Healing and Horsemanship

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Janelle, also known as the Equestrian Motion Coach, is a strength and performance coach inspiring equestrians to move better both on the ground and in the saddle.

This interview was recorded way back in March of this year (2024). Listening to it again, it was re-inspiring to hear Janelle’s perspective on balancing and aligning our bodies for our own sake, and our horses. Especially now, as I’m currently 9 months pregnant at the time of this episode being published, I’m learning again in a whole new way how the importance of a daily movement routine is so essential. Movement is life, perhaps even more so for horses than ourselves. So, if we aren’t already prioritizing balanced movement in our lives, it’s high time we start!

In this interview we talk about:

Why all riders are athletes, regardless of how they feel about it because they’re a teammate to their horse
How Janelle began connecting her studies of Kinesiology and biomechanics of humans to horses
How body awareness is the missing piece for many riders
How to motivate yourself to prioritize a movement practice (and even be able to do it in your jeans)
Why breathing mechanics are essential in your movement practice and how it will change your life
Ways we can become more aware of the core muscles and how to use them more effectively
Training our bodies to be strong and balanced so that we are better able to ride through any trip or unexpected movement our horse makes
The mind-body connection, and how we need to have both our physical and mental game strong to perform our best

Resources

This show is supported by The Herd.

Saddle up to find greater harmony in your health and horsemanship. Join the holistic horse community by becoming a Herd Member today! Membership offers behind-the-scenes bonuses for each episode, access to my growing content library on all things health, wellness, and horses, and much more.

Check out the transcript for this episode, ‘Body Awareness and Balanced Movement with Janelle Cameron’ on the blog.

This episode’s bonus for Herd Members is access to the full behind-the-scenes post, ‘Turning Pain Into Purpose, Part Two’ which elaborates on ways we can both prevent pain and restore vitality through care strategies, and explores pain through an Ayurvedic lens.

Links from this episode:

The Motion Coach

The Motion Coach on Instagram

The Motion Coach on FaceBook

Wild Willing Therapeutics & Training

Wild Willing on Instagram

The Herd Membership

Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen

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Grief and pain will make you a stranger to yourself. It will compromise your system. Everything becomes a reminder of what you’ve lost, or your limitations.

How do we prepare ourselves for the end of life? How do we move on after the loss of a loved one? And how can we find strength of spirit even when it feels like our body is working against us?

This episode is about my journey navigating grief after the devastating loss of a loved one, and coping with chronic pain in a condensed timeline. My journey with grief and pain is unique in that it’s also been inextricably linked to creating new life, as I found out I was pregnant not long after losing one of the most important people in my life. However, it’s made me see that when we break down the process down into its bare parts, the cycle of death bringing new life is something we all experience in some way.

In this episode I talk about:

The importance of training ourselves our eyes to see signs of pain (in both human and nonhuman animals)
How strength of spirit is so much more valuable than physical strength
The phenomenon of losing a loved one and then birthing new life into the world
How grief and pain transform us when we unflinchingly open our senses to them
My insights on how to navigate the grieving process, and how there is no right or wrong way to grieve
Why I have the utmost respect and empathy for those who suffer from chronic pain
How time with my horses, even very limited, has helped me to find strength of spirit when I needed it most

Resources:

This show is supported by The Herd.

Check out the transcript for this episode, ‘Navigating Grief and Transforming From Pain’on the blog.

This episode’s bonus for Herd Members is access to the full behind-the-scenes post, ‘Turning Pain Into Purpose, Part One’ which introduces important research on signs horses are in pain under saddle, and how we can learn to identify behavioral triggers and prevent pain in our own lives.

Links from this episode:

Wild Willing Therapeutics & Training

Wild Willing on Instagram

The Herd Membership

Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen

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Dana is an Equine Massage Therapist, Energy Worker for horses & humans, and a wild horse advocate who eloquently speaks volumes about her work - and something you may not have heard of, but you should know about: Active Pendulum Dowsing.

This episode truly needs little introduction. To preface, though as I like to do, I’ll simply share some highlights that we get into in this interview. Also, I’m excited to say that Dana is offering 15% off of her offerings to Members of The Herd who support the podcast. So enjoy the episode, and get in on this deal if you’re as curious about this mind-blowing modality as I am!

