Horse Wise

Sometimes horsemanship insight comes from unexpected sources. In this episode (#48), I discuss how big waver surfer Laird Hamilton, yoga workouts and a tall QH named Santo helped me learn several key lessons. At Horse Wise, I teach people tools so that they can learn how to coach themselves and their horses to progress together as a team. It’s a fun process that shows you how build a goo...

Renowned horsewoman Kathleen Beckham has spent decades in pursuit of horsemanship excellence. A lifelong student of the horse, Kathleen shares her knowledge via her blog, FB study group as well as ongoing lessons, clinics and coaching sessions. I’ve followed Kathleen for years on FB — and have found her blog posts to be incredibly helpful and insightful. What is remarkable about Kathleen is her de...

It’s easy to get fixated on a certain result and grit our teeth through the process to achieve that result. But the irony is that the process itself is actually the result. Join me on this episode as I discuss how this is true in both horsemanship and life in general. At Horse Wise, I teach people tools so that they can learn how to coach themselves and their horses to progress together as a team....

Amy Skinner blends the principles of classical dressage and sound horsemanship practice. In her work, Amy keeps the best interest of horse and rider in mind, choosing to avoid fads and quick fixes, but to seek continual learning from the best teacher: the horse. Amy offers a training program for all breeds and disciplines that focuses on promoting softness, balance, and relaxation.  She...

Renowned horsewoman Kathleen Beckham has spent decades in pursuit of horsemanship excellence. A lifelong student of the horse, Kathleen shares her knowledge via her blog, FB study group as well as ongoing lessons, clinics and coaching sessions. I’ve followed Kathleen for years on FB — and have found her blog posts to be incredibly helpful and insightful. What is remarkable about Kathleen is her de...

Many times, riders feel frustrated and behind schedule with their horse. It can be tempting to rush and try to catch up as fast as possible. But ironically this approach will have the opposite effect — and will create more setbacks. In this episode, I discuss why the hurry and catch up mentality works against both you and your horse. I also examine the classically negative (if unintentional) motiv...

No one will be surprised to learn that my favorite way to coach involves talking. I’m known for my colorful teaching style — lots of vivid metaphors, humorous stories and (of course) laughter. My regular clients will recognize serious curriculum concepts like “giant stripper boobs” and “50 lbs of queso in your pockets.” While I’m not exactly the Spanish Riding School in terms of presentation, I lo...

“Horse trainers train horses. Horsemen work on themselves.” -Tom Dorrance Linda’s work speaks to the foundation and refinement of skills that allows ANY horse, regardless of discipline, to be a more willing and prepared partner. For her, the art of horsemanship is a personal journey to discover the grace, harmony and partnership that can exist between horse and rider. Linda has been teaching and t...

“Horse trainers train horses. Horsemen work on themselves.” -Tom Dorrance Linda’s work speaks to the foundation and refinement of skills that allows ANY horse, regardless of discipline, to be a more willing and prepared partner. For her, the art of horsemanship is a personal journey to discover the grace, harmony and partnership that can exist between horse and rider. Linda has been teaching and t...

The concept of turning loose is very important in horsemanship. When a horse “turns loose” and trusts a person, it is such a key moment. The horse essentially allows the person to guide him fully — even into unknown situations and circumstances. It is not exactly submission (in my opinion) — it’s more of a voluntary surrender to allow the person to fully direct his feet, mind and body. It’s an hon...

When horses are in a state of learned helplessness, they are shut down and in a form of cocoon. Over time, they have learned not to try — to always stay within their comfort zone. Sometimes this can show in a horse as a stoic form of behavior (on the surface). The horse seems unflappable — mostly because he isn’t entirely present. But — once you ask him to go outside his normal routine or habits,...

One of my favorite books is Turning Pro by Stephen Pressfield. It describes the importance of taking ownership in your work (and your life). The book is short, direct and full of humor. When I finished the book, I sat back and thought about a particular mare long ago. She was injured, frightened and needed to be transported asap from a busy fairground facility. Due to unforeseen circumstances, my...

