The Whole Horse Podcast with Alexa Linton

If you love geeky deep dives into equine therapy, phsyiology and anatomy, this is an episode for you! Allie Plaschka and I are back together to share about our upcoming collaborative workshop (Sept 19-20) and to unpack our main course topic, what it means to treat horses "into the ease." We break down what into the ease actually means, what distinguishes this way of treating from more direct myofascial, ostearticalar or massage techniques, when treating in the direction of ease is helpful or not, how it can be used to support vitality and nervous system re-balancing and why it is often the treatment of choice for shut down, resistant, and/or anxious horses. We also discuss how we use this same concept with horse owners to support receptivity and change and stay in a space of connection. If you're an equine and/or human manual therapist or osteopathic practitioners, this chat is definitely worth a listen - there are some gems in here!

If you're interested in our course Deep Listening: Dialoguing with the tissues, the fluids and the horse, happening here on Raven Moon Farm (Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island))) on September 19-20th email Alexa or head here for all the details: https://outsidetheboxequine.com/workshop-with-allie-plaschka/

Allie is an equine and canine osteopath based out of Enderby, BC, Canada. She has been working with horses in the therapeutic realm for 13 years, with osteopathy being her main focus for the last seven. She is passionate about helping horses and dogs achieve optimum vitality through a whole body treatment approach in addition to education about species-appropriate care. She travels throughout the Okanagan, Kootenays, and beyond and also occasionally accepts rehab cases at her home farm. She is a true horse nerd in every aspect and loves to talk track systems, behavior science, biomechanics and more.

She is steward to two mares, Rayne and Ciri, spending time learning classical dressage as well as dabbling in other disciplines. Learn more about Allie and her work at https://www.triplevtherapy.com/

For this very special episode of the podcast, Josh Nichol of Relational Horsemanship and I sat down to chat about his recent life-altering riding accident and subsequent injury. We unpacked a whole lot in this hour - Josh shares in detail what happened that day that his whole life changed, how his recovery is going, how he's feeling about all of it and his perspective on why things happened the way they did. As you might imagine, Josh's perspective will probably surprise and inspire you - he is seeing a precious opportunity for stillness, pause and a big life shift in the space created by his injury and his recovery journey. I also share about my recent transition of my dog Reilly and the powerful experience we had here on the farm and we get into how life can show us the way if we let it.

I invite you to grab a cup of tea or a muck fork and put your head phones on (ideally with some kleenex in your pocket). You may want to come back a time or two more with a journal to write in. This one is full to the brim of Josh wisdom. Enjoy the journey!

To learn more about Josh and his work head to https://joshnichol.com/

Alright my geeky horse people, this one's for you! No season would be complete without an episode with Elisse Miki of Equilibria Therapeutics. We promised to do a podcast on each of the osteopathic principles, and it may take us a minute but we're going to make it happen.

Elisse came for a visit to the farm and we just had to sit down for a conversation unpacking the osteopathic principle of autoregulation, what it means for our horses, how it shows up in every day experiences and how to interpret these experiences through an osteopathic lens. This one was recorded a few months back, when Reykur was just finding solid ground with his health, but was still wobbly so we definitely looked at how this principle relates to rehabilitation and illlness. You'll be happy to know that as of the publishing of this episode he seems to have turned a good corner and is staying more stable with more vitality. We also got into the story of Gwynna's rehabilitation and how this principle played a role, and how much a supoortive environment supports a return to homeostasis. Enjoy!

As a human and equine therapist with over 15 years of experience working with clients in a therapeutic setting, Elisse Miki brings a wide variety of modalities into her practice. She began her career working as an Exercise Physiologist having completed her Bachelors in Kinesiology then went on to obtain her Registered Massage Therapy Licence. She has since gone on to complete Diplomas in Equine Therapy, Equine Craniosacral, and is currently in the process of completing her Equine Osteopathy Diploma. Her current focus lies in research and development of current standards of practice in the equine industry. Elisse hosts clinics for horse owners and will be offering continuing education courses for existing health care professionals and equine therapists starting in January 2020.

Website – www.equilibriatherapeutics.com Email – [email protected] Facebook Personal – https://www.facebook.com/elisse.miki Facebook Business Page – Equilibria Therapeutics – https://www.facebook.com/elissemikirmt/

Equine Cranial Certification with Alexa and Elisse – https://www.equilibriatherapeutics.com/equine-craniosacral

After meeting on a horse track tour and realizing that we shared a common passion and vision, I couldn't wait to chat with Katrina Chapman of Lovas Equestrian about her work, her saddles and what drew her to thinking outside of the box about equine environments and more.

Katrina is a trailblazer, as you'll hear, starting as a saddle fitter and moving into creating her own custom saddles after seeing some major gaps in the industry. But, Katrina's a horse lover first and foremost, and in this conversation she shares some of her frustration when it comes to being a saddle fitter, when the issue is clearly not the saddle, how she navigates tricky conversations with clients about needed changes, her fave easy addition to support with topline and comfort and what changes she sees in horses that have their basic habitat needs met (hint: they are often easier to fit).