In this interview we talk about:

How Dana’s childhood horse helped her co-regulate and get through traumas she didn’t yet have the tools to cope with

Why Dana says her leaving the horse world was her biggest regret - and how she came back to horses later in life

How unprocessed emotions are stored in the body

Dana’s introduction to the world of energy work and pendulum dowsing through working with a shaman

How horses came back into Dana’s life when she began to heal herself

Her journey becoming an Equine Bodyworker, and why she feels that the energy work she was doing facilitated her getting to that point

How everyone has the gift of intuition - it’s up to us whether we trust, believe in, or cultivate our abilities

And finally how energy work can help us come back into balance in a number of ways, through clearing obstacles, patching energy leaks, and opening us to positivity on the subtle body frontiers.

Resources:

This show is supported by The Herd.

I believe we’re only as strong as our herd. Become a Herd Member today! Membership offers behind-the-scenes bonuses for each episode, and access to my growing archive of content on all things health, wellness, and horses.

Check out the interview transcript for this episode, ‘Raising Energy and Active Pendulum Dowsing with Dana Jenkins’on the blog.

This episode’s bonus for Herd Members is a 15% discount on Dana’s offerings at Elevation Equine - including remote Active Pendulum Dowsing. Go to The Herd’s membership site to learn more.

Links from this episode:

Elevation Equine Services

Elevation Equine on Instagram

Wild Willing Therapeutics & Training

Wild Willing on Instagram

The Herd Membership

Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen

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Wild horses spark inspiration in our hearts and minds, but that isn’t all that they fuel. They are also source of hundreds of years of controversy and debate, that continues to this day in the not-so-wild west.

This episode is about my journey coming to know wild horses, from an activists perspective, then a trainer’s perspective, a guardian’s perspective and then finally from the perspective of a researcher. In this episode I’ll be sharing all about the history of the wild horse in North America, as well as their present day plight, and why it’s even of consequence.

The main reason I’m devoting this episode to wild horses, though, is because over the last decade I have essentially voluntarily and figuratively been dragged away by wild horses. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their influence in my life.

And that said, I have some big announcements to share - all of which, were inspired by wild horses.

I’m self publishing a book, What We Tame, a collection of stories on gentling wild mustangs! Pre-sale options will be coming soon. The book will be available in print and as an e-book in November 2023!!!

I’m also breathing new life into an old project, geared towards better understanding American mustangs, and all stories and perspectives that weave their narrative. I've launched The Wild Side: An Exploration of the Untamed - which is part Archive, part Community, designed to bring the wild horse community closer together and educate people about why wild horses matter. So if you are voluntarily dragged away by wild horses too, I hope to see you over at The Wild Side.

In this episode I talk about:

The history of the wild horse in North America, as well as their present day plight
What exactly an American mustang is, and why they matter
The graphic details concerning the violence committed against them that led to the grassroots activism campaign and the passing of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act
The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program and the complex pros and cons of the current management practices
How my interactions with wild horses as a trainer led me to question the management practices of on-range populations
Why my research on American mustangs in my postgraduate program in Anthrozoology drove me to gallop headlong into the wild horse controversy
The importance of reflecting on our beliefs, unpacking our perspectives, and truly listening to others who think differently
The difference between wild horse activists and wild horse advocates (and why I call myself an advocate)
Why I believe that wild horses are the main character in my story
How essential it is to think outside of ourselves - to think what the horse would want, instead of just what we want, and why there is often a difference between the two

Resources:

This show is supported by The Herd.

Check out the post that expands on this episode, ‘Wild Horses and Rewriting Stories’on the blog.

Links from this episode:

The Wild Side Archive

The Wild Side Community

What We Tame - my book coming soon!!!

Montgomery Creek Ranch

Wild Horse Native Species Research

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program

Mustang: The Saga of the Wild Horse in the American West by Deanne Stillman

Wild Horse Country: the History, Myth, and Future of the Mustang by David Philipps

Population Genetics of Great Basin Wild Horses

Wild Horse Annie and the Last of the Mustangs by David Cruise and Alison Griffiths

Wild Horses Adopted Under a Federal Program are Going to Slaughter by Dave Philipps

Wild Horses, Wilder Controversy by Ben Masters

Wild Willing Therapeutics & Training

Wild Willing on Instagram

The Herd Membership

Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen

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An Equine Therapy Facilitator, Earth Intuitive, Seer, and Space Holder, Ashley Frye speaks to the importance of “letting the wisdom of our bodies supersede any doubts we have about a particular path in life.”

I was nothing short of blown away during my conversation with Ashley. She shared about the many paths she’s walked - as a high school educator for eleven years, a birth doula, a space holder for people to heal using photography and videography as her medium, and more. I’m so grateful for Ashley’s authenticity and courage as we delved into the shadows of what it’s like to have an incredible innate gift to channel, intuit, and work with Earth Medicine, only to fear being ostracized by the dominant culture.

