The River Tiger Podcast from Dynamics Coaching

Guest: Tracy Cole , NLP Master Trainer and equestrian mindset coach In this episode of the River Tiger podcast, Marianne Davies talks with Tracy Cole , an NLP master trainer who works with riders ranging from very nervous amateurs to elite competitors. Together they explore how neuro‑linguistic programming (NLP) is used to support riders’ confidence, mindset, and performance – and how that sits al...

In this episode of the River Tiger Podcast, I am joined by returning guest Dr. Karen Luke to explore her new paper and framework referred to as “Horse Welfare 12”, based on Donella Meadows’ 12 leverage points for intervening in complex systems. Drawing on systems thinking and decades of hands-on experience with horses, Karen unpacks why the equestrian world is a “wicked problem” – full of genuinel...

Show Notes In this rich, wandering catch-up with with Dr. Carl Woods we explore how an ecological approach to psychology, sport, and everyday life might help us live more responsibly in a time of ecological collapse. Drawing on two of Carl’s recent papers – a commentary on wayfinding (in conversation with Harry Heft and Gibsonian ecological psychology) and “Responsibility in a Time of Ecological C...

In this episode of the River Tiger Podcast Marianne is joined by Professor Harry Heft, one of the leading voices in ecological psychology and a scholar deeply influenced by James and Eleanor Gibson. Harry shares how growing up amid the social change of the late 1960s, and his frustration with psychology’s neglect of real living environments, led him into a lifetime of work on environment–behaviour...

In this episode of the River Tiger Podcast, host Marianne Davies speaks with Danny Hatcher, whose work sits at the intersection of sports coaching, ecological psychology, Deaf awareness, and technology/AI. Danny introduces his background in strength and conditioning and sports coaching and explains how a seemingly simple example about a table having “affordances” drew him into ecological psycholog...

This podcast was recorded in response the publication of 'The myth of Optimality in Human Movement Science' by Madhur Mangalam. I recorded this episode some time ago but it has been a tough year and I have not published any podcasts. I lost my beloved River Tiger this year - it's still very raw but I do want to discuss that in another episode. My motivation is stronger for continuin...

Ed Baggs, assistant professor at the University of Southern Denmark, joins me for a conversation about his research on affordances. I invited Ed to join me after reading his latest (preprint) paper ‘The Affordance Hypothesis. In this paper Ed and his co-author Vicente Raja delve into affordance research, using examples like an African fish eagle hunting bee-eaters to illustrate direct perception. ...

Yuji Suzuki, a strength and conditioning coach and chiropractor based in Portland, Oregon, discusses his transition to an ecological approach in his work with youth and remote clients. He explains how the COVID-19 pandemic led him to explore online resources, which introduced him to the ecological principles of human movement learning.  Yuji emphasises the importance of allowing clients to explore...

This is a special edition of the podcast. I'm not only passionate about coaching and learning in adventure and equestrian sports, they are an integral part of my life. In this episode I am joined by the three amazing women with whom I shared a wonderful adventure this summer.  Sue Couling, Jenna Sanders and Louise Royle join me to capture our summer adventure stand up paddle boarding around t...

This is a conversation that I have been looking forward to for a long time. We covered a lot of ground especially defining affordances and linking affordances not only to individual movement, but to multi organism and multi species interactions. On the way we connected affordance perception, calibration, flow, and many other importance concepts. Andrew Wilson, an ecological psychologist at Leeds B...

In this podcast Eric Brymer discusses the human need for adventure, likening modern life to a metaphorical cage that strips away fundamental human experiences. He explores the motivations behind extreme sports, noting that while initial motivations vary, continued participation is driven by profound relationships with nature, clarity of mind, and ineffable experiences. Eric emphasises the importan...

How we do research has a significant impact on the results we get. Overview: In this conversation, I had the pleasure of hosting Louise Evans on the podcast to discuss her innovative research paper titled "Whoa, No Go." As the first author, Louise provided valuable insights into her study, which explores horses' use of model-based strategies* during an inhibitory control task. We st...