Katrina Chapman's journey towards founding Lovas Equestrian was fueled by a deep frustration born out of a love for horses and a desire to ensure their well-being. As a passionate horse lover and dedicated saddle fitter, she witnessed firsthand the unfortunate consequences of ill-fitting saddles and tack on both horses and riders. Katrina realized that there were limited options available in the market that truly addressed this crucial issue. The lack of well-fitting and affordable alternatives compelled her to take matters into her own hands. Determined to make a difference, she embarked on a mission to develop innovative and accessible options that would provide optimal comfort and performance without breaking the bank. It was the frustrations she experienced that inspired Katrina to create Lovas Equestrian, with the goal of revolutionizing the saddlery industry and offering equestrians the quality and affordability they deserve.

Learn more at https://lovasequestrian.com

Celebrating our 150th episode with this awesome chat with Dr. Lizzie of Empowered Equine! I happened upon her work recenty and was so grateful to find someone laying out emergency preparedness for horses in the online space. Ever since moving further out of town I have felt the need to upgrade my "tool-kit" and make sure I am up to date with my knowledge and skills and I think many horse owners are feeling the same way.

In this episode we get into how the vet shortage is affecting horse communities worldwide and how to be prepared despite it, some of the important skills and equipment to have to track your horses baseline and detect issues before they become a big deal, what to look for with reading a digital pulse (this one was for Reykur!) and much much more. This conversation with Lizzie is full of nuggets of wisdom and skill-building gems and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Dr. Lizzie McCready, BVetMed (Hon) CVA is an equine veterinarian and founder of Empowering Equine Education. After treating hundreds of emergencies, she noticed a pattern: most horse owners struggle to recognize health issues early or respond confidently in a crisis. This gap inspired her to create The Equine Emergency Training (EET). The growing EET community now includes over 1,100 students worldwide and is empowering owners with the skills, knowledge and confidence to deliver the best care to their horses.

• Free Emergencies + First Aid Masterclass: https://www.empoweringequineeducation.com/gwmc
• Empowering Equine Education Website: https://www.empoweringequineeducation.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empoweringequineeducation

In this illuminating episode we're back with Elisha Edwards to shine more light on the often confusing topic of metabolic disorder, laminitis and hyperinsulinemia. As I share, I'm usually a pretty quick study but this stuff gets my brain all twisted in knots - and am I ever grateful to have someone like Elisha to break it down for me.

As many of you know, the topic of insulin as it relates to disease has been top of mind for me since my gelding Reykur's recent laminitic episode where his levels of insulin were off the charts despite trying to do all the right things. I've been doing my best to sift through all the information out there and it felt like the perfect time to have a deep dive conversation about this with someone who really gets it and is looking at this topic from many angles.

In this chat we discuss why insulin goes up, why it stays up, and how we can help it to come down and stay down, the very real impact of hormones, stress and cortisol, the pros and cons of medicating, the real struggles of watching our horses deal with pain and how the emotional states of our horses can influence this disease. I know this conversation helped me greatly on my horse-keeping journey, and I hope it helps you too!

Elisha Edwards is a long-time horse lover who holds both a Bachelor of Science in organic chemistry and an MBA from the University of Alberta. Elisha is the Director of Education at Riva's Remedies and she is also the developer and instructor of the online course Healing Horses Their Way. She teaches horse owners all over the world how to use holistic health care to promote good health for their horses and how to restore good health in unwell horses. She believes that through education and awareness of natural horse health we can drastically improve their quality of life and longevity. Elisha also regularly facilitates workshops and seminars on natural horse health care across the country.

Learn more about Elisha at https://elishaedwards.com/

Online course: Resolving Equine Metabolic Syndrome Naturally

New free Masterclass mentioned at end of episode

Hair tissue mineral analysis (Riva's Remedies)

Season 9 just wouldn't be complete without an epic conversation with Shannon Beahen of Humminghorse, this time about the rollercoaster ride that is recovery from a significant health event in our horses. Both Shannon and I come to this conversation with very real and personal experience of this rocky road in our own bodies, and with members of our herds. As you'll hear, I've been in the stressful beginnings of this walk with my new gelding Reykur, and Shannon at the (hopefully) end stages with her gelding Ivan, and this chat felt like an important one to share our experiences and support others that might be going through something similar.

We get right into the big stuff as we unpack the very real issue of caregiver fatigue, the guilt/shame/isolation that so often accompanies caring for an unwell horse, how to be with wanting it to be different, and what to do when you don't know what to do. Shannon also outlines her process of observing nuances in condition, vitality and movement as a way to track progress and change, how she knew that Ivan wanted to stick around even when he was struggling and how she went from questioning her life decisions to feeling a sense of deep privilege to care for and learn from her herd. I share some of my main take-aways from my journey with Reykur and how his health event is actually changing our connection for the better, as challenging as it's been. This is one of those conversations packed with goodness and wisdom and hard truths and I truly hope you take the opportunity to listen.

If you haven't listened to my previous conversations with Shannon, check out episodes 121, 92 and 81 of the Whole Horse Podcast, or dive right in to today's episode.