I feel so inspired by Ashley’s courage in sharing about her pursuit to not live small, and lead with an open heart, and I know you will too.

In this interview we talk about:

Ashley’s intense initiation through grief during the hardest time of her life and her decision that she was not going to live with a closed heart
The importance of pause, and taking a moment to let things happen even if they are a struggle, instead of stepping in with the ‘fix-it’ mentality
How horses have so much grace for us and continue to show up in spite of ourselves
The way that horses sync their heart rate to humans with elevated respiration and innately work to regulate their nervous system
Ashley’s work as a birth doula and how she is called to help people find the “yes, you can do it” when fear and doubt closes in
Not playing it small and showing up authentically even with the fear of being ostracized for being different
The gift of channeling or “seeing” which Ashely has had her whole life and how she is working to overcome cultural norms and share her gift with the world openly
How when horses meet us where we are it gives us grace to meet ourselves where we are too
And unlearning the need to have control, and how Ashley believes that horses are “exceptionally good medicine in teaching us to show up and be with what is

Resources:

This show is supported by The Herd.

Check out the interview transcript for this episode, ‘Innate Wisdom and Channeling Intuition with Ashley Frye’on the blog.

This episode’s bonus for Herd Members is a 15% discount on Ashley’s Earth Medicine and Remote Journeywork offerings booked in 2023 through her business Of Breath and Bone.

Links from this episode:

Of Breath and Bone

Of Breath and Bone on Instagram

Ashley’s Earth Medicine offering

Ashley’s Journeywork offering

Wild Hearts Equine Therapy

Wild Willing Therapeutics & Training

Wild Willing on Instagram

The Herd Membership

Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen

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When the body is deeply listened to miracles happen. Maureen’s pioneering work applying craniosacral therapy to horses speaks volumes to the “miracles” that happen when the body is truly seen, and deeply listened to.

Maureen is a pioneer and leading expert in the field of equine craniosacral therapy. She is the founder of Equine CranioSacral Workshops - an international education program that offers the most extensive program of study. She founded her program in 1999 and has over fifteen years of teaching experience.

A really big takeaway from this episode is that there are amazing therapies available at our fingertips. Craniosacral being a very profound one. I’m eager to learn more about craniosacral in my continuing education as a bodyworker. And for you listening out there, even if you don’t learn to do cranial yourself, I hope you seek out a practitioner to experience it for yourself, and for your horses. Experience for yourself how the body responds when it is truly, deeply listened to. I believe that’s when “miracles” happen.

In this interview we talk about:

The severe whiplash injury that led Maureen to craniosacral as “living in pain wasn’t an option”
How Maureen got back into the horse world, and her experience with a special foal named Willy who inspired her to apply craniosacral to horses
Why craniosacral is especially vital for horses, as they contend regularly with pressure on their head, neck, and in the sensitive structure of their mouth from bridles, bits, nosebands, halters, and dentistry that has ramifications for their whole body
How the tack and equipment we use is second to the hands that use it, but still has the potential to greatly or negatively influence our horse’s physical wellbeing
The common problems that horses being worked in all disciplines of equitation run into, and the compensations that develop due to certain movement patterns
Myths about horse conformation that are rampant in the horse industry
Many issues, lamenesses, and patterns of disharmony that can be relieved or addressed by craniosacral that include, head shaking, navicular, spookiness, chronic pain, headaches, back pain, TMJ issues, head shyness, and more
The importance of educating ourselves and horse guardians to be able to assess imbalances and harness simple tools that can help the horse find balance
How all bodywork is a conversation, not a “fix it” strategy
Why we need more good horse handlers in the world
Maureen’s studies in shamanism and indigenous healing arts balance her knowledge of science and ultimately inform her cranial work
The belief that earning the horse’s trust is at the center of it all

Resources:

This show is supported by The Herd.

Check out the interview transcript for this episode, ‘Equine Craniosacral and Deep Listening with Maureen Rogers’ on the blog.

This episode’s bonus for Herd Members is access the full post, ‘Poll Range of Motion Exercise: The Lateral Bend the Horse Intended’ which offers my go-to herbal resources chalk full of wisdom to guide you on the plant path as you bring herbal medicine into your self care and horse care.

