Canter Therapy

It’s just Shelley and Kat this week, catching up on what’s happening in their horse worlds and, as usual, ending up somewhere much deeper.

From track systems, spring grass and subclinical laminitis to a training horse who simply wasn’t progressing, they explore how management, discomfort and physical limitations can show up as behavioural and training problems.

Shelley also introduces her idea of the horse’s “capacity bank account”, a practical way of understanding why some horses struggle to cope with what we ask of them.

Sometimes the answer isn’t better training. Sometimes we need to ask why the horse is finding the training difficult.

Show Notes

CANTER THERAPY SPECIAL OFFERS

50% OFF Kat’s Hoof Care Basics Course
Learn how to better understand and care for your horse’s hooves with Kat’s Hoof Care Basics: Essential Guide to Understanding & Caring For Your Equine Hooves.
Use coupon code CT50 for 50% off.
LINK: https://firenzapark.com.au/online-learning/

15% OFF Shelley’s Courses
Get 15% off all of Shelley’s online courses for the next month.
Use coupon code CANTERTHERAPY at checkout.
LINK: https://calmwillingandconfidenthorses.thinkific.com

PRE-ORDER: Why Horses Become Difficult
Shelley’s new book, Why Horses Become Difficult: Understanding Behaviour, Capacity, and What Changes, is available to pre-order now and will be released on 30 October 2026.
Pre-order today and receive 15% off using CANTERTHERAPY.
LINK: https://calmwillingandconfidenthorses.thinkific.com/courses/why-horses-become-difficult

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP: Calm Willing Confident Horse Society
Join Shelley’s Calm Willing Confident Horse Society for $250 (usual price $350) and become a member for life. Get access to Shelley, member resources, learning activities and social events without another monthly subscription.
Use coupon code CANTERTHERAPYSOCIETY.
LINK: https://calmwillingandconfidenthorses.thinkific.com/bundles/CWCH-society-project-reboot

To find out more about Kat and Shelley, visit www.cantertherapy.com.au.

What if rebuilding confidence with your horse didn’t begin with pushing yourself harder?

In this episode, Shelley and Kat talk with Sabrina Davies, founder of Her Ride, Her Way, about confidence, communication, people pleasing, self-doubt and why “just ride through it” might be some of the least helpful advice we give nervous riders.

Sabrina shares her human-first approach to horsemanship and one powerful question: what might change with your horse if you changed something in yourself first?

Show Notes

To find out more about Sabrina Davies:

Website: www.herrideherway.com

Facebook: Her Ride, Her Way

Email: [email protected]

To find out more about Canter Therapy Podcast and hosts Dr Shelley Appleton and Kathryn Christieson:

Website: www.cantertherapy.com.au

What can we learn about a horse by really learning to see its body?

In this fascinating and wonderfully candid conversation, Shelley and Kat talk with equine bodyworker Mary Sargeant about the experiences that transformed the way she sees horses.

From dissections and compensation patterns to pain, rehabilitation, behaviour, riding, regulation and the increasingly popular language of choice and consent, Mary isn't afraid to question accepted ideas. She also explains why understanding anatomy doesn't need to be intimidating and how learning to recognise what is happening beneath the surface can help us make better decisions for horses.

Funny, thoughtful and packed with ideas worth pondering, this is an episode about observation, curiosity and having the courage to ask: does what we believe about horses actually make sense?

Show Notes

To find out more about Mary Sargeant:

Website: www.equinebodyworksbymarysargeant.com

Mary's Shop to purchase her Easy to Understand Anatomy ebooks: www.equinebodyworksbymarysargeant.com/shop

Facebook: www.facebook.com/equinebodworks

To find out more about Canter Therapy Podcast and Dr Shelley Appleton & Kathryn Christieson:

Website: www.cantertherapy.com.au

Join Dr Shelley Appleton in conversation with Monique Craig, CEO and co-founder of EponaMind, for a thought-provoking discussion that begins with the hoof and expands into a much bigger conversation about how we understand horses.

Drawing on decades of experience, research and practical observation, Monique explores hoof biomechanics, soundness, movement and why our preference for symmetry and control may sometimes work against the horse. Shelley and Monique also delve into training, riding, the relationship between science and intuition, the development of expertise, and the importance of questioning long-held equestrian assumptions.