Shannon Beahen is an alternative horse trainer, online educator, academic and writer. She specializes in teaching her own "high vibration" approach to natural dressage and liberty as well as the creation of species-appropriate habitats that promote dynamic movement and sovereign equine lifestyles. She is passionate about exploring and articulating the ethics of embodied horse-human relationships. Her hope is that through teaching a deeper awareness of human-animal and human-environment relations, equestrian education ceases to be a privileged pastime; and instead may just provide some of the seeds to birth a new earth.

Learn more about Shannon and her work at www.humminghorse.com

This episode with artist Nica Quinn was a long while in the making, as you'll hear in this chat when we both share our stories of synchronisities and, quite frankly, miraculous happenings and path crossings. We've never met in person, but it always fascinates me when one path impacts another profoundly, and creates a new reality altogether. Isn't that so often the way with horses, especially, as we talk about in this episode, our more challenging horses?

In this inspiring conversation, Nica shares about her creative journey, how horses brought her art to life, how trust in the process has changed everything and why she thinks being creative and making time for art might just be the key to moving through our current world in a good way.

I share a harrowing tale that drove home the power of community, support and reaching across divides, and we both unpack why we love collaboration and why the "collective" experience feels so critical right now in the horse world and beyond. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did!

Nica Quinn is an intuitive artist and designer based in Scotland, whose mission is to inspire creativity and deeper connections with ourselves, nature and horses.

FInd out more about Nica and her creations at www.nicadrawsnature.com

Is there a better way to start a brand new season then a chat with the amazing Elsa Sinclair? I think not! We start season 9 with this rich conversation, broaching the big hot topic of pressure - what is it, how do we apply it (consiously or not) with our horses, how can we do "pressure" well, and where does not wanting to use it actually ironically mean more of it - how getting older and wiser is a very good thing (and doesn't mean we've lost our skill or courage), and exploring the concept of the beautiful in the mundane, every day moments with our horses.

As always with Elsa, this chat had me pausing mid-sentence to chew on powerful new ideas and process aha's. Her way of thinking about horses and training has this way of helping us see something in a totally different way. Would love to hear about any aha's you had while listening!

What is Freedom Based Training? Perhaps the best way to explain it is to break it down: Training is the art of developing toward an end goal. Freedom is the ability to make the right choices for you in any given situation. Freedom Based Training embraces the paradox of these two ideas – freedom and training. To do this we develop depth of relationship and width of skill in a balance, using passive leadership instead of dominant leadership.

Elsa Sinclair is a professional horse trainer and instructor who brings to the horse world a unique and powerful perspective. Gathering together awareness from a variety of equine disciplines, Elsa has an enthusiasm for developing human ~ equine partnerships to fully enjoy the process of learning and growing in the direction of their goals. Elsa draws on a long and diverse history with horses as she travels now through her latest adventure of Taming Wild. What if horses were given a choice? Would they let us ride them? Without force or tools to control and without bribes to lure them? Elsa asked the questions, embarked on a project to find out and ultimately filmed a movie about the process. What started as simple questions, birthed the movie Taming Wild, an online course for those interested in learning Freedom Based Training, and a following of people who seek their own answers in what it takes to work more collaboratively with horses.

Find out more about Elsa and her work at www.tamingwild.com.

Elsa's Book: Taming Wild

What a perfect way to finish off season 8! This episode with Dr. Barbara Parks was fun, fascinating and fully geeky - my fave. We turned over a lot of stones, discussing clicker training - why many people think it doesn't work, what can go wrong and how to move into a place of understanding and success with this very helpful tool, especially in the realm of body work and other care practices, getting into many of my burning questions about equine body work, from how to set a boundary with a client, to when to have a hard conversation with an owner, to what to do when your treatments aren't feeling like they are working. We traveled far in this conversation and it was a treat! This is definitely a must-listen episode if you are an equine manual therapist or if you have a body worker for your horse(s).

After this episode we're taking a breather as I launch the Whole Horse Collective, my new communuty membership, based on nine years of the Whole Horse Apprenticeship. Keep your eyes peeled for more details! I'll be back for the start of season 9 in late November 2025 - more awesome horsey guests and mind and heart-opening conversations to come. See you then!

Dr. Barbara Parks is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy and Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner who has built her practice around the intersection of evidence-based rehabilitation and whole-horse wellness.

Barbara holds multiple certifications, including NBCAAM-certified Equine Massage Therapist and PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor, and has completed extensive continuing education in equine biomechanics, orthopedic assessment, hoof care, nutrition, and behavior.

Her approach to equine rehabilitation is integrative and guided by a deep respect for the horse's physical and emotional experience. She specializes in using positive reinforcement training as both a therapeutic tool and a way to improve equine body awareness, movement, and emotional regulation during rehab.

Based in the greater Nashville, Tennessee area, Barbara offers in-person therapy for horse and rider, virtual consultations, online educational courses, and rehab boarding on a track system designed to support natural movement and healing.

Whether she's working with a high-level performance horse or helping a backyard companion recover from injury, Barbara's mission is the same: to support long-term soundness and whole-horse wellness through compassionate, informed care.

https://www.drbarbaraparks.com/