Links from this episode:

Equine CranioSacral Workshops

Maureen Rogers on Instagram

Horses are the original shamans - Dr. Tracy Rainwaters quote

Wild Willing Therapeutics & Training

Wild Willing on Instagram

The Herd Membership

Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen

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Jordan practices what she calls equine soul work, offering a blend of somatic work, depth psychology and nature based practices to women while also educating people about botanical medicine, and how to bring herbs into our horse care and self care.

Jordan is a lifelong horsewoman, herbalist, and marketing maven. She has been practicing herbalism for 25 years, and is a plant medicine woman in her blood and bones as her great grandmother was an indigenous healer in Oaxaca, Mexico. She offers workshops, classes, and wellness consultations on how to offer plant medicine to horses.

To say I enjoyed nerding out with Jordan about herbal medicine would be a grand understatement. We also covered great emergent topics like the importance of integration in healing work, how to work with plants as living, energetic beings, and why horses are our heroes.

In this interview we talk about:

Honoring and owning feminine energy and the difference between horsemanship and horsewomanship

Jordan’s experience becoming an herbalist, and how a love of plant medicine was instilled in her through her ancestry

How herbal gardening can help us develop an alliance with plants, and to see them as another living, energetic being

The importance of not only offering horses access to herbal medicine, but trusting that they have innate wisdom about their own bodies to make their own self care decisions

How the horse world needs more herbalists who work small and go deep, and less of imposter syndrome that keeps us doubting our valuable knowledge and wisdom

Why Jordan believes (and I second) that horses and the human soul speak the same language

The importance of integration, and the alchemy of turning undigested experiences that manifest as trauma into wisdom

How horse’s saved Jordan’s life as a childhood trauma survivor, and made her feel alive when nothing else did

And why we need to ask the question of whether our pursuit of health is exploitative of another being or community

Resources:

This show is supported by The Herd.

Check out the interview transcript for this episode, ‘Botanical Medicine and the Divine Feminine with Jordan Stanton’ on the blog.

Links from this episode:

JS Horsewomanship Website

JS Horsemanship Instagram

United Plant Savers

The Business of Botanicals by Ann Armbrecht

Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen

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You might have heard about the wonders of Equine Facilitated Therapies such as Gestalt, or maybe you’ve experienced them for yourself. In this interview with Kelly Dukarski of A Wild Omen, we dive into the ooey-gooey life changing center of what tapping into healing with horses is all about.

Kelly is an Equine Gestaltist who partners with horses to offer a somatic healing experience in which clients are able to clear trauma from the body, reclaim their happiness, and embrace the beauty of who they are. She is based in West Newbury, Massachusetts, and has over three decades of experience as a horsewoman, in addition to 25 years working as a horticulturist and 15 years as a folk herbalist.

Her deep love of horses comes right across in this interview, as she talks about how she’s walked a nontraditional path as a horsewoman, and weaves her healing work with herbs and nature into her work with horses.

In this interview we talk about:

The importance of giving back to our horses in return for all they give us through nature-based rituals and herbal medicine
How partnering with horses to facilitate healing in a consent-based approach offers the horse to stand in their power
The profound ways in which horses show up to offer us insight and help us move through difficult experiences and traumas
How doing our personal work must come first before we go forth to help others
That special horse - who for Kelly was a horse called Vision Quest - who kicked off her horsemanship journey with a bang, and showed her what relationships founded on mutual respect look like
Reconnecting to the land and bringing awareness to the lost art of ranching as a preservation practice
The collective healing power of women gathering to center horse medicine, community, and connection to nature
And how even after years of witnessing the transformative power of doing work in this field, it still remains beyond words to truly explain

Resources:

This show is supported byThe Herd.

I believe we’re only as strong as our herd. Become aHerd Membertoday! Membership offers behind-the-scenes bonuses for each episode, and access to my growing archive of content on all things health, wellness, and horses.

Check out the interview transcript for this episode,‘Transforming Trauma and Honoring Nature with Kelly Dukarski’on the blog.

Links from this episode:

A Wild Omen

A Wild Omen on Instagram

Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen

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Our work in this life is to live in a way that brings balance to our elemental constitution.

Ayurveda teaches us that disease can be caused from becoming distorted from our true nature.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve experienced Nature “correcting me on my path” countless times. We can do everything we can to “make things happen”, but if Nature has other plans for us, she’ll make them happen. And Nature always wins. The key is, and what we’re really getting into in this episode, is how to not be in conflict with Nature… our Nature and our horse’s to be exact.

