The Whole Horse Podcast with Alexa Linton

Laura Bird and Alexa come together once again for the second episode of Season 2, this time for a full-blown geek out! We combine over 30 years of equine therapy to unpack the cranio-sacral mechanism, the movement of fluids, the essential role of the fascia in well-being and much more. If you're interested in how the physiology of you and your horse works, definitely tune in to this episode. Enjoy! 

Laura Bird is one of Australia’s leading Bowen Therapists, Animal Communicators & Healers. She began her Bowen career working with Horses, after Bowen Therapy miraculously cured a serious medical condition that threatened her ability to ride, and enjoy a normal life. This sparked a desire to know everything about the therapy and she quickly went on to qualify as a Human & Small Animal therapist also. Impassioned by how Bowen changed her life she went on to teach Bowen for over 12 years, helping others access their healing potential and acquire professional qualifications, Equine, Canine & Human.

Her Animal Communication workshops and consults explore unique ground and delve into the nature of what lies within us most naturally, and how animals inspire an ecological spiritual practice and relationship with energy and healing.

Learn more about Laura at www.onespirit.com.au

Season 2 of the Whole Horse Podcast kicks off with a bang with the help of Equijay's Jayne Roberts, joining us all the way from Australia! We ventured into some taboo territory with our conversation about women and horses, riding with a free and flowing pelvis, where and how the masculine and feminine show up in the horse industry in healthy and not so healthy ways, and why pleasure has been left out of much of traditional horsemanship and riding. It was a wild and wooly ride shaking out the cobwebs and busting myths as we went. Enjoy!   Jayne Roberts is a horse woman who wants to create a world where we’re all one big healthy happy herd. She combines over four decades of equine industry experience, research and qualifications (and a whole lotta life!) to help women and horses to nourish and flourish, beginning with the grassroots of Forage, Friendship and Freedom.   As an international equestrienne, Jayne coaches clients around the world and has played a pivotal role in the development and management of several equine enterprises in the UK, USA and Australia. She holds an MSc & BSc in Equine Science, is a Registered Animal Nutritionist, Certified Holistic Land Management Practitioner & most recently Feminine Embodiment Yoga & iRest Meditation Teacher. In addition to guest lecturing at the University of Edinburgh and supervising post-graduate research, Jayne has published peer-reviewed papers in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science and regularly contributes to equine publications and industry groups. Along with traditional Pony Club, British Horse Society & competitive show jumping beginnings she shakes things up with a wealth of untraditional, real ‘n raw as a rural ambulatory Equine Vet Tech!   With one foot in the science stirrup, and one firmly grounded on the yoga mat, she's currently deconstructing much of what she learnt in her first round. Her heart-felt purpose is to help deepen the horse-human relationship and live a life that is wildly nourished, intimately connected and lived with a felt-sense of true freedom.   If you’d like to come along for the ride, you can find her at www.equijay.com or on Facebook or Instagram.

 

What an honour to have Sarah Schlote, founder of EQUUSOMA™ on the podcast! In this potent episode, Sarah shares about her work with Somatic Experiencing®, attachment theory, neuroscience, and trauma-informed horsemanship as they apply to humans and horses... whether horse and rider, during groundwork, or in equine-assisted therapy/learning. We cover a lot of ground, and as you’ll hear during this episode, I can’t wait to take part in an EQUUSOMA™ program with Sarah in the future and have her back on the podcast for more of her “couples therapy” for humans and their horses.

Sarah Schlote, MA, RP, CCC, SEP is a Registered Psychotherapist, trauma therapist and Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner who has been involved in the field of animal-assisted interventions since 2003. A former St. John Ambulance Therapy Dogs volunteer, her main focus aside from her in-office private practice is partnering with horses to support health and healing. She is the founder of EQUUSOMA™, a training model integrating Somatic Experiencing®, attachment theory and equine-assisted trauma recovery, and has started promoting Therapist-Assisted Horsemanship™, bringing a trauma and attachment lens as well as trauma-informed horsemanship principles to improve the relationship between owners and their horses (and their coaches and instructors)

Learn more about Sarah and her work at www.equusoma.com and www.sarahschlote.com (coming soon)

Correction: When discussing anthropomorphism, Sarah suggested adopting a different lens and used the words animalocentrism or mammaliacentrism.  These terms were used in error; the words should have been animalomorphism or mammaliamorphism (a term she coined in 2017); that is, looking at human and animal behaviour from the lens of our shared mammalian traits/form (commonalities as described in affective neuroscience, polyvagal theory, and other frameworks) as opposed to looking at animals through a human lens.

