Beyond the Bridle

McKayla and I discuss how, for years, we believed that we needed to drive our heels down while riding. Recently, we have both began the process of undoing this in our riding. We discuss how, when we drive the heels down, it makes us brace our entire leg, and also takes the "spring" action out of our ankle joints. We also discuss the implications for our upper body position when we drive...

This is part 2 of our, "Buying your first horse" episode. In Part 1 we discussed budgeting, time commitments, exercise needs, and travel considerations. In this episode we discuss what to look for in your first horse: age, temperament, price, maintenance, experience, and more! --McKayla and Camri . Email us at thehorsewomanproject@gmail.com . Get a hold of McKayla at Email: mak.athletes@...

In this episode, McKayla and Camri discuss the first thing you need to consider when buying your first horse: budgeting. Between hay, vaccinations, dewormers, veterinary bills, farriers, and the like, horses can become quite the expensive venture. We also touch on the topics of time commitment, exercise needs of your horse, and travel considerations. For your convenience, we have included a budget...

Today we talk about Camri’s mini-mule Kevin, and how her process with Kevin has shifted from taking it 100% at his pace, to speeding up the training process a little. The perspectives of mules being stubborn, hard to train, and that they never forget made Camri question if she was truly being fair in pushing Kevin out of his comfort zone when being caught, but she came to realize that mules are no...

Jade Savage joins McKayla and I today as we discuss a little about Jade's story. She is a mother of two young boys, an occupational therapist, a 4H coach, a doula, and a birth photographer. She is a woman of all trades! Jade share's a bit about her younger years and how she got to where she is now. She now runs her own photography business, Jade Savage Photography where she does birth, wed...

Today, McKayla and I discuss 5 things you need to successfully lose fat. McKayla is an online fitness and nutrition coach, with an emphasis on supporting horsewomen in their journey. She was my coach for several months and has so much knowledge to give. Enjoy this episode as she shares her tips and tricks for how to lose fat and build the healthy habits to keep it off. Hint: It’s not cutting carbs...

This week we give a little update on Kevin the mini-mule and how Camri is changing the dynamic of the catching routine. If we focus on a relationship before we start demanding things of each other, it leads to a more fulfilling relationship, as well as more willingness to respond to our demands later on. We discuss how taking ownership of our decisions in our life gives us the power to make the ch...

Does 60 days make a broke horse? We don't think so. McKayla and I discuss the things that we think make a broke horse. This is what we think a broke horse is: A horse that responds consistently, and in many different situations. 60-90 day horses, no matter how gentle and sweet, simply do not have the exposure, trail miles, arena miles, hauling miles, and experience to be 100% reliable and cons...

This week we discuss trail etiquette and safety. Trail riding is one of the most popular things to do with your horse, but there’s no courses teaching you the rights and wrongs of what to do with your horse on the trail. So here it is ;)  We go over things to consider when riding with a group and by yourself. We talk about things to be aware of if you aren’t a rider and go over some important safe...

McKayla here! This week Camri acts as part of a panel with our guests McKynzi Short and Lisa Muscarella. I've been excited about this panel for a long time, as I do not have kids and it's an ever-evolving conversation in my household as I try and fathom how I could possibly handle a child while still being able to keep up with the goals I have for myself and my horses. McKynzi Short is a m...

In this episode, we discuss how we deal with a loss of confidence in our riding, and/or a fear of horses. Every horse person at one time or another in their life, will have to deal with a situation with horses that strikes a bit of fear, anxiety, or uncertainty. When this happens, we can choose to leave the horse industry altogether. But seeing as this is The Horsewoman Project, we figure most of...

Today we talk about important things you need to implement to make your health your lifestyle so you stop yo-yoing and finally find something that changes your body and your mind for life. We also talk about McKayla's weird phobias, catch up on what we're up to and discuss Camri's transition from working with McKayla and what that will look like going forward. Email us at thehorsewoman...

This week we talk about track systems, handling anxiety in you and your horse, and when to set boundaries. We get an update on how McKayla has handled her anxiety with her mare and talk about how she's found she's allowed her boundaries to fall and that has created a lot of the issues she's been noticing. Then we dive into track systems. Track systems have been an important part of McK...

