Equestrian Voices

You've probably heard of positive reinforcement training or "clicker training" in the context of dog training, but what about for horses? Over the years, the use of positive reinforcement in the equestrian world has drawn attention and interest, but most of us are still unaware of exactly how this training works, and how it can fit into our own training and riding journeys.

There's actually a lot of science backing this type of training, and it's used to train countless species of animals in a way that promotes happy, feel-good hormones and in turn, lower levels of fear and anxiety in the training process. So, is it time we see more of this training in the horse world?

Shawna Karrasch is a pioneer in the use of positive reinforcement training in horses after extensive experience researching and practicing the training with marine mammals. She has now helped countless horses and riders reframe their training by helping riders and trainers understand the science behind R+ raining, and perhaps most notably helped Beezie Madden's ride, Judgement ISF, overcome his fear of the water jump.

In this episode, Shawna and host Caroline Culbertson (@caroline.culbertson) discuss:

They discuss:

• The two major components of positive reinforcement training: the brain and body
• Why R+ training can elicit an eye roll from some trainers in the industry, and where the negative stereotypes come from
• How you can borrow the essence of this training in a way that works for you
• How the training can work in the most competitive realms of horse sport

Ever wonder what your horse thinks of you? What his personality is? How he likes for you to communicate with him?

Many (most) of us might not have given this less obvious aspect of riding and training too much thought, but it might be a big key to unlocking potential and success (whatever that means for you and your horse). International level dressage rider/trainer and Equestrian Masterclass instructor, Mette Larsen, breaks down what it means to be in successful partnership with your horse, how to determine the type of communication style your horse needs and how to bring self awareness back to your riding.

With host Caroline Culbertson, they discuss:

• Mette's personal riding journey and how it led to her a deeper understanding of this topic
• Determining your current communication style with your horse
• The problem with focusing on always asking for more with your horse
• Where to simplify communication with your horse
• How using the correct communication style with your horse can give lasting results

The culture surrounding equestrian sport is, by and large, not generally welcoming to conversations about mental health, nor is it accommodating for participants who need to seek help + resources for mental illness or hardships.

There are barriers for those who struggle with mental illness that are particular to our community and to its customs and beliefs - in some cases, the culture not only impedes mental wellness, it can even degrade it. If you're part of the equestrian community, we suspect that you can personally identify one or more aspects of equestrian culture that could exacerbate mental turmoil or illness in riders, grooms, vets... you name it.

In this live roundtable discussion recorded during Equitana USA, Equestrian Voices host Caroline Culbertson is joined by four special guests to summarize those particular challenges. Then, they look to uncover actionable ways that we can shift culture and in turn, begin to remove the barriers to help and recovery.

GUESTS: Dr. Jenny Susser Shawna Karrasch Carleigh Fedorka, PhD Mikhail Proctor

In an episode released on August 12, we addressed the troubling display of poor riding during the equestrian portion of the Modern Pentathlon with Rick Maynard, Tik Maynard, and Peter Holmes - all of whom have been very involved in the sport either currently or previously.

Now, we're following up and seeing what's in the works. What proposed changes are coming down the pipeline to help Modern Pentathlon evolve into a sport that can support good riding, good horsemanship, and reasonable expectations of those horses and riders? Are they enough? What aspects of the problem do they address? Canadian National Champion, Development Coach, and member of the Riding Working Task Force, Joshua Riker-Fox, joins us alongside fellow Canadian National Champion Pentathlete Tik Maynard. Along with host Caroline Culbertson, they discuss: - A look inside the proposed changes and what needs to happen next. - What we can learn about making change in our own sports and disciplines. - A case for keeping the equestrian portion in Modern Pentathlon - Personal reflections on how changes happen in sport, who is in charge of them, and what the equestrian community can learn from this turning point in MP.

By all accounts, the horse market today is unlike one we've seen before. It's a big double edged sword that requires some special consideration and a good dose of savvy to navigate smartly. It also requires being comfortable with talking frankly about money, which we're going to do in this episode.

To guide us through these often intimidating waters, we have one of the most well-known hunter/jumper and equitation trainers and judges in the U.S.: Hope Glynn. Hope has decades of experience buying and selling horses and serving as an agent for riders who are looking for their next equine partner which is now her primary business with Hope, LLC.

