Ian Leighton returns to Canter Therapy for his third appearance and, once again, delivers the kind of practical wisdom that’s hard to argue with. We dig into why nothing we ask of horses is natural, and what that means for training young horses, building trail confidence, and handling “won’t go past that” moments without accidentally rewarding the stop or turning work into punishment.

Ian breaks down how to get forward in a way that doesn’t blow horses up, why you can only truly change one thing at a time, and why the best work often happens when nobody’s watching. We also talk coaching humans, including fear, ego, and learning differences, and how riders unknowingly create the very problems they blame on the horse.

If you want a clearer horse, a calmer ride, and fewer arguments, this one’s for you.

Support Our Episode Sponsors & Learn More

This episode of Canter Therapy is proudly supported by the people behind it.

If you value thoughtful, experience-based horsemanship conversations, you can support the podcast by supporting our sponsors.

You can learn more about Ian Leighton, his clinics, events, and horsemanship philosophy at www.ianleightonhorsemanship.com. If you’ve ever considered attending a multi-day clinic, keep an eye on his event calendar. They tend to fill quickly, and they are genuinely transformative for riders who want depth, not gimmicks.

To learn more about Shelley’s programs, courses, books, and the Calm Willing Confident Horses membership society, visit www.calmwillingconfidenthorses.com.au.

For evidence-based hoof care support and educational resources from Kat Christieson, visit www.firenzapark.com.au.

And if you’d like to directly support the Canter Therapy Podcast, you can find more episodes and merchandise at www.cantertherapy.com.au. Every share, follow, subscription, and hoodie purchase helps us continue bringing experienced voices and grounded ideas to the horse world.

Thank you for being part of the Canter Therapy community.

In this episode of the Canter Therapy Podcast, Shelley and Kat speak with Stacey Wallace about one of the most rapid and grounded transformations she has witnessed in a horse owner.

Stacey returned to horses as an adult, postpartum, without a pony club background and with a young, reactive horse that challenged her confidence and skills from the outset. Over a relatively short period of time, Stacey developed exceptional handling skills, sound decision-making, and the ability to calmly navigate complex situations that derail many horse owners. Her progress was supported not only by structured learning, but also by her own background in cheerleading and the Air Force, which shaped her discipline, ability to practise methodically, take responsibility, and stay calm under pressure.

A central theme of the conversation is how working within Shelley’s framework, through the Complete Reboot program and the Calm Willing Confident Horse Society, helped Stacey cut through the noise of conflicting expert advice. Rather than becoming dependent on opinions, Stacey learned a process for observing, testing, and refining her approach. She also speaks openly about the role of trusting her gut, particularly when expert advice conflicted or did not align with what she was seeing in her horse, even when faced with soundness issues, hoof concerns, injuries, and management challenges.

This episode offers an honest and practical look at what is possible for first-time and adult horse owners who never went to pony club, do not have the “perfect” horse, and are trying to build real capability in a confusing horse world.

If you enjoy the podcast, please subscribe. And if you’d like to support it in a more tangible way, visit the Canter Therapy website to explore Shelley and Kat’s education resources, clinics, and events. There’s also merchandise, because nothing says “I appreciate critical thinking and horses” quite like a hoodie!

Visit www.cantertherapy.com.au for more information.

In this episode, Shelley sits down with horseman and educator Peter Cowell, the “man of a thousand sayings” who quietly delivers some of the most grounded, practical horsemanship insight you’ll hear.

Peter shares how he found his way into horses (yes, it started with a girl), the three formative mentors who set his standards early, and why real learning is built in layers rather than slogans. The conversation explores what Peter calls the “ragged edge” of practice: handling weanlings year after year in the same facilities, with the same bloodlines, and refining timing, feel, and risk management through relentless repetition.

You’ll hear honest discussion about trade-offs (there are no complete solutions), why context matters more than certainty, and how skilled horse people can unintentionally skip teaching because they do not realise how much they are doing in the micro-moments. Peter also explains how his use of a flag evolved from driving horses to helping them think forward, and why “that’s a goal, not a method” should probably be written on half the walls in the horse industry.

Peter will be returning for a part two. Homework has been assigned.

• ​How early mentors shape standards and decision-making
• ​Practical expertise versus simplified “science flag” thinking, and why long-term patterns matter
• ​Weanling handling as a real-world laboratory for repetition, refinement, and risk reduction
• ​Timing, including “rewarding the thought” and recognising the earliest onset of behaviour
• ​“No complete solutions, only trade-offs” applied to tying, handling, and training
• ​The missing middle ground in the horse world, and why it is where most people actually live

You can find out more about Peter Cowell here:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConundrumHorseHandling

Email: [email protected]

To learn more about the Canter Therapy Podcast, suggest an episode idea, or support the show, visit:www.cantertherapy.com.au

To find out more about Dr Shelley Appleton and support her work, visit:www.calmwillingconfidenthorses.com.au

To find out more about Kathryn Christieson and support her work, visit:www.firenzapark.com.au

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the podcast and share it with friends. It helps us bring thoughtful, skilled voices to the forefront of the equestrian world.

Horses did not evolve for stalls, separation, transport, or high-pressure routines, yet this is the reality most horses live in today. That mismatch creates chronic stress, and the consequences do not stay hidden. They show up in digestion, behaviour, performance, soundness, and long-term health.