This is my second Whole Horse podcast with Josh Nichol of A Horseman's Pursuit, and I spent it on the edge of my seat, riveted. After seeing him in action during a clinic, I had a list of concepts to further clarify and we covered it all: the difference between pressure to yield rather than a subservient giving up, the idea of deep balance (without pulling on the head), the difference between softness and lightness, the idea of needs, and the basic needs being mind, space, and pressure, how we go about meeting those needs, the understanding of what it looks like to lose the soul of a horse through submission, and what the "turn loose point" is in horses and riders. We covered ground in this podcast, all while bringing it around full circle to how our own awareness and self-knowing as horse people is the key. My mind was blown in the best possible way. Enjoy!  

In Josh’s words: “I like to think of myself as a professional student of the horse; learning is what I do first and teaching is second. Mentoring people, building relationships and watching growth is truly my passion. I currently teach clinics throughout Canada in the summer and work out of our home ranch in the winter, helping people develop their relationships through horsemanship.

This style of horsemanship is very relational, it allows you to see yourself through your horse and continues as you advance through the process. Mastery in horsemanship begins with a commitment to bettering ourselves! This starts with taking ownership and responsibility for our part of the story, thus interpreting the horse’s actions and performance differently.  When we are aware of – and work on developing – our side of the relationship, we truly facilitate not only growth in our horses, but growth in ourselves.  Good horsemanship challenges everything about our inner person. What an amazing gift: progressing in our horsemanship goes hand in hand with developing our best self!”

Learn more about Josh at https://www.joshnichol.com

When my dear friend Geri Ramsay agreed to doing a podcast with me, I knew it was going to be something special. This Whole Horse conversation had no fences, ranging from her work in liberation psychology, the ways that we can decolonize ourselves and our relationships with our horses, the unpacking of accompaniment, and of course, so many sharings and stories about our magical mares, Libby and Diva. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

In the question of Nature - Human and living world - Geri Ramsay has been dwelling for the past three decades, exploring and facilitating its full and free expression in both the professional space of career development and in habitat that allows all residents - human and nonhuman - to thrive.

From leading award-winning teams as a Director of an International Human Resource consultancy, building one of Vancouver’s most respected financial recruitment firms, coaching executives through uncompromising career transitions to her relationships with nonhuman animals, Geri works from one central premise - that engagement and fulfillment live where intrinsic nature finds free expression.     She lives with her husband George attending to the health of the biodiverse habitat of the Salt Spring Island sanctuary that is home to an abundance of wildlife, Libby, a liberated Canadian mare, and Baxter, the Maine Coon Cat who runs the whole show.

In this fun and fascinating episode of the Whole Horse Podcast I am joined by Equine Performance Therapist and founder of Kheiron College of Equine Therapy Amy Hay. We get geeky about the shoulder girdle, saddle fitting, equine stretching and strength building, myofascial therapy and more. It made me even more sure that I want to plan a road trip in the near future to Greenwood, BC to visit this hilarious and brilliant gal and learn from her!

Amy has worked as an Equine Performance Therapist for over 9 years. She has worked on horses from all walks of life from family pets to Grand Prix, Olympians, and Professional Reiners and Barrel Racers. She has clients all over the Lower Mainland, Pemberton, Vancouver Island and the USA. In addition to working with and treating horses she has also run a successful series of clinics helping horse owners to help their horse, a stepping stone to opening Kheiron College.

Amy, with her Masters in Business Management and over 15 years of experience in both the corporate and equine fields will be the Senior Educational Administrator as well as one of the lead instructors. She has diplomas in Homeopathy and Naturopathy and graduated with honors from the Prairie Winds School of Equine Therapy in Colorado. She has recently been awarded a Diploma with Distinction in Instructor Skills to take on the role as SEA for the school.

