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It's my privilege to talk with the incomparable Jec Ballou, whose motto is "fitness is the focus". Jec is the author of multiple books, including "101 Dressage Exercises for Horse and Rider", which is endorsed by the US Dressage Federation as a critical for everyone to own book.
Few people have the understanding of equine fitness, biomechanics, and rehabilitation that Jec possesses and I learned a lot through the course of this interview. She has several very highly reviewed books to her credit and offers online courses, clinics, and customized programs. She is also the host of the Best Horse Practices Podcast. Please enjoy this chat, and find the links to Jec's stuff below.
 https://www.jecballou.com/
https://www.instagram.com/jecaristotleballou/
https://www.youtube.com/@jecballou
https://www.facebook.com/JecAristotleBallou
https://besthorsepractices.com/podcast/

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Welcome to Season 2! Here are some answers to questions and situations of late. Please, take a moment and rate, comment, or share our podcast with friends or on whichever directory you're listening on. It's much appreciated and helps make the time we put into this podcast worth it.
Here's the facebook group where I get most of the questions for the podcast from, Bits, Spurs, and Good Sense:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/795178083941287
https://www.facebook.com/ddauphin77/
https://www.instagram.com/dauphin_horsemanship/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU7PYYaPkTOE2D5kF7OxdRA
http://dauphinhorsemanship.com/

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Our guest this time should need no introduction. Jim Masterson has devised the Masterson Method and founded The Masterson Method, Integrated Equine Performance Bodywork. He's been all over the world teaching people how to help their horses release tension and it was my pleasure to watch him do his thing at The Best Horse Practices Summit this past October. Jim's also quick witted and funny and is the most humble person he knows. We had a great time and I find his approach very effective, easy to learn, and thought provoking. Please enjoy our chat.

https://mastersonmethod.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MastersonMethod
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krSx3Kz2BW4

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This time we talk to Josh Nichol of Josh Nichol Relational Horsemanship. Josh and I will both be presenters at the Best Horse Practices Summit in October, so I thought it'd be nice to chat with him prior.
Much of Josh’s life has been spent developing his understanding and knowledge of horsemanship. Under the guidance of world-class mentors, Josh quickly learned his life’s calling: continually seeking and developing better methods of creating long-lasting relationships with one of God’s most fascinating and beautiful creatures. Driven by a passion for connecting with, and understanding the needs of horses, Josh has created a transformative approach to horsemanship: Relational Horsemanship.

Relational Horsemanship is built on a foundation of forming a deep connection with our horses by striving to understand their needs and empowering them to perform at peak capacity rather than dominating them. Refined over two decades of experience working with clients from across Canada and across multiple disciplines, Josh’s method has rapidly gained an international following among horse owners and equine professionals alike.

https://joshnichol.com/

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In this episode we talk with someone from the dark side. She feeds treats! Adele Shaw is an internationally recognized mentor and trainer focused on creating a positive relationship between horse and human through science-based training and care practices. Adele is a Certified Horse Behaviour Consultant with the IAABC and an endorsed trainer with the World Bitless Association. She trains utilizing choice and control, positive reinforcement, behavioral science, the humane hierarchy, LIMA, and so much more with horses. Adele’s mission is to make this information accessible and achievable for the average horse owner out there through The Willing Equine. 
I really enjoyed our chat. We discuss all aspects of Operant Conditioning and the pros and cons as we see them. This is a very candid conversation and I sure got a lot off of my chest. It is cordial as well and it will be evident that while we have some differing views, we actually agree on way more than we disagree. Enjoy!
Adele can be found at the following links:
https://www.thewillingequine.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thewillingequine/
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheWillingEquine
https://www.facebook.com/thewillingequine