In this episode, Dr Chris Mortensen (Poseidon Animal Health) explains why stress and gut health sit at the centre of so many modern horse problems, and why missing this link keeps people chasing symptoms instead of causes. We unpack what the hindgut actually does, how stress alters digestion, and why the gut microbiome plays such a powerful role in how horses cope with domesticated life. Chris also clearly explains the difference between probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics, cutting through common misconceptions that cost horse owners time, money, and progress.

If you care about making better decisions for your horse, this conversation will change how you think about stress, feeding, and what “supporting the horse” really means.

Show Notes:

Dr Chris Mortensen

Dr Chris Mortensen is a PhD-qualified equine nutritionist and international educator specialising in stress physiology, gut health, and equine performance.

Poseidon Animal Health

Poseidon Animal Health develops evidence-based equine nutrition and gut health solutions, working with leading scientists to support long-term horse health and resilience.

To find out more about Dr Chris and Poseidon Animal Health Products visit the Poseidon Animal Health website:

https://poseidonanimalhealth.com.au

To receive 10% off Poseidon Animal Health Products Click HERE or use code SHELLEYAPPLETON at checkout.

In Episode 97 of the Canter Therapy Podcast, Shelley and Kat walk straight into controversy and unpack one of the horse world's most heated topics: what does freedom really mean for domestic horses?

Using a spicy young chestnut filly with dangerous kicking habits as a case study, they explore how early handling, feet care and smart use of pressure can free a horse from a lifetime of stress, conflict and labels like "dangerous."

From the ideology of giving horses "freedom to" choose, consent and say no, to the more practical and welfare focused idea of giving horses "freedom from" pain, insecurity and chronic stress, Shelley and Kat pull apart the assumptions behind popular narratives about agency, choice, barefoot feet, laminitis and turnout.

This is a thoughtful, grounded conversation about cognition, ethics and reality for horses living in a human world, and it will absolutely ruffle a few feathers.

To learn more about Shelley and Kat and the balanced, evidence based approaches they promote for horse training and care, visit their websites:

Dr Shelley Appleton: https://www.calmwillingconfidenthorses.com.au

Kathryn Christieson: https://firenzapark.com.au

For more information about the Canter Therapy Podcast, to suggest episode ideas, or to enquire about sponsorship or advertising, head to:

https://www.cantertherapy.com.au

Kat has just come back from a three-day equine dissection in Wagga hosted by Dr Heidi McGraw and led by Dr Raquel Butler (with nods to pioneer Sharon May-Davis). We unpack what anatomy really looks like (spoiler: nothing like the textbook), why fascia and “everything’s connected” matters, how X-rays can miss early change, mares’ ovaries, the ethics/wicked-problem of riding, and Shelley’s new tech toys—from the Lami-Tag for digital pulses (laminitis) to Equestric Saddle Clip for gait/HR tracking - plus what’s coming up in Shelley’s “Teaching People How to Work with Horses” course and "Whole-Horse" workshops and more!

Episode Information:

Find Shelley's Clinics and Workshop Information here:

https://www.calmwillingconfidenthorses.com.au/clinics

For Information on Shelley's "Teaching People How to Work With Horses" click here:

https://calmwillingandconfidenthorses.thinkific.com/bundles/teaching-people-how-to-work-with-horses-the-human-side-of-equestrian-learning

For information on the Equestric Saddle Clip (use coupon code SHELLEYAPPLETON15 to get 15% discount) click here:

https://www.equestic.com/ref/45/?apply_coupon=SHELLEYAPPLETON15

For information on the Lami-Tag (IMPORTANT: Shelley is still testing and has not yet confirmed the benefit or accuracy of this device) click here:

https://www.lami-tag.com

To find out more about Shelley, her teachings, resources and how to learn from her, click here:

https://www.calmwillingconfidenthorses.com.au/

To find out more about Kat and her services, courses and workshops, click here:

https://firenzapark.com.au

To find out more about Canter Therapy Podcast and put in suggestions for episode topics, click here:

https://www.cantertherapy.com.au

After a little hiatus (and 100,000+ listens—thank you!) Shelley and Kat are back. Inspired by an episode of The Canine Paradigm, they explore “vibe”: how our energy, presence and intention shape every interaction with a horse—and with people. From the “volume knob” of our presence (too big vs too small) to practical ways to lift or soften energy, they dig into awareness, rope skills, and why the skill is in returning after you drift. They talk pivoting when you’re on the wrong train, embracing the awkward stage of learning, and why “meditation in motion” (hello, groundwork) counts. Plus: book chats—Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, Born a Crime, Man’s Search for Meaning, and Tiny Beautiful Things.

It’s honest, pragmatic, a bit cheeky, and very Canter Therapy.

Horseman and educator Steve Halfpenny (Light Hands Equitation, SA) joins Canter Therapy to talk being a “horse’s lawyer,” why the mind comes before the body, building trust without force, connection and feel, and why balance comes first.

We cover permission in coaching, awareness over labels, matching horses to humans, and practical ways to avoid triggering prey instincts while creating willing movement.

Kat and Shelley are joined by Tami Elkayam to share highlights from her Canberra workshops on keeping horses sound. They talk about moving beyond just spotting lameness to understanding the whole horse—posture, movement patterns, and prevention. The chat also touches on simple tools for owners and how hormones can affect mares’ performance.

To find out more about Tami and her owners course discussed in the episode go to:

https://equinetensegrity.com/

In this episode we wrap up 2024 with a look back at the highlights of the year, including our experiences at Equitana and the incredible visit from Tami Elkayam. We reflect on what we’ve learned, the connections we’ve made, and how these experiences are shaping our plans for 2025. Plus, we share some exciting goals for the new year and discuss our favorite book recommendations.