At the heart of the conversation is a simple challenge: to remain curious, look more closely at the horse in front of us, and be willing to reconsider what we think we know.

Show Notes

Visit EponaMind to learn more about Monique’s work, research, educational resources, publications, seminars, hoof care and equine technology:

Website: https://www.eponamind.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EponaMind

Email: [email protected]

Visit the Canter Therapy website for more episodes, information about Dr Shelley Appleton and Kathryn Christieson, and ways to support the podcast:

https://cantertherapy.com.au/

If you enjoy the Canter Therapy Podcast, please subscribe or follow the show. It helps us reach more equestrians and continue sharing thoughtful conversations and important voices from across the horse world.

Why is one horse constantly itchy while another is completely unaffected? And could allergies be behind problems like head shaking, coughing, poor performance or changes in behaviour?

In this fantastic episode, Shelley and Kat are joined by Equine Dermatology Vet Dr Talia Morgan from Veterinary Dermatology Specialists in Western Australia to unpack the surprisingly complex world of equine allergies and skin disease.

We explore Queensland itch, the fascinating "allergy bucket", asthma, head shaking, greasy heel, skin-barrier health, allergy testing and immunotherapy, plus loads of practical advice for everyday horse management.

This episode is packed with those wonderful "I didn't know that!" moments and may completely change the way you think about your horse's skin.

Show Notes

Find Dr Talia Morgan:
Veterinary Dermatology Specialists website vetdermspecialists.com.au (Reminder: Telehealth is available)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctor_talia/

🎧 Canter Therapy Podcast: Listen on all your favourite podcast platforms.

For more from Shelley and Kat, and to support the podcast and grab some cool Canter Therapy merchandise, visit cantertherapy.com.au.

Peter Cowell returns to the Canter Therapy Podcast for another fascinating conversation about the depth and nuance of working with horses.

Peter is an experienced horseman, a deep thinker and someone who never stops questioning, experimenting and learning. In this episode, we explore how horsemanship develops in layers, from learning the basic rules of pressure and release to recognising the tiny changes in thought, attention and intention that can completely change how we influence a horse.

We talk about feel, timing, sensitisation and desensitisation, recognising the try, preparing rather than forcing, and why the more experienced you become, the more you realise there is still to learn.

As Peter so perfectly describes it, good horsemanship is part science, part art and part humility.

Peter also shares his clever approach to preparing young horses to tie up. We have included a short video in the show notes of Peter working with a young horse using this technique. We highly recommend watching it as it provides valuable context to the discussion.

Show Notes & Links

WATCH: Peter Cowell demonstrating his young horse tying-up technique HERE.

Find out more about Peter Cowell, Julie Cowell & Conundrum Horse Handling:
Conundrum Horse Handling on Facebook

Canter Therapy Podcast:
Visit the Canter Therapy Podcast website to listen, learn more about Shelley and Kat, support the podcast and check out our podcast merchandise.

If you enjoyed this episode, please like, follow or subscribe to Canter Therapy Podcast on your favourite podcast platform and share the episode with another horse person. It genuinely helps us continue bringing thoughtful, experienced voices from the horse world to the podcast.

Daniel Dauphin of Dauphin Horsemanship and host of The Adult Onset Horsemanship Podcast is back on Canter Therapy, and this time we dive deep into bits, bitting, rider hands and the foundations we often overlook in our horses.

Daniel joins Shelley and Kat ahead of his upcoming Australian and New Zealand clinic tour in October-November 2026, to unpack how bits actually work, why a bitting problem isn't always a bit problem, the importance of mouth anatomy, and why sophisticated bits should be about increasingly subtle communication, not stronger control.

We also explore retraining off-the-track horses, why cows can be such valuable teachers, the connection between the mouth, relaxation and movement, double bridles, rider fear, and why sometimes the answer to an advanced training problem lies much further back in the basics.

Whether you ride English, Western, dressage, cutting, trails or anything in between, this is a fascinating conversation about becoming more thoughtful, skilled and effective with horses.