Learn more about Amy and her work at www.kheironcollege.com

 

In this episode of the Whole Horse Podcast, Christa Miremadi of Horsemanship from the Heart opens up about her heart horse Cisco, her love affair with the Californio Bridle Horse tradition, Tai Chi and Kiger Mustangs, and her lifelong quest for feel and depth in horsemanship. Christa is one of those horsewomen that is beautiful to watch, with a deep reverence and respect for all horses, and I'm happy to have called her a friend for over a decade. 

Christa continues her equine education by working with and learning from master horse men and women, including our mutual friend and mentor Stefanie Travers. Christa's goal is to facilitate horses and humans developing the same kind of relationships, based on trust, respect, compassion and fun that she has developed with so many of her own amazing equine teachers.

Through her deep understanding of equine behaviour and psychology, gained over more than 25 years with horses, Christa develops safe, consistent and reliable boundaries, earning the respect and leadership needed to influence the horses she works with. This helps them to find the quiet, calm and peaceful state of mind that will allow them to grow, learn and gain confidence.  

Learn more about Christa and what she's up to at www.horsemanshipfromtheheart.com.

 

In this vulnerable and personal episode of the Whole Horse Podcast, I’m joined by long-time friend April Ray of the Canadian Horse Journal for a conversation about the #metoo movement in the horse industry. The Horse Journal recently published a comprehensive and collaborative article opening up around this essential topic (read more at this link —> http://bit.ly/chjarticle).

In this episode, April shares about her personal experience of sexual abuse and harassment, how she’s healing and moving forward by having challenging conversations and being willing to speak up despite resistance, and our shared passion for making the horse industry safe for everyone. It’s a potent beginning to a multi-faceted topic and on-going conversation and we look forward to your feedback, questions, and ideas for related future episodes expanding on these understandings. 

 

 

In this Whole Horse podcast I had the extraordinary opportunity to connect with Cassandra Ogier, founder and director of The Reflective Horse and a leading name in the development of horse-based personal reflection programs for adults and youth. In addition to her many accomplishments, Cass is down-to-earth, fun and deeply insightful - what a pleasure to spend an hour chatting with her about her lifetime and fascinating journey with horses. 

Cassandra co-founded SheHerdPower, with actress Beth Behrs, providing survivors of sexual assault & abuse access to Equine Guided Empowerment™ programs free of charge, and created & managed the first On-Site Equine Therapy & Somatic Riding® Program in Southern California, for youth in residential treatment for drug & alcohol addiction and mental health challenges. Having developed the concepts of Somatic Riding®, Equine Guided Empowerment™ and Somatic Reprogramming™, Cassandra believes in teaching through hands-on, nature-based experiences that honour the individual qualities of each horse and client. Her unique teaching of Somatic Riding® continues to draw interest worldwide, through her retreats and workshops, as a transition away from Traditional Horsemanship, offering a partnership-based relationship with horses, with a strong grounding in personal reflection, freedom of expression and life-skills.

Find out more about Cassandra and her work at www.thereflectivehorse.com

Enjoy!

It's not often that I get to completely geek out with another horse person. But, in this podcast episode, horse trainer Josh Nichols of the Horseman's Pursuit and I get right into things, diving into personal development and how it relates to horses, dominance vs relational horsemanship, practices to build neutrality and connection, humility, the power of grace and more. So good! 

In Josh's words: "I like to think of myself as a professional student of the horse; learning is what I do first and teaching is second. Mentoring people, building relationships and watching growth is truly my passion. I currently teach clinics throughout Canada in the summer and work out of our home ranch in the winter, helping people develop their relationships through horsemanship. 

This style of horsemanship is very relational, it allows you to see yourself through your horse and continues as you advance through the process. Mastery in horsemanship begins with a commitment to bettering ourselves! This starts with taking ownership and responsibility for our part of the story, thus interpreting the horse's actions and performance differently.  When we are aware of - and work on developing - our side of the relationship, we truly facilitate not only growth in our horses, but growth in ourselves.  Good horsemanship challenges everything about our inner person. What an amazing gift: progressing in our horsemanship goes hand in hand with developing our best self!"

Learn more about Josh at https://www.joshnichol.com