Most of us dread the idea of doing things wrong. But the only way to learn how to do something right is to do it wrong at first. Or many times. When it comes to riding and horsemanship, we have to learn (and feel) for ourselves what the right things are. A good teacher will help set it up so you can discover what the right thing is on your own — rather than just being told to do something a certai...

“Have the courage to do nothing.” I’ve seen this quote used in many different ways. While I’m not sure who said it first (or why), I can see how it might apply to good horsemanship (and to certain circumstances in life). I first learned this from a wise horse named Dan. Many years ago, I met Dan at Park Police training barn. I was a volunteer exercise rider there. Dan was often my assigned mount —...

" I often tell people that I truly want the horse to be my feet and legs. I want to be an extension of the horse and him to be an extension of me. That's what I'm always working toward when I'm on a horse.” -Buck Brannaman If you’re like me, you probably are getting a little tired of COVID-19. It often seems like everything is on hold (literally) because of it. But there are advantages to this cor...

“So you make the wrong thing difficult and the right thing easy. You just fix it up, and let him find it.” -Ray Hunt Like many riders, I’m prone to trying extra hard to get something right. If at first I don’t succeed, I try, try again. But sometimes it’s much better to not TRY so hard. Instead, slow down and take a step back — so you can see the situation from a different perspective. Trying hard...

Even if you are in quarantine and can't ride your horse, you can STILL make real progress with your riding goals. What are the things that you always wished you had time to study or learn or get better at? Because what's good about now is that we ALL have lots more time on our hands. And we have the luxury of slowing down. So many big gains in performance come from slowing down to get things right...

I know this is a challenging time for horse people. Shows and favorite clinics are postponed. Riding stables and lesson programs are on hiatus. Some equestrians are confined in self-quarantine. Over the years, I’ve been through periods of epic disruption (such as multiple natural disasters). Each time, I gained insight about my horses and myself. After the chaos subsided, I found that my riding ha...

If you have horses, you know that it’s inevitable that you will deal with unexpected issues or problems. It’s the nature of horses to constantly introduce mayhem into their own lives. Or at the very least, shake up the normal routine by losing shoes, getting pasture injuries, developing sudden performance angst and so on. The good news is that these situations almost always give you a way to grow...

In this episode, I tell a recent story about taking my own advice from the podcast. In Episode 28, I shared some ways you can improve your horsemanship and riding during forced periods away from the barn (due to weather, work commitments, injury, etc). Due to family illness, I haven’t been able to ride or work with the horses consistently. I followed many of the strategies that I described in Epis...

In this episode, I discuss how to take advantage of extended breaks from riding (due to weather, injury or other annoying factors). It can be frustrating to have a forced break from riding. But there are fun ways you can use this time to actually improve your riding -- even with very little time in the saddle. If you can take a playful and fresh perspective, the exercises I share will be of great...

The term “bombproof horse” is always a red flag to me. Many times, that can mean that the horse is shut down and essentially unresponsive to its environment. In this episode, I discuss the reasons why you don’t want a bombproof horse — and how to help a horse that has become desensitized to the point of equine zombie status. A good riding partnership requires that both members truly participate in...

Winter can be challenging for equestrians. The weather is often cold, snowy or icy (depending on where you live). Your normal riding routine gets disrupted on a regular basis. How do you make progress  with your horse during the winter months? In this episode, I share a fun exercise that is easy to do in the winter — and reveals much about your riding patterns. Best of all, it doesn’t even in...

It seems like a paradox that nice people can ruin horses. When we think of a ruined horse, we envision cruel owners who abuse and mistreat their horses. But unfortunately sometimes truly nice people can create big trouble for their horses. Mostly through small things that don’t seem important at all. As well as things that don’t seem at all related to horses — like what type of perspective you bri...

I didn’t learn to ride until I was an adult. Predictably, I wasn’t exactly the smoothest rider at first. In fact, I was a downright nerd at the barn. If there was a wrong fashion choice to make, I made it. Rubber riding boots. Giant bright sweaters. Oversized helmets that made me look like an uncoordinated motorcycle cop. You name the worst equestrian fashion faux pas — and I embodied it. I longed...