Horse Wise

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) motivation behind this mindset— and how to ask yourself a key question to avoid this pitfall. The bottom line is that it isn’t about getting more things done with your horse (as fast as possible). Instead, it’s about how to get the right things done with your horse. The little things that help him become balanced, straight and supple —and that mean the most to the horse. Those are the things that we never “catch up” on — but instead are the focus of each ride, slowly and steadily building a consistency and compound effect over time. At Horse Wise, I teach people tools so that they can learn how to coach themselves and the

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 love to coach — and my favorite way to do is through audio coaching. In this episode, I describe what’s unique about my customized audio coaching services (besides references to strippers and queso). I also include a real audio coaching segment I did for a special client and her horse. Best of all, I include a super fun offer to my listeners to email me any issues with their horses or horsemanship that they would like assistance with. I will be selecting one or two each week — and will do a customized audio coaching segment for them on the podcast! My email is horsewisecoach@icloud.com 1 At Horse Wise, I teach people

“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 training professionally since 1980. She has helped horses and riders in nearly every discipline — from stock horse to dressage to cutting horse to eventing. Linda has worked with many “Masters” of the art of horsemanship, including Buck Brannaman, Tom Curtin and Ray Hunt. In 2008, she attended the first of many symposiums taught by Dr. Gerd Heuschmann, world renowned expert of equine biomechanics and the author of Tug of Way - Classical versus “Modern” Dressage. In addition, Linda has received certification through the Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA) Train th

“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 training professionally since 1980. She has helped horses and riders in nearly every discipline — from stock horse to dressage to cutting horse to eventing. Linda has worked with many “Masters” of the art of horsemanship, including Buck Brannaman, Tom Curtin and Ray Hunt. In 2008, she attended the first of many symposiums taught by Dr. Gerd Heuschmann, world renowned expert of equine biomechanics and the author of Tug of Way - Classical versus “Modern” Dressage. In addition, Linda has received certification through the Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA) Train th

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 honor and privilege when a horse lets down his guard and allows himself to trust a person. In this episode, I share the story of Ellie, a fierce little mare who could not turn loose — even when it was a life or death situation. 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 good partnership with your horse (in a practical, straightforward way). If you’d like more information on mindset practices, audio coaching or general Horse Services, please visit our website for more information:  h

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, that same horse will often become very emotional and troubled. People also can learn not to try. In this episode, I discuss the difference between a horse and a person who both displayed learned helplessness during key sessions with teachers. 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 good partnership with your horse (in a practical, straightforward way). If you’d like more information on mindset practices, audio coaching or general Horse Services, please visit our website for more in

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 usual mentors weren’t available — and I had to figure out a way to safely load her on the trailer. While well-meaning spectators offered advice and tools ranging from ropes to brooms to holistic solutions. It was quite an experience for both me and the mare! 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 good partnership with your horse (in a practical, straightforward way). If you’d like more information on mindset practices, audio coaching or general Horse Services, please visit our web

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 certain way. And of course the same is true for horses! 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 good partnership with your horse (in a practical, straightforward way). If you’d like more information on mindset practices, audio coaching or general Horse Services, please visit our website for more information:  http://horsewisecoach.com/  And if you’d like to keep up with our news and updates, please join our email list or follow us on social media:  https://www.facebook.com

“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 — and his quirky personality (and impressive athleticism) made him the perfect schoolmaster. In this episode, I share Dan’s lessons — and how they are perfect for coping with the unexpected pandemic of 2020. 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 good partnership with your horse (in a practical, straightforward way). If you’d like more information on mindset practices, audio coaching or general Horse Services, please visit our website for more information:  http://horsewisecoa

"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 coronavirus spring — and I’d like to help you enjoy the benefits of every silver lining it brings. One of the best benefits of this time is that many of your usual patterns (with or without your horse) are interrupted. This gives a wonderful opportunity to see things from a new perspective! In this episode, I share two exercises that helped me improve my body awareness and riding posture. They are fun, easy and can be done at home without your horse (if you are in self-quarantine or shelter in place order). I also mention a terrific article about the concept of “Hangerman” from the Eclectic Horseman. Here’s a link to it:

