The Herd is Calling

The Universal Law of Connection: Why Your Presence (Not Your Power) Changes Everything


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This Episode:

🎙The Universal Law of Connection: Why Your Presence (Not Your Power) Changes Everything

Every muscle in a horse—and a human—holds a story. What happens when we learn to listen?

What if your presence—not your power—is the real source of transformation?In this episode, we dive into the heart of relational horsemanship with Josh Nichol, exploring the subtle frequency beneath connection, the true meaning of leadership, and how horses can become mirrors for healing the stories we carry in our bodies. If you’ve ever felt like “doing more” wasn’t the answer—you’re right. This one’s for you.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

✅ Why every muscle holds a story—and how horses reflect the parts of us we’ve hidden or suppressed. ✅ The Green-Yellow-Red-Gold model—a powerful roadmap for navigating dysregulation, growth, and healing in ourselves and our horses. ✅ The myth of obedience and how shifting from dominance to relationship unlocks true transformation. ✅ How to meditate like a horse—using presence, breath, and frequency to create peace in motion. ✅ Why authenticity is the antidote—and how showing up vulnerably can ripple through generations.

⏳ Episode Breakdown

00:00 | The Healing Space Begins Josh opens with a powerful reflection on presence, energy, and how healing emerges when we honor the space—especially from a place of love.

00:45 | What Every Muscle Holds Josh shares how both horses and humans carry energetic stories in the body, and how connecting to those stories changes everything.

01:55 | The Desire for Relationship Exploring the human longing for connection and the unconscious defense mechanisms that keep us from building true relationships—with ourselves and our horses.

03:00 | Letting Go of Obedience Josh explains how horsemanship becomes transformational when we shift away from obedience and begin to listen to the horse as a relational partner.

04:20 | The Mirror of the Horse How horses reflect our internal state, and why true leadership is about becoming the kind of energy others want to be around—not controlling outcomes.

05:45 | The Inner Journey & Natural Gifting Josh reflects on his early life in remote northern Ontario, the influence of curiosity, and how solitude in nature shaped his path.

07:10 | From Technique to Truth A candid account of how conventional training methods fell short—and how the struggle to work with difficult horses ignited Josh’s quest for deeper understanding.

08:45 | The Universal Language of Connection Introducing the concept of “the way”—an energetic frequency that transcends physical technique and invites authentic connection with all beings.

10:35 | Why People Like Josh When They’re Ready Josh shares how his teachings resonate most with people who are ready to turn inward—not just looking for quick-fix techniques.

12:00 | Green, Yellow, Red… and Gold A fresh model for understanding regulation, growth, and thriving. Gold = when challenge and peace coexist, allowing you to walk through life with empowered presence.

14:45 | The Calling vs. Exhaustion The reason walking in your true calling gives you energy—and how burnout often results from living out of alignment with your deeper purpose.

16:55 | The Ripple Effect of Real Leadership What happens when you lead from authenticity, and how your inner alignment creates outward transformation in people, horses, and community.

18:00 | Community as a Relational Practice Josh discusses how true community is built not around common opinions, but around shared relational principles like trust, empathy, and awareness.

20:20 | How Conflict Reveals the Real Work Conflict isn’t the problem—our triggers are. Josh breaks down how community breaks when we focus on surface-level disagreement instead of deeper self-awareness.

22:00 | Relational Horsemanship in Action Explaining how unmet needs—not disobedience—are the root of most horse behavior, and how honoring that transforms everything.

Learn more about Josh Nichol here:

Josh's Website

Josh's YouTube

Don’t Miss Other Episodes (& articles!) —

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PS—When You're Ready...

Ready to lead your first equine-assisted healing session? Download our First Session Template—discover how to build rapport, safety, & trust on day one, without overwhelming your client and horses! 100% free, but only for a limited time—Check out a new approach to first sessions, no matter your experience level. Get Your First Session Template Here!



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit myhorsejourney.substack.com
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