse training designed to be fulfilling and rewarding for both horse and human. Jess combines a variety of different training techniques and approaches to create a deeper connection that results in a willing and happy equine partner.

Jess has studied directly with some of the world’s renowned liberty trainers, and has immersed herself in many different training approaches and styles in her lifetime. This experience, combined with a degree in psychology and years of watching and interacting with hundreds of horses, helps Jess to be a translator...