To find out more about Daniel Dauphin:

https://dauphinhorsemanship.com/?v=8bcc25c96aa5

For more information about upcoming Australian/New Zealand clinics:

https://dauphinhorsemanship.com/upcoming-clinics-events/oceania-clinic-tour/

To find out more about Adult Onset Horsemanship Podcast:

https://dauphinhorsemanship.com/podcasts/?v=8bcc25c96aa5

To find out more about Dr Shelley Appleton and Kathryn Christieson:

https://www.cantertherapy.com.au

Professor Caroline Jacobson joins us to unpack one of the most misunderstood topics in horse ownership: parasites and worming.

As Head of the School of Agriculture at Murdoch University and one of the authors of Australia's Equine Internal Parasite Management Guidelines, Caroline explains why traditional worming programs have changed, how resistance develops, what worm egg counts can (and can't) tell you, and the practical strategies every horse owner should be using.

Whether you own one horse or manage an entire property, this conversation will help you make better decisions for your horse's health while protecting the effectiveness of worming treatments into the future.

In this episode we discuss:

• Why blanket worming programs are becoming outdated
• Understanding worm egg counts
• Drug resistance and why it matters
• Parasite management for foals versus adult horses
• Tapeworms, bots and small strongyles
• Practical paddock management strategies
• The new Australian parasite management guidelines

This is one of those episodes every horse owner should hear.

Show Notes & Links

⁠Australian Guidelines For Equine Internal Parasite Management⁠

Beasley, A., Abbas, G., Hughes, K., El-Hage, C., Jacobson, C., Bauquier, J., Wilkes, E., Carrigan, P., Cudmore, L., Hurley, J., Beveridge, I., Nielsen, M., & Jabbar, A. (2025). Australian guidelines for equine internal parasite management. Australian Veterinary Journal, 103(4), 151-158. ⁠https://doi.org/10.1111/avj.13424⁠

To find out more about Professor Caroline Jacobson:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinejacobson-livestockscientist/

To find out more about Dr Shelley Appleton and Kathryn Christieson and to support Canter Therapy Podcast:

⁠https://www.cantertherapy.com.au⁠

What if some horses are carrying the effects of birth long before they ever enter training?

In this fascinating episode of the Canter Therapy Podcast, Dr Jane Clothier shares the groundbreaking research from her PhD investigating premature and developmentally immature foals and the lifelong consequences that can follow.

Together we explore how developmental immaturity may influence skeletal development, stress physiology, learning, behaviour, arthritis, soundness, and training outcomes. Jane explains why many horses may appear normal as foals, yet develop unexplained problems years later, and what breeders, owners and trainers can do to give these horses the very best chance.

Whether you're a breeder, veterinarian, therapist, trainer or horse owner, this conversation will change the way you look at horses forever.To find out more about Dr Jane Clothier:Website: https://miraclefoal.comWebsite: ⁠https://thehorsesback.comFacebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/equinehealthworks⁠Contact: ⁠[email protected]To purchase the book:Managing the Miracle Foal The Essential Handbook for Owners of Premature and Dysmature Foalshttps://miraclefoal.com/managing-the-miracle-foal-the-book-2/To find out more about Canter Therapy Podcast and the hosts: Dr Shelley Appleton and Kathryn Christieson and support the show, visit the website:⁠⁠https://www.cantertherapy.com.au

In this thought-provoking conversation, we sit down with renowned horseman Josh Nichol to explore the ideas that have shaped his approach to horses, people, and life.

Josh shares his journey from growing up with horses in remote Canada to studying under Harry Whitney and developing his own framework for understanding horse behaviour through mind, space, and pressure.

We discuss the difference between lightness and softness, why behaviour is often the symptom rather than the problem, how tension affects movement and soundness, and why true horsemanship begins with understanding what the horse is experiencing rather than simply trying to control what the horse is doing.

This episode also explores leadership, liberty, personal growth, biomechanics, emotional regulation, and the responsibility we have as humans to create clarity, confidence, and understanding for our horses.

Whether you are interested in groundwork, ridden performance, horse behaviour, or simply becoming a better horseperson, this conversation is packed with insights that will challenge and inspire you.

To find out more about Josh Nichol Relational Horsemanship:

Website: joshnichol.com

Facebook: AHorsemansPursuit

Instagram: @nicholhorsemanship

Contact: [email protected]

To find out more about Canter Therapy Podcast and the hosts - Dr Shelley Appleton and Kathryn Christieson and support the show, visit the website:

⁠https://www.cantertherapy.com.au