Canter Therapy

One day your horse is perfectly fine, the next they're barely able to walk. Could it be a hoof abscess, or something more serious? Join Dr Shelley Appleton and hoof care practitioner Kathryn Christieson as they discuss how to recognise, manage and prevent hoof abscesses, when to call the vet, and how to help your horse recover comfortably. Show Notes Want to understand your horse's hooves...

It’s just Shelley and Kat this week, catching up on what’s happening in their horse worlds and, as usual, ending up somewhere much deeper. From track systems, spring grass and subclinical laminitis to a training horse who simply wasn’t progressing, they explore how management, discomfort and physical limitations can show up as behavioural and training problems. Shelley also introduces her idea of...

What if rebuilding confidence with your horse didn’t begin with pushing yourself harder? In this episode, Shelley and Kat talk with Sabrina Davies, founder of Her Ride, Her Way, about confidence, communication, people pleasing, self-doubt and why “just ride through it” might be some of the least helpful advice we give nervous riders. Sabrina shares her human-first approach to horsemanship and one...

What can we learn about a horse by really learning to see its body? In this fascinating and wonderfully candid conversation, Shelley and Kat talk with equine bodyworker Mary Sargeant about the experiences that transformed the way she sees horses. From dissections and compensation patterns to pain, rehabilitation, behaviour, riding, regulation and the increasingly popular language of choice and con...

Join Dr Shelley Appleton in conversation with Monique Craig , CEO and co-founder of EponaMind , for a thought-provoking discussion that begins with the hoof and expands into a much bigger conversation about how we understand horses. Drawing on decades of experience, research and practical observation, Monique explores hoof biomechanics, soundness, movement and why our preference for symmetry and c...

Why is one horse constantly itchy while another is completely unaffected? And could allergies be behind problems like head shaking, coughing, poor performance or changes in behaviour? In this fantastic episode, Shelley and Kat are joined by  Equine Dermatology Vet Dr Talia Morgan from Veterinary Dermatology Specialists  in Western Australia to unpack the surprisingly complex world of equine allerg...

Peter Cowell returns to the Canter Therapy Podcast for another fascinating conversation about the depth and nuance of working with horses. Peter is an experienced horseman, a deep thinker and someone who never stops questioning, experimenting and learning. In this episode, we explore how horsemanship develops in layers, from learning the basic rules of pressure and release to recognising the tiny...

Daniel Dauphin of Dauphin Horsemanship and host of The Adult Onset Horsemanship Podcast is back on Canter Therapy, and this time we dive deep into bits, bitting, rider hands and the foundations we often overlook in our horses. Daniel joins Shelley and Kat ahead of his upcoming Australian and New Zealand clinic tour in October-November 2026, to unpack how bits actually work, why a bitting problem i...

Professor Caroline Jacobson joins us to unpack one of the most misunderstood topics in horse ownership: parasites and worming. As Head of the School of Agriculture at Murdoch University and one of the authors of Australia's Equine Internal Parasite Management Guidelines , Caroline explains why traditional worming programs have changed, how resistance develops, what worm egg counts can (and can't)...

What if some horses are carrying the effects of birth long before they ever enter training? In this fascinating episode of the Canter Therapy Podcast, Dr Jane Clothier shares the groundbreaking research from her PhD investigating premature and developmentally immature foals and the lifelong consequences that can follow. Together we explore how developmental immaturity may influence skeletal develo...

In this thought-provoking conversation, we sit down with renowned horseman Josh Nichol to explore the ideas that have shaped his approach to horses, people, and life. Josh shares his journey from growing up with horses in remote Canada to studying under Harry Whitney and developing his own framework for understanding horse behaviour through mind, space, and pressure. We discuss the difference betw...

Many off-the-track Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds are talented, athletic, and willing horses, yet too many struggle in their second careers. In this episode of the Canter Therapy Podcast , Kathryn Christieson sits down with Dr Shelley Appleton and Isabelle Chandler to explore the often-overlooked gap between life on the racetrack and life as a riding horse. Drawing on Isabelle's extensive exp...

In this episode of the Canter Therapy Podcast, Shelley Appleton and Kathryn Christieson sit down with Lyn Jenkin . Lyn shares the incredible story of Django, the legendary Friesian stallion who became the first Friesian in Australia to compete at official Grand Prix dressage level, along with her experiences breeding Friesians and the horses that shaped her approach to horsemanship and learning. T...

