Canter Therapy

Melinda Macaulay provides us with an insight into posture and position while riding. She has a background in Sports and Exercise Science and helps break down the ideas for us in simple terms. This episode discusses working with what you’ve got and improving yourself to be the best you can for both yourself and your horse. You can find find Melinda on Facebook and Instagram @StrongStableSeat

Nahshon Cook is a insightful horseman and has an incredible vocabulary. His unique way of saying describing things help people to better understand the connection we have with horses. This episode discusses the rehabilitation of horses’ bodies and minds, and link the two have with each other. We also talk about the influence that humans have on their horses, and in turn that horses have on their humans. “We make the most progress when we don’t feel like there is too much to do”. You can find Nahshon Cook on Facebook at Nahshon Cook Horsemanship.

In this episode Kerry talks about his visit to Australia and the Herd Dynamics Seminar he will be appearing at on the 25-26 March 2023 at Sutton Forrest, New South Wales.  

If you are interested in attending this event please see website for more information: https://www.calmwillingconfidenthorses.com.au/blogs/herd-dynamics-seminar 

In this episode Shelley and Kat discuss the needed stepping stones along the way of choosing your horsewomanship path. How to choose a mentor, how to sort through the information on social media and so many other tangents and rabbit holes.

Our herd dynamic conversations continue with Kerry M Thomas.  In this episode we delve into what it is Kerry is evaluating when he goes to yearling sales to help owners to select their next race horse.  Kerry reveals his process of creating a short list and how he has reviewed and adjusted his evaluation techniques over time.

There are some common things that we see again and again in horses. Often these horses are struggling with their current training and when you take a closer look they have an unsoundness. When have an obligation to our horses to ensure they are as comfortable as possible so that they can learn as best as possible.

Amy Skinner is an incredible influence in the equestrian world. She writes amazingly and manages to merge the ideas of horsemanship and classical dressage for relaxed and harmonious relationships with our horses. Find her on Facebook and Instagram @Amy Skinner Horsemanship https://amyskinnerhorsemanship.com/

Tami Elkayam is an equine bodyworker based in San Jose, USA. She is an incredible equine body worker, writer, artist and educator that can change the way to see and appreciate horses bodies forever.

In this interview Tami describes how her journey started and how her intense interest and passion for understanding the horse's body has furthered her education and ability to track down the root cause of problems.

Such a super fascinating episode and a great expert to follow on social media as she is so dedicated to sharing her insights.  

Find her on Facebook at: Tami Elkayam Equine Bodywork, Website: https://elkayamequinetherapy.com. and her excellent educational resources on Vimeo: Elkayam Equine Therapy.

Understanding Outsourcing: We are joined again by Kerry Thomas for Part 3 of this fantastic conversation about Herd Dynamics. In this episode we talk about some real life situations, delving into it from the horses point of view and understanding them better. We discuss horses going out and about at competitions, separation anxiety and how to thoughtfully manage herds at home.

To find out more about Kerry and his services check out his website: https://thtbloodstock.com 

Inherent Tendencies Verses Learned Behaviour

In this second brilliant conversation with Kerry Thomas we delve into more insights into herd dynamics and how important it is to recognise and appreciate the horse at this level of their individual hard wiring.   Kerry introduces the idea of a horse's individual herd dynamics and the extent of their basic instincts to outsource to a herd the processing of sensory changes in their environment and emotional stress.  In other words when horses get triggered to feel stressed, either by changes in their environment or acute stress they may be experiencing when being worked, they will be triggered to seek the reassurance and comfort of other horses.  When this is not able to be done, they will struggle and may become emotional and distressed. Part of developing a good partnership and connection with the horse is being able to nurture their abilities to do this but to also get them to turn towards us to help them feel a sense of security when they are triggered.  In other words, they need to look toward us. Kerry explains how important it is to modify training approaches for individual horses.  For example, horses that may be slow to struggle to process sensory data and distance may need more time to adjust to fence height changes in show jumping.  Unfortunately, horse's struggling with this might be misinterpreted as being difficult and put under more pressure which can lead to the horse becoming overwhelmed. This episode will deepen your understanding and appreciation of horses and their emotional response to situations and how we can help them.

When we take on an Off the Tracker we sometimes forget or underestimate the rehabilitation that needs to be done. They require a lot of time and a team of professionals to help rehab them both mentally and physically. Thoroughbreds are one of Shelley's absolute favourites and in this episode we talk about the many aspects that need to be understood when we expect these guys to just fall into a life of a pleasure horse. There are so many benefits to these guys and they can be the best riding partners if they are introduced to everything in the 'right' way.

There is so much more to 'trail riding' than just getting on your horse and going. It is imperative that our horses have a good foundation in order to be safe and willing companions out on the trail. Shelley and Kathryn talk about the many aspects that are involved, what sometimes goes wrong and some exercises to help us work through the challenging times.