Whether you're currently buying or selling, or just hearing friends' stories about their experiences, this episode is a FASCINATING listen because it's jam-packed with reflections about how our sport exists in the world today, what's driving our industry, and even a few truths that can be difficult to hear, but need to be said.

Hope and host Caroline Culbertson discuss:

• Expenses to plan on incurring during the process and the 'why' behind them
• How to choose the people who will help you in horse shopping (and why you shouldn't try to go it alone)
• How the current market is unlike one we've seen in recent memory
• Price: fair or unfair?
• Current trends around horse prices in the hunter, jumper and equitation rings.
• How to ask questions and keep your relationships healthy
• The trainer's role in your buying journey
• The power of paperwork: vet records, trials and contracts

Your horse nips at the girth. He shivers when you run the brush over his lumbar. He's always on the forehand no matter what you do.

Wouldn't it be great if horses could just tell us what was going on inside their bodies? What ached, what felt sticky or clicky, what caused them to start stopping at jumps they used to do with ease?

Most of us are clued into the fact that when horses start demonstrating some behaviors, a physical investigation must come first. Saddle fit and pressure distribution are a big part in what can contribute to (or take away from) our working horses' comfort, and there are some common culprits and themes that experienced saddle fitters and equine physios see a lot of.

Enter: Carolyn Cohen. She's an equine bodyworker, biomechanics expert, and independent tack fitter who founded her company, CC fits, in 2018. In this episode, Carolyn and host Caroline Culbertson walk through 4 things that Carolyn wants every rider out there to know about their horse's body and tack.

They discuss:

• The crucial importance of girthing systems and what to look out for
• How saddle fit issues can manifest in less obvious places in the horse
• The problem with focusing on the saddle only fitting the horse
• Where to begin with building your team of support people for your horse's athletic journey (hint: you don't have to do it ALL)

Host Caroline Culbertson is joined by Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer, Lauren Sprieser, to discuss the seen and unseen realities of becoming a professional rider. Lauren worked her way up in the business, including years as a working student, and learned much along the way. They discuss:

- The characteristics it helps to have in this business - The big elephant: MONEY. How much does it matter? - The horses you should/shouldn't be riding - Structuring your business in a way that plays to your strengths - Marketing and branding yourself - Advice for when it feels like things are falling apart around you.

The show jumping portion of the women's modern pentathlon at the Tokyo Olympics is making headlines - and not in a good way. It was so stressful to watch, there were many rider falls, and lots of stressed out horses who clearly didn't understand what was expected of them.

How do we make heads and tails of this? Are there solutions? Host Caroline Culbertson is joined by Tik Maynard, Rick Maynard, and Peter Holmes - who cumulatively have decades of experience in pentathlon as athletes, coaches or course designers - for a roundtable discussion in response to this troubling display of riding.

In the second of our 2-part episode about bits, FEI rider/trainer and certified bitting specialist, Stephanie Brown-Beamer of http://horsebyhorse.com, and host Caroline Culbertson continue their chat from last episode (so listen to that one first!) as well as answer some listener questions.

In this portion of the episode, they discuss:

• The type of mouths we're seeing on many of today's horses
• What about tongue relief bits?
• How do we properly size our bits when we're buying them?
• Demystifying the dull-mouthed horse
• How to know when a bit is "as good as it gets" and to stop searching

Is it just us, or can finding the right bit for your horse feel like a shot in the dark?

Sure, we have a general understanding of how certain bits work, and maybe you know a little about your horse's mouth. But for most riders, the knowledge stops there. And that's because historically, we haven't HAD much information about bit and bridle fitting and function the same way we now have info about saddle fit, for example.

FEI rider/trainer and certified bitting specialist, Stephanie Brown-Beamer, and host Caroline Culbertson get into the weeds of bit and bridle fit and function in this two-part episode. They discuss:

• How horses tell us the bit they have isn't working
• What happens when the noseband is too tight to compensate for a bit they don't like
• Debunking the idea that "thicker is milder and thinner is harsher"
• How the tongue's function affects the horse's entire self carriage, head to tail.