In this episode of the River Tiger podcast, Dr. Alex Lascu joins me to discuss nonlinear pedagogy and its practical applications. Alex explains that nonlinear systems lack proportionality, meaning small changes can have unpredictable impacts, and emphasises the importance of understanding stability and noise in movement. We explore how these concepts challenge traditional coaching methods, advocat...

In this second part of me conversation with  David Farrouk we explore the intricate relationship between ecological psychology, constraints, and the practical implications for coaching and learning. The discussion delves into the differences between behaviourism and ecological psychology and systems approaches, emphasising how the latter offers a more dynamic understanding of behaviour by consider...

In this episode of the River Tiger Podcast, I’m delighted to welcome David Farrokh, who is currently finishing his PhD at Sheffield Hallam University. Our conversation takes a deep dive into various learning theories, including behaviourism, cognitivism, and ecological psychology, with a focus on how they shape our understanding of human (and animal) learning and behaviour. In part 1 David shares...

In this episode of the River Tiger podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Rebecca Williams, a clinical psychologist and climbing coach. Our discussion centred on the vital interplay between fear management and performance in adventure sports. Rebecca shared her nearly 25 years of experience in psychology and how her passion for climbing shaped her coaching approach. We tackled the miscon...

This episode with Joe Kelly, widely known as the Barefoot Athlete, was a treat to record, and equally fascinating to re-listen to before publishing. With over 25 years in movement coaching, Jo's journey spans fitness, rehabilitation, and adventure sports, leading to profound insights into skill acquisition and the importance of embodiment in athletic performance. Jo emphasises "thinking...

In this episode, my guest, Steph Bradley shares her research into the impact of menopause and peri-menopause on women in equestrian sports. In this refreshingly candid and open conversation, Steph delves into the challenges faced by women and the importance of sustaining women's participation in equestrian and other sports. She examines the various symptoms that may lead some women to step aw...

Kathy and I have been excited about recording this episode for months. We finally managed to get the time (although I was on a stand up paddle board trip so not at home or on my own computer), and Kathy did not disappoint. Days before we were due to record, one of the worlds top dressage riders withdrew from the Olympics because of the sharing of a video of a coaching session. We do not focus on t...

Staying fit, healthy and injury free is so important to all riders and horses, regardless of age or level of activity. This conversation covers a wide range of topics around how we can improve both horse and human performance and longevity by improving movement ability, fitness, resilience (or anti-fragility), and rehab. Katie Wood is a Reg. Physiotherapist, MSc in Equine Science, eventer, gaited...

This is a great conversation for coaches and participants of all sports.  Kit and equipment design has always fascinated me. Since my early days of learning to kayak in boats, wearing clothing and using paddles that were designed for men (not people shaped like me), I have been intrigued by how much our kit and equipment can impact skill development and motivation.  Nowadays company's are des...

My guest this episode is Pete Edwards of Prowess Coaching. Firstly I need to say a huge thank you to Pete for taking some time out a few days before his wedding to talk to me. As with most of my conversations, this is (I hope) of interest to all coaches of all sports. I have always loved my conversations with Pete so I was delighted that he agreed to let me record one of them. In this conversation...

I love all of my podcast episodes, but every now and again I get to record and be part of a conversation that I could have a profound influence on both me and other equestrians. This is one of those conversations. For the full length introduction and links to research papers, go to the Dynamics Coaching website page -  https://wp.me/paOEAX-sg My guests on this episode are Bonny Mealand and Emily K...

I reached out to Sara Bref after reading a translation of one of her articles for the Swedish equestrian magazine Hippson. After a brief exchange of emails, I invited Sara to be a guest and Sara asked if she could bring Petra with her. I know I always say that my guests are awesome (they are), but this was a very special and rich conversation that also left me feeling more hopeful and thoughtful a...

In this episode I caught up with my good friend Tyler Yearby from Emergence and US Ski and Snowboard to discuss his work in strength and conditioning, movement technique, biomechanics, and coaching. I hope that you enjoy this episode. Please get in touch with your reflections and feedback.  Research Papers (Re)conceptualizing movement behavior in sport as a problem-solving activity - https://www.f...