Horse Training in Harmony

In this episode I talk about a disturbing situation where some professionals are actively making students feel bad about themselves in the name of caring about horses. I’ll share my thoughts and how you can avoid falling into this trap.  About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational...

In this episode I talk with Tik Maynard, professional event rider, author, and two-time winner of The Road To The Horse colt starting championships.  About the Guest: Tik Maynard is a renowned equestrian from Canada. He is a trainer, and author of 2 books: In The Middle Are The Horsemen, and Starting in The Middle…. He is known for his expertise in horsemanship, eventing, and colt starting, notab...

In this episode I talk about energy; not the kind that has to do with bigger gaits, or stronger aids, but the kind that effects how we are doing what we are doing. About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and levels from around the wo...

We’re taking a little summer break from the pod. See you in September!  

Often we who want harmony and lightness can tend to focus on doing less, asking for less, and being as invisible as possible. In this episode I talk about how sometimes we want to do more, ask for more, and be more obvious in our requests.   About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian edu...

In this episode I speak with Christina Keim, author of Unwanted, The Causes and Effects of America’s Horse Population Crisis . This is a book every horse lover needs to read, and I’m so happy to share this with you. It’s a subject that is uncomfortable to look at, but necessary.   About the Guest: Christina Keim, M.Ed., M.F.A. is an award-winning equestrian journalist and professional ho...

In this episode we’ll meet my newest DN licensed Instructor, Niki Wilde Broadhead from Utah. She has a background in foundational horsemanship and a passion for cowboy dressage and teaching.  About the Guest: Niki has a strong background in foundational horsemanship, foal handling, and problem horses. She is a cowboy dressage endorsed clinician and a cowboy dressage level 3 judge with distinc...

This episode is a reintroduction of one of the most important concepts I teach, the Happy Athlete Training Scale.  This is the framework for ethical training with a prioritization on your horse’s well-being. This training scale is ALWAYS in the back of my mind as I assess my horses and make my day-to-day and moment-to-moment training decisions. It’s simply my best, most simple description (so...

In this episode I give you a simple technique you can use in many different situations to improve what’s going on between you and your horse.  About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and levels from around the world in her clini...

In this episode I talk about some of the challenges of being a horse professional for many decades, how things change, and perhaps a more positive way to navigate it.  About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and levels from arou...

In this episode I talk about how to keep track of all the things we need to keep track of when we’re doing stuff with our horses, and how do we know if it’s us that need to change or our horse?  About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disci...

In this episode I’ll talk about some ways I help myself make decisions with my horses (and life).  About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and levels from around the world in her clinics and the Dressage Naturally virtual progra...

In this episode I talk about intention and surrender, that delicate dance between having a plan and allowing things to happen naturally, between leading our horses to do things, and allowing them to offer.   About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches student...

In this episode I take a look at horse welfare and how we can respond to situations where we think a horse is in a less-than-ideal situation. I’ll share three models, two to help you assess a situation and one to decide how to respond.  About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational p...

In this episode I answer a listener’s question about the challenge of deciding when to stop riding when it is the horse’s decision to stop.  About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and levels from around the world in her clinics...

In this episode I talk about animal consciousness. It’s a big subject that can get confusing quickly, and that’s why I wrote a fable about it.  About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and levels from around the world in her clin...

In this episode I talk about the magical stuff, those synchronous, rare moments when the stars align, and how maybe they are much more ordinary in the best way possible. About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and levels from around...

In this episode we revisit episode 87 on Going Through because it is such an important subject! This episode is about throughness in the dressagey sense of the word, and it’s also about going all the way through a process… so instead of getting stuck in the messy middle, you find your way to the beautiful stuff on the other side. Even if you’ve heard this one before, listen again with new ears… I’...

In this episode I share a couple favorite must-have flexibility exercises from my book. I also share my birthday wish! About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and levels from around the world in her clinics and the Dressage Naturally...

This episode is all about the Sweet Spot program and how it helps you find more harmony with your horse in an empowering and transformative way. At the time this is episode is released registration for the program is open (it only opens twice a year) so we want to make it easy for you to know if it’s right for you either now or in the future. You’ll hear from me and some SS students.  About t...

In this episode I am joined by DN Instructor Shawna Lewis. We answer questions from listeners. There are questions about connection with the reins, low energy horses, reactive horses, crooked horses and taking lessons. About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches st...

In this episode I’ll tell a funny little scary story that is remotely horse-related and then I’ll share 5 pieces of advice that will help you with horses (and maybe with more than horses). About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and...

In this episode I talk with Sandra Beaulieu, the award-winning author of FREESTYLE: The Ultimate Guide to Riding, Training, and Competing to Music. Sandra is a USDF Bronze & Silver Medalist, a USDF Freestyle Bronze Bar recipient, and a USDF "L" Graduate.   She saw a need in the dressage world for do-it-yourself freestyle information and is passionate about helping riders begin the dance w...

In this episode I talk about a couple of excerpts from my book. This time it’s about lateral work and self carriage. About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and levels from around the world in her clinics and the Dressage Naturally v...

In this episode I talk about the most important middle between reward and punishment: Communication and Dancing.   About the Host: Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and levels from around the world in her clinics and the Dressage Nat...