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We start this one off by discussing some things to keep in mind when choosing a riding instructor or a boarding facility. 
Racing often gets a bad reputation, but is it all bad? Daniel talks about the importance in the Equine Industry that Racing has and how it actually does benefit all horse owners. 
Most clinicians have colt starting videos out there. Why? Do those of us who start colts for a living think everyone is well qualified to start their own after watching a video or two? No, but those videos do provide necessary information that all horse owners/riders should know.
Next we progress into talking about some of my favorite warm up exercises, and things to consider prior to the intense parts of a ride.
Someone asked me a couple of bit questions and I go way deep into nervous and foamy mouths. Why do horses sometimes get a foamy mouth and what does it mean? What can you do to help a horse that seems agitated by the bit? We'll discuss at length.
Continuing with the bit theme, we then move on to progressing a horse from a snaffle into a shanked bit, even if they are older. There is a method to the madness and this is an area that Daniel really enjoys discussing.
Lastly, we get into an OTTB who is being transitioned into and English horse. He rides around nice and relaxed on a loose rein, but when the reins are taken up, he takes off. What's the deal and how do you fix something like that? Find out.
If you aren't aware, Daniel is internationally known for his deep understanding of bits and the anatomy affected by bits. He has an encyclopedic video on the subject for sale. We'll be rebranding and retitling the video in the near future and the remaining copies with the old title are on sale. Enter coupon code "rebranding" for 30% off of the very best source of information on bits available.
https://www.dauphinhorsemanship.com/mercantile
Here's a link to a video on our Youtube channel that we promised to provide that might help with that transition of going from two hands to one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAxGFptycFo&t=201s

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Wilson Capron has been on my radar as a custom bit maker for years now. His stuff truly takes function and blends into it artistry and craftsmanship that is second to none. I really admire his eye for balance and style. He's also pretty good at explaining and showing how he goes about what he does.
When I finished up the video on bits and bitting, I reached out to him to see if he wouldn't mind giving it a look. We  hit it off on that phone call and I think you'll enjoy the type of banter that he and I have in this interview.
If you ever use a bit or a spur, or have any interest in cool tack, you really need to listen to this one. Wilson is also a member of the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association and shows his work for the TCAA and at other venues as well.
http://tcowboyarts.org/
https://wilsoncapron.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Capron-Bits-Spurs-LLC-191394464213757
https://www.patreon.com/WilsonCapron
https://www.instagram.com/wilsoncapron/

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It was my pleasure to chat with one of my favorite people in the horse world in this episode of Adult Onset Horsemanship Podcast.  Dr. Joe Gotti spent his career as a Prof. of Animal Science at Stephen F. Austin State University. He founded their Equine Sciences program, as well as the Intercollegiate Equestrian Team and the Intercollegiate Stockhorse Team. Dr. Gotti is one of those rare individuals that is responsible for molding the future generations of the Equine Industry. He's also quite the character, as you'll see. Listen in as we discuss what decades of learning about horses has produced.

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For our Feb Q & A, Daniel answers a couple of questions from our Facebook Group, "Bits, Spurs, and Good Sense". We talk about the hackamore vs the snaffle and refute a couple of criticisms about Dr. Robert M. Miller's Foal Imprinting ideas with the importance of context. Daniel answers another question about a book on the horse's brain which leads us down a rabbit hole. He gets deep into what Science and the Scientific Method is. He talks about some personal experiences he's had with the people behind the research and how their experiences, or lack of experiences can affect the outcomes. He gets neck deep into Associative Learning Theory and it's children, Classical and Operant Conditioning. He'll talk about some real world examples of each and the practical side of things. He'll pay special attention to positive reinforcement also. 
In the final segment, he talks about what debunking a long standing scientific theory really would entail and if that standard really is met when people like to say things have been debunked. He finishes by giving some tips on these scientific studies and looking up the research for yourself. He'll tell you some places to find this type of research, how to critically analyze it when you find it, and some common flaws to look for that may nullify what you're reading and waste your time. If you're interested in the science of behavioral conditioning, this one's for you.

https://www.dauphinhorsemanship.com/mercantile
https://www.facebook.com/groups/795178083941287
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_v9LuvYmU0

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Bruce Sandifer is one of the most knowledgeable guys going teaching the ways of the Californio Traditions and about making Traditional Bridlehorses. He's also a realist and we have a very candid conversation about ideals vs realities. I learned a lot from him and find this approach to be a very attractive one, with a resulting bridlehorse that is as much a work of art as a trained animal. If you're the least bit interested in the why's and how's of jaquima to freno, you really need to give this one a listen.
Bruce is also a founder of the International Association for the Preservation of Early Californio Bridlehorses and Stockmanship. This group exists to preserve and protect an essential and threatened part of both California and western United States history: the method of horsemanship and stockmanship developed by the early Californios.
Bruce gives workshops and lessons and his homebase is Santa Barbara, California. You can find him via these links:

http://www.brucesandifercbh.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063573611385