With The Horse Podcast with Nell Candelaria

This episode reviews the book Harmonious Horsemanship by Sue Dyson and Sue Palmer. It looks at 24 indicators in the ridden horse, such as head tossing and tail swishing, that would help people have a more objective look at pain in horses, rather than it being an emotive issue.

Nell gives an overview of what the Ride Safe Award is about as well as safety tips of the modern road rider.

Understand where spooking comes from and why it's important to take notice of it.

Make this winter a season of growth

October 2026 to March 2027

Written by Nell Candelaria

BHS Stage 3 Coach, Dip. Equine Psychology

Each week you will get a Training Task to try out and a Winter Tip. You can do the tasks on the ground or ridden. Please do not attempt any tasks that you or your horse are not physically capable of doing. There are also Weekly Priorities, Progress Trackers and other elements that can keep you on course throughout winter.

This week's podcast looks at the origins of the Better Rider Course and Club and why it's something I am so passionate about. I give tell some stories of how I hit rock bottom with my confidence and how the Better Rider concept came into being as a result.

This podcast looks at the actions we need to take to help our horses be good partners. We look at how we meet their needs, how we interact with them and what behaviours or actions are unhelpful.

Understanding how our aids work when riding gives us a better understanding of how to communicate clearly to our horse. This is especially true in knowing when to ask for something and when to wait.

The rules of feeding are important to help us keep our horses healthy - understanding what to feed and when, as well as what not to feed, helps us keep them fit and well enough to meet their needs.

Waiting until your vet or farrier turns up to find out your horse doesn't like being touched in a certain place is not ideal and in the worst cases, can be very dangerous for all.

It is your job to train your horse to be ok with these common situations. Here's what to think about.

What I do with my own horses and clients horses to assess what we need to work on in any given session.