What if stress is affecting your mare far more deeply than you realise? In this powerful episode, Dr Chris Mortensen shares research into how stress impacts mares, reproduction, hormones, blood flow, embryo quality, and behaviour. Shelley and Kat dive into: Exercise-induced stress and fertility Hormone disruption and cycling Gut health and stress Laminitis and metabolic issues The role of blood fl...

In this special episode of the Canter Therapy podcast, Shelley and Kat sit down with American horseman Bob Wood for a fascinating conversation about authentic horsemanship, rider development, leadership, and the timeless principles that underpin good horse training. Trained originally by a former US Cavalry horseman, Bob shares decades of hard-earned wisdom from a lifetime spent teaching riders, t...

Ian Leighton returns to Canter Therapy for his third appearance and, once again, delivers the kind of practical wisdom that’s hard to argue with. We dig into why nothing we ask of horses is natural, and what that means for training young horses, building trail confidence, and handling “won’t go past that” moments without accidentally rewarding the stop or turning work into punishment. Ian breaks d...

In this episode of the Canter Therapy Podcast, Shelley and Kat speak with Stacey Wallace about one of the most rapid and grounded transformations she has witnessed in a horse owner. Stacey returned to horses as an adult, postpartum, without a pony club background and with a young, reactive horse that challenged her confidence and skills from the outset. Over a relatively short period of time, Stac...

In this episode, Shelley sits down with horseman and educator Peter Cowell, the “man of a thousand sayings” who quietly delivers some of the most grounded, practical horsemanship insight you’ll hear. Peter shares how he found his way into horses (yes, it started with a girl), the three formative mentors who set his standards early, and why real learning is built in layers rather than slogans. The...

Horses did not evolve for stalls, separation, transport, or high-pressure routines, yet this is the reality most horses live in today. That mismatch creates chronic stress, and the consequences do not stay hidden. They show up in digestion, behaviour, performance, soundness, and long-term health. In this episode, Dr Chris Mortensen (Poseidon Animal Health) explains why stress and gut health sit at...

In Episode 97 of the Canter Therapy Podcast , Shelley and Kat walk straight into controversy and unpack one of the horse world's most heated topics: what does freedom really mean for domestic horses? Using a spicy young chestnut filly with dangerous kicking habits as a case study, they explore how early handling, feet care and smart use of pressure can free a horse from a lifetime of stress, c...

Kat has just come back from a three-day equine dissection in Wagga hosted by Dr Heidi McGraw and led by Dr Raquel Butler (with nods to pioneer Sharon May-Davis). We unpack what anatomy really looks like (spoiler: nothing like the textbook), why fascia and “everything’s connected” matters, how X-rays can miss early change, mares’ ovaries, the ethics/wicked-problem of riding, and Shelley’s new tech...

After a little hiatus (and 100,000+ listens—thank you!) Shelley and Kat are back. Inspired by an episode of  The Canine Paradigm , they explore “vibe”: how our energy, presence and intention shape every interaction with a horse—and with people. From the “volume knob” of our presence (too big vs too small) to practical ways to lift or soften energy, they dig into awareness, rope skills, and why the...

Horseman and educator Steve Halfpenny (Light Hands Equitation, SA) joins Canter Therapy to talk being a “horse’s lawyer,” why the mind comes before the body, building trust without force, connection and feel, and why balance comes first. We cover permission in coaching, awareness over labels, matching horses to humans, and practical ways to avoid triggering prey instincts while creating willing mo...

Kat and Shelley are joined by Tami Elkayam to share highlights from her Canberra workshops on keeping horses sound. They talk about moving beyond just spotting lameness to understanding the whole horse—posture, movement patterns, and prevention. The chat also touches on simple tools for owners and how hormones can affect mares’ performance. To find out more about Tami and her owners course discuss...

In this episode we wrap up 2024 with a look back at the highlights of the year, including our experiences at Equitana and the incredible visit from Tami Elkayam. We reflect on what we’ve learned, the connections we’ve made, and how these experiences are shaping our plans for 2025. Plus, we share some exciting goals for the new year and discuss our favorite book recommendations.