Equestrian Voices

If you’re in the horse world long enough, you or someone you know will probably experience trauma. For almost all of us, it has been – or will be – a part of life and the horse world is no exception. And horse people are really, really good at trying to ignore it or “tough it out”.

Many of us can miss the signs of it or feel confused about why we’re feeling overwhelmed, or irritable, or can’t sleep, or just don’t feel like ourselves. Horse people value grit and toughness and think that means ignoring those feelings and signs. But here’s the thing: healing from trauma will improve your experience as a rider... and as a human.

What is trauma? Where do we begin?

In this episode host Caroline Culbertson is joined by Lisa Weiss, LCSW, and Meredith Varie, an amateur hunter-jumper rider. Through the lens of Meredith’s experience, we explore:

• What trauma is and how it affects the brain
• The symptoms of trauma to look out for
• Meredith’s experience with trauma evolving into more complex and very concerning symptoms
• Why we can’t rely on white-knuckling our way through trauma
• Talk therapy vs EMDR for trauma
• What happens in a therapy session, how to get started, and how to break up with your therapist if it’s not working out
• How medication can factor into the equation (sometimes, but not always)

Note: if you’re looking for therapy and need help navigating the process, MiResource is an excellent place to start. Founded by an equestrian, too! If you or someone you know is in crisis, please go to https://988lifeline.org/

If horses are born without shoes, why do they need them? Are we disrupting their natural gait/growth/biology by putting shoes on them, or are we actually helping them cope with their lifestyle and demands by nailing some steel on their feet?

Rich Affonso is a seasoned farrier and Equestrian Masterclass instructor who has worked for decades on horses of all disciplines, from working ranch horses, to fancy dressage horses, and everything in between. You name it, he’s probably seen it. He’s also done his own research into why barefoot

With host Caroline Culbertson, Rich dives into:

• Why do folks like to argue about this topic so much?
• What is barefoot trimming versus regular trimming?
• If you’re going to try going barefoot, what do you need to know about the transition?
• What supplements/hoof topicals are useful?
• Will we see more unshod horses after Peder Fredericsen’s performance with All In at Tokyo Olympics last summer?
• What about shod up front, barefoot behind?
• And more...

We know, we know... flatwork is so crucial for training and athletic development, but boy can it be frustrating when you’re dealing with an ongoing training or behavioral issue. Good flatwork feels amazing; bad flatwork feels like the longest 45 minutes of your life.

In this episode, host Caroline Culbertson sits down with Team USA’s Silva Martin to dissect 3 common flatwork woes. Ride horses long enough, and you’ll probably encounter all three. Hooray!

1. The horse that jigs at the walk.
2. The horse that is stiff in one direction (or easier to bend in one direction).
3. The horse that leans on the forehand.

They discuss how to think about these problems, what is happening biomechanically, what doesn’t work (tempted though we may be), and what exercises to focus on instead. Silva has seen it all, and each of these problems can be improved greatly. There’s hope for us yet!

There’s no taking the spook out of a horse. As prey animals, horses will always want to run away first. Combine this fact with modern breeding programs that produce lighter, more responsive horses and many of us may find ourselves riding with a pounding heart and sweaty palms, fearing that inevitable spook.

But a spooky horse isn’t a problem; it’s the symptom of a problem that starts with your relationship.

Josh Nichol has helped countless of riders develop healthy partnerships with their horses through his method of Relational HorsemanshipTM. He joins Caroline for a thought-provoking conversation about how meeting your horse's needs can forge deeper connections, encourage softness, and reduce spooking. They also cover practical and key techniques like:

• Meeting your horses’ self-preservation needs with mind, space and pressure.
• Encouraging a horse to think with pressure and softness.
• Using mindfulness to manage your reactions to your horse.
• Recognizing where a horse stores tension in their body.
• Understanding the difference between masculine and feminine energy in horse training.
• Why doing own own internal work can strengthen our partnerships

Support our shoy by supporting our sponsors: Nikovian - Luxury apparel for equestrians (use code noellefloyd15 at checkout!) Connaway and Associates - Equine Insurance Services Equestrian Masterclass - go to equestrianmasterclass.com/voices for $50 off an annual membership!

It was a record-breaking year for Equestrian Voices, as we won two more awards (W3 Awards) and topped the Goodpods chart. We couldn’t have done it without you, our listeners! From the entire EV team - THANK YOU.

To celebrate this remarkable year, host Caroline Culbertson is rewinding 5 favorite moments of the pod in 2023 with colleague and longtime media friend, Sally Spickard.

Many of you will already know Sally Spickard–you’ve definitely read her content before. Sally has written over 4000 equestrian articles, currently produces Equestrian Masterclasses for NOELLE FLOYD, and is the co-publisher of Eventing Nation.

Sally and Caroline are breaking down our most memorable moments in 2023, including:

• How more equestrians can embody athletic identities to match the fitness expectations we have for our horses
• How we can merge honoring our horses’ best selves with our own ambitions
• What it means to be confident in the saddle, and how self-awareness and self-dialogue can get you there
• How we can begin to repair our relationships with our horses and with ourselves

Listening to this recap will ensure you don’t miss some of the most powerful, transformative moments of the year. Not only can these clips uplevel your riding, but they can enhance the way you relate to your horse, yourself and the sport.