Since almost every horsewoman I've ever known owns a dog, I really wanted to bring Danielle Peterson of El's Pampered Paws onto the podcast, and she did not disappoint. In this episode, we get to know a bit about Danielle, how she got to where she is now, and her views on dog training and how it relates to all of us horsewomen who love our doggos just as much as we love the horses in our lives! --...

McKayla and I dive into a few of the things we used to believe but no longer do. Everything from the white "speed buttons" on a horse's back, to how we view "naughty horses" and so much more!  -- Camri and McKayla --  Links: OHOM Mug Evidence Based Horsemanship Book The Horsewoman Project Episode 19: Troubleshooting anxiety issues in horses and humans . Email us at thehorsewomanproject@g...

Today, McKayla and I discuss her mare Sandy, and how riding at a new indoor arena has caused anxiety to creep up in both her and her mare. We chat about mindset, expectations, and new habits they can change and plans they can come up with to help them overcome this little bump in the road. -- Camri and McKayla -- . Links: Soloshot Pivo . Email us at thehorsewomanproject@gmail.com . Get a hold of M...

Today we dive into how to fix your posture through training, checking your saddle for possible issues, and chat about Camri's daughter starting her first season of wrestling!  Get McKayla's FREE Workout Guide HERE! . Email us at thehorsewomanproject@gmail.com . Get ahold of McKayla at Email: mak.athletes@gmail.com Website: www.makathletes.com Instagram: @mckayla_lyman Facebook: Mckayla Mecham...

Dr. Chelsea Jones Boman of Peach Creek Chiropractic joins McKayla and I in this episode, as we dive into Chelsea's story. Dr. Chelsea is a human and animal certified mobile chiropractor in Utah. She talks all about her history in team roping, goat tying, and breakaway roping, as well as how chiropractic care became her career choice. She describes how she cares for her clients -- both the 2 and 4-...

This episode is part 2 of our Emotional Control episode. We already dove into the human aspect, and now we are going into the horse aspect. When this episode was recorded, it was the week of Camri's late mother's birthday. We talk about how anniversaries and certain dates can be hard. We discuss the winter blues, ice baths, intense hunger, and how taking control over our responses to things can em...

As horsewomen, we tend to want our horse to control their outbursts and emotions, but how good are we at controlling our own emotions? McKayla and I discuss how to expect the same level of emotional control from yourself as you do from your horses, and some tools and techniques that have helped us find better emotional control in everything from childbirth to other fear responses. -- Camri and McK...

This episode took a turn we weren't expecting, but we think it evolved the way it was meant to. We began discussing what it's like having a horse-y vs. a non-horse-y husband as a horsewoman. The conversation evolved into discussing our journeys through mixed-faith marriages, and what we have learned along the way. McKayla and I both grew up as members of the LDS church (the mormon church), and are...

We start the session talking about winter weather woes and crazy sicknesses. We discuss a woman's Facebook post that got us thinking about if people are selfish jerks for wanting to do something for themselves. How do we keep the right perspective in these types of situations? -- McKayla and Camri -- . Email us at thehorsewomanproject@gmail.com . Get a hold of McKayla at Email: mak.athletes@gmail....

McKayla shares a few things she learned from a Mastermind she recently attended about growing your business. Then we dive into the difficult question of, when is your horse in pain and when is it just a bad behavior? McKayla and Camri discuss how to check for pain, how to differentiate between pain and behavior problems, and how to resolve behavioral issues that stem from pain. Camri discusses mov...

Loving yourself doesn’t mean you don’t still want, need, or strive for change. And just because you want to grow, doesn't mean you don't love where you've been and where you are.  --McKayla and Camri-- Links:  Jeremiah's website: www.elevatedcoachingsystems.com . Email us at thehorsewomanproject@gmail.com . Get a hold of McKayla at Email: mak.athletes@gmail.com Website: www.makathletes.c...

We check in with each other after Christmas week and talk about what fitness means to us. Then we debunk some common fitness myths like how to spot reduce fat, the difficulties of dieting, adding and subtracting calories when you track, and is 10,000 steps really a good goal for everyone? --McKayla and Camri-- . Email us at thehorsewomanproject@gmail.com . Get a hold of McKayla at Email: mak.athle...