In this episode I talk about:

Elemental constitutions. What they are, why we all have them (horses, humans, and other animals alike), and why it’s incredibly helpful, if not essential that we understand them in order to cultivate balance in our lives.

The five elements according to Ayurveda

The three doshas and constitutional types

How to balance your constitution and your horse’s through lifestyle, self- and horse-care practices.

How we might balance our relationships with horses (and all of our loved ones) through understanding how the elements play a role in our patterns, behaviors, thoughts, feelings, and everything in between.

Resources

This show is supported by The Herd.

I believe we’re only as strong as our herd. Become a Herd Member today! Membership offers behind-the-scenes bonuses for each episode, and access to my growing archive of content on all things health, wellness, and horses.

Check out the post that expands on this episode, ‘Elemental Constitutions and Right Relationships’ on the blog.

Links from this episode:

Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution by Dr. Robert E. Svoboda

Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen

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It was a joy and actual breath of fresh air to speak to Kathryn. I’m grateful for her ability to unabashedly acknowledge those seemingly larger-than-life and at times, intimidating aspects of pursuing healing in the horse world, while simultaneously bringing an immense amount of grace through her intentionality, vulnerability, and thoughtfulness.

Kathyrn Hoftstetter is an Equine Trauma Specialist, Holistic Horsemanship Facilitator, Certified Usui and Equine Reiki practitioner & Master Teacher, Equine Herbalist, and Para-equestrian whose dedicated to using her voice to raise awareness about invisible disabilities in the equine industry.

Her methodology is rooted in equine psychology and biomechanics. Through her business Open Heart Horsemanship, she operates programs such as Equine Trauma Recovery, Soulmate Synergy Equitation, Equine Emotional Empowerment & Rider Anxiety Resolution, Youth Horsemanship, and (my personal favorite) the Mustang Mystery School.

My interview with her was nothing less than inspiring as she has a true way with words (I think especially when compared to how most gifted horse people I come across tend to have horsemanship come naturally, but words… less so). She possesses a wisdom far beyond her years thanks to her unique interactions with horses, and her health journey which she details in the episode, that is/was anything but easy.

In this interview we talk about:

Invisible disabilities and the role they played in leveling up Kathryn’s horsemanship and opening her eyes to the equine-experience
Validating and allowing trauma in horses in order for them to unwind, and how their healing can promote our own self healing
Self-accountability and how horses aren’t simply “cosmic therapists we’ve been blessed with” but highly emotional intelligent beings that reflect our nature, thoughts, feelings, and more
Ethics of our scope of practice as horsemanship facilitators who acknowledge the healing capabilities of horse-human interactions
The importance of saying “I don’t know” and “show me” as horse trainers and horsemanship practitioners
Embracing Holistic Horsemanship over Natural Horsemanship, and the difference between the two
The need to do shadow work and sit with the heavy emotions in our interactions with horses rather than forcing play, fun, and a no-bad-days mindset
The elephants in the horse industry and how being the person to point out the “elephant in the room” means becoming comfortable and OK with having people not like what you have to say

Resources:

This show is supported by The Herd: Healing and Horsemanship Collective.

Become a Herd Member today! Membership offers behind-the-scenes bonuses for each episode, videos, articles, and discussions each month, and access to the growing archive of content on all things health, wellness, and horses.

I believe we’re only as strong as our herd. Join me at The Herd’s Facebook group to find strength in the collective and get in on the conversation. The group is free to everyone (that’s right, I said everyone)!

Check out the interview transcription this episode, ‘Addressing Elephants and Finding Grace with Kathryn Hofstetter’ on the blog.

Links from this episode:

Open Heart Horsemanship

Kathryn’s Instagram

Kathryn’s Facebook

Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen

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Are you in touch with your emotions? Do you validate the emotions of other animals? Emotions are innate and greatly influence our physical health.

Ayurveda acknowledges that every organ and tissue in the body is governed by an emotion. Emotions are innate and healthy to experience. Emotions can cause problems, though, when we dissociate, deny, suppress, or leave them unaddressed. And they can become especially problematic when we deny the emotions that other animals are experiencing.

Learning to feel and process our emotions is essential for not only our mental/emotional health, but our physical health. Moreover, it will transform our horsemanship as we take ownership of our own emotions and honor horses by validating their emotions.

In this episode I talk about:

The difference between emotional intelligence and mental intelligence
My first bodywork treatment that informed me how powerful our stored emotions are and how they inform our inner voice and beliefs
The five elements, (ether, air, fire, water, & earth) and the cascade theory of how emotions are created in the body
Why fear