CLAN OF THE HORSES

- When you reach a new level with your horse, spend some time there before you advance the training. It will make your horse strong, confident and proud, says master trainer Benedikt Líndal.

- We are never allowed to surprise the horse, but the horse is always allowed to surprise us - with how good he can be, says master trainer Benedikt "Benni" Líndal. Illustration: Sigga Ævars.

- On my Norwegian podcast I have several short episodes that I refer to as Moments of Zen. They are apt to be moments I have experienced with horses that has taught me something important about horses apt to change the way I understand or relate to them. This is one of those moments.

- I thought I was a soft and supportive rider, but the Mongolian horses disagreed, says Cathrine Fodstad, who realised that our need for control is a bad deal for horses after participating in the world's longest and toughest horse race.

- If you ride well, you don't need draw reins, and if you use them because you think need them, you jeopardise the welfare of your horse, says veterinarian, rider and author Gerd Heuschmann.

- The horse has only one safety net on set and that is me, says animal trainer Sofie Polmar. Todays episode is a summary from this weeks Norwegian interview where we talked about training horses for the film industry.

In today's episode, I thought I’d say something about danger of being a rider. And I will illustrate it with a handful of accidents I have experienced first-hand and survived. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet Vivienne. The young Swiss woman who was chosen to write the next chapter about the herd known as the Dreamvalley horses. Link to Vivienne's journey beyond this episode can be found here: www.hestenesklan.no.

- Dreamvalley connects visual art, peaceful communication with natural kept horses and personal growth. To me Dreamvalley is a relational work of art where we investigate our relationship to nature. The key is to listen to nature and be humble - and the horses play a very important part, says Tina Buddeberg in this interview that was conducted in August 2020.

- We need a better way for interested people to have a safer experience and be fit enough, and well prepared enough so we can actually revive the horse industry in a way that people can be proud to be part of it, says author and horse trainer Leslie Desmond.

MOZ (moments of Zen) refers to moments I have experienced with horses that have taught me something important or inspired me to make a significant shift in the way I relate to or understand my horses. This is one of those moments.

- The idea of a horse seeing a human as dominant is pretty sketchy. We really don’t know what horses think, but it works much better to not load them up with all this nonsense, says Dr. Andrew McLean, zoologist and CEO of Equitation Science International.

- There are so many things we, as human beings, get wrong with horses. We know better, but we have also got to do better and we have got to be much smarter about their real welfare, says Dr. Andrew McLean in this interview about equine cognition and learning.

Deconstructing Natural Horsemanship: Groundwork is the foundation for riding. So why in the world would you ask your horse to elevate the neck and hollow the back - which is the exact opposite of what riding in balance is all about? This episode is a transcript of episode 2 of 44 on the Norwegian podcast Hestenes klan.

When challenged to name one thing that would greatly improve horse welfare, Professor Christopher Pollitt replied: - Winning the battle against ignorance and promote true scientific knowledge about the horse’s foot. Because it is such a wonderful thing to comprehend.

A practical introduction to the Feldenkrais-method with Dave Thind. Take a break from your busy schedule and connect to your body for a change - your horse will thank you for it!

- With the Feldenkrais method we are always looking for ease, because that is what our nervous system strives for. Hard work isn’t necessarily better, neither for horse nor rider. Sometimes it’s just harder, says the Canadian Guild certified Feldenkrais practitioner Dave Thind who holds a German Trainer A licence and is a Grand Prix level competition rider in dressage and jumping.

- We all have a burning need to communicate with our horses, but we need to realise that they are talking to us all the time. It is just that we are not being in a place to receive it, says Stormy May, the director of the acclaimed documentary “The Path of the Horse”.

- Horses cannot respect us because they do not have that process in their brain, says horse advokat, clinician and author Anna Blake. - We have all been taught some version of ask, tell, make and if horses don't hear us, we talk louder. How about turning the volume down and listen for a change?

Your gaze is harder than you are aware of - and your horse will have a far better life if you fix it. Here is how.

There are numerous podcasts about horses. This one aims to tell a different story: A story that grows out of the Norse tradition. Clan of the Horses premieres on Monday September 28th.