Horses for Future

Our conversation continues with a discussion of habits. Politics were very much on our minds, but don’t let that put you off. We aren’t advocating for one candidate over another. We’re asking: what are the component skills we need to have effective conversations about the climate change crisis? All it takes is a few people to start the ripples.

In the US we’re at the beginning of an election year. We all have choices to make. Do we tune it all out and pretend it isn’t happening? Do we pay attention but stay one the side lines? Or do we find ways to become involved to advocate for the policies that matter to us?

Remember, doing nothing is a political statement. Not speaking out, not voting has consequences. In this podcast we are not advocating for one particular candidate, or even one party over another.

What I want is for us to talk to one another before we tear ourselves apart. The planet needs us to learn how to have crucial conversations around the climate change crisis. Please listen to the podcast and then share it. Let your friends know about them so we can practice together and send ripples out that truly do make a difference.

Horse people can make a difference in the climate change crisis. Together we’re learning how.

Manda and I recorded this conversation in December 2019. It was the day after the General Election was held in the UK in which Boris Johnson won a sizable majority. On the other side of the Atlantic the Impeachment Hearings in the House were in full swing so politics were very much on our mind.

As I was preparing this podcast for airing, the news was filled with so many grim reports. Australia is burning, Jakarta Indonesia is drowning, Norway is sweltering in the heat. There comes a point where you just can’t be silent anymore.

The question is how can we talk outside our own echo chamber in a way that opens doors instead of slamming them shut. In the US we are entering an election year. If we don’t learn to talk to one another, we truly will break apart.

Horse people can make a difference. The horse people I know all love being outside. Our horses carry us beyond the paddock gate out into wild places many people never get to see. We can make a difference by sharing our love not only of horses, but of the land they carry us over.

In the positive reinforcement community our horses are teaching us to focus on what we want. We learn not to push against or direct our energy towards unwanted behavior. We can take these lessons with us as we learn how to talk about what is important to us - a healthy planet and a future for the ones we love.

In this podcast we’ll pick up with this thread and follow it forward into a discussion of habits.

Most of us are comfortable taking private actions. We can recycle more. We can take reusable shopping bags with us to the grocery store. We can drive more fuel efficient cars. These are comfortable, easy steps to take to help in the climate change crisis.

But what about the more public actions? These are harder steps to take going from the anonymity of our private lives to standing up publicly for what we cherish.

I recorded this interview with Manda Scott the day after the general election in the UK. Manda had been out late the day before working in support of the Labor candidates. The election of Boris Johnson left her feeling very depressed.

Even though she was exceedingly tired we ended up having a long and extremely powerful conversation centered around this topic of shifting from private to public actions.

Horse people can make a difference. I keep saying that. Sometimes making a difference means changing the way we keep our horses. Sometimes it means speaking out. The horse people I know all love being outside. Our horses carry us beyond the paddock gate out into wild places many people never get to see. We can make a difference by sharing our love not only of horses, but of the land they carry us over.

In this podcast Manda helps us find ways to make our voices heard.

This is the time of the year when people talk about making (and then not following through) on New Year’s Resolutions.

What has cribbing got to do with New Year’s Resolutions? It turns out quite a lot. Cribbing is a behavior most horse owners would love to eliminate. In this podcast Dr. Michaela Hempen describes a behavior change procedure for doing just that. She is building good new habits that replace the cribbing behavior.

Are you making some New Year’s Resolutions? Do you have an unwanted habit you’d like to eliminate? Or is there a desired new habit you’d like to create? And would you like this to be the year you actually follow through and succeed in your New Year’s Resolutions? As unlikely as it may sound, this discussion of cribbing may provide you with a procedure that can help you reach your goals.

Next question: What has cribbing got to do with the climate change crisis. It turns out quite a lot. We are in the habit of living a modern, energy-consuming life style. What are some of the simple changes we could make that collectively can make a big difference?

Are you in the habit of remembering to take your reusable shopping bags to the grocery store? When you’re in the store, are you in the habit of thinking about the environmental impact of the choices you’re making?

When you’re cold, are you in the habit of reaching for a sweater instead of turning up the thermostat? These are just a few examples. There are many simple habits of thought and action that added all together will make a difference in the climate change crisis.

In this podcast I have brought two people together who look at the world in very different ways. Manda Scott teaches meditation and Shamanic dreaming. Michaela Hempen studies applied behavior analysis. They connect through their interest in behavior change. Good habits begin with small loops. The changes you begin with are small ones, sandwiched into habits you already have.

Happy New Year! May this be the year filled with many positive changes for the planet. Let’s make it our New Year’s Resolution to choose actions that move things in that direction.

In previous podcasts we talked about biodiversity in our pastures. In this conversation with Carol Hughes the focus is the gut biome of horses. How does this relate to our horse's health? And is this related to the biodiversity in our pastures? There are so many questions. Dr. Hughes equibiome project gives us a tool to gather data that will help us to answer these questions.

In the climate change crisis horse people can make a difference. We've been looking at biodiversity in our pastures. In this week's podcast we're looking at the gut biome of horses. How does this relate to our horse's health? And is this related to the biodiversity in our pastures. Lots of questions - the equibiome gives us a tool to gather data that will help us to answer these questions.

We read so many news reports about climate change induced disasters. But those news reports can feel very distance. They are happening to someone else, a long way away. They aren't personal - until they are happening to us or to someone we know. This is an interview with Heather Binns whose property was threatened by the fires that are burning along the east coast of Australia.

The climate crisis is real. People are beginning to experience directly what this means - flooding for some, droughts for others, fires, hurricanes, forced evacuations, loss of life.

Heather and I agreed that if she still had an internet connection after Tuesday, we would do a podcast interview. I am sharing her interview to help make what is happening around the planet personal for all of us.

We stand on the precipice of climate catastrophe. This week there were far too many people waiting, watching for the fires that were coming towards them. It is horrifying. We are all waiting. Climate is not local. It effects us all.

This is a beautiful planet. We need to remember what we are working for because we could all too easily lose what we love.

In our second Horses for Future podcast Jane Myers continues to describe the equicentral system and can use it in a variety of different climates and soil types. She talks about the benefits of biodiversity. When your horse is turned out, do you want him to walk more? Jame explains why a biodiverse pasture is more important than the actual size.

How do you manage farm ponds so they don't become an algae-filled mess? How do you improve your soil health? How do you encourage wildlife corridors? How do you manage invasive species? How do you manage your manure piles? What role can chickens and other farm animals play in good pasture management?

All these questions and many more are addressed in this podcast.

Jane Myers describes her equicentral system. Pastures which are overgrazed or have turned to mud lots can be restored. Healthy pastures contribute to healthy horses and a healthier planet.