“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 usually means you’re already expecting to fail. You can put effort into things, you can put in steady, good work — but trying too hard often closes your mind and gets you fixated on a particular approach. Instead of trying to make something happen, instead experiment with setting up a situation so that you and the horse can learn together. 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 good partnership with your horse (in a practical, straightforward way). If you’d like more information

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 first. I want to share my knowledge and help during this temporary chaos of coronavirus. So I’ll be offering customized education tips, classes, podcast episodes and coaching to support riders who feel sidelined and frustrated now. For more details, please stay tuned for future podcast episodes! 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 good partnership with your horse (in a practical, straightforward way). If you’d like more information on mindset practices, audio coaching or gener

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 had improved significantly – in spite of being completely removed from my normal barn routine. I want to share my knowledge and help during this temporary chaos of coronavirus. So I’ll be offering customized education tips, classes, podcast episodes and coaching to support riders who feel sidelined and frustrated now. For more details, please stay tuned for daily posts here. Equestrians are people of action – and we don’t idle well (especially if we can’t ride much). Let’s put our energy toward making progress on our horse goals – and wrestle amazing positive results from this annoying pandemic phase. We ride at dawn!

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 as a rider and a horseman/woman. In the episode, I also share a story of a particularly frustrating rehab case that I encountered with a personal horse. 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 good partnership with your horse (in a practical, straightforward way). If you’d like more information on mindset practices, audio coaching or general Horse Services, please visit our website for more information:  http://horsewisecoach.com/ And if you’d like to keep up with our new

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 Episode 28, to make good use of the my limited time with the horses. As luck would have it, I was then contacted by a television series that wanted to do an episode about my work with the horses and horsemanship in general. It sounded like a fun opportunity!  They wanted to film a session of me working with a horse as the sun rose behind us. Which meant being “on set” well before dawn — on a extra cold, dark morning preceded by days of wet weather. The horse I planned to use (who had been in more consistent work) had become feral due to the cold and was running around his pasture happily. His pasture buddy (Coz

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 benefit (plus will make you laugh). I speak from much experience — over the last seven years, I’ve had multiple  involuntary breaks from riding (from reasons such as natural disasters, athletic injury and family member illness). Each time, I emerged with greater insight and improved horsemanship skills — precisely because I couldn’t ride in my usual routine (and in my old patterns).  Below are some of the resources I mention in the podcast: 55 Corrective Exercises for Horses book by JEC Ballou https://www.amazon.com/Corrective-Exercises-Horses-Resolving-Preventing/dp/1570768676 Kathleen Beckham’s Grey Horse

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 their endeavors together. 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 good partnership with your horse (in a practical, straightforward way). If you’d like more information on mindset practices, audio coaching or general Horse Services, please visit our website for more information:  http://horsewisecoach.com/ And if you’d like to keep up with our news and updates, please join our email list or follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/HorseWiseCoach/ https://www.i

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 involve your horse or the outdoors. All you need is your car and some groceries. I came upon this exercise purely by accident a few years ago — and it changed my entire perspective on my equitation and riding goals. 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 good partnership with your horse (in a practical, straightforward way). If you’d like more information on mindset practices, audio coaching or general Horse Services, please visit our website for more information:  http://horse

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 bring to learning or listening to advice. In this episode, I share some examples of what I’ve observed over the years with nice people and troubled horses. Including the story of a hard luck little mare who had only nice people for owners — yet still ended up deeply in crisis. 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 good partnership with your horse (in a practical, straightforward way). If you’d like more information on mindset practices, audio coaching or general Horse Services, plea

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 to be rugged, tough and world wise, like the pro horse trainers I knew. But over time, I came to realize that my nerdy perspective was actually a positive thing. It gave me a fresh and completely non-cynical approach to the horses. My “beginner’s mind” was open to many possibilities that experts would never consider. Because of that, I became aware of small things in the horses’ behavior and expressions that seemed significant to me (and to the horses). I was more receptive to learning — and the horses were happy to teach me because of that.  I owe this insight to an early experience at a Ray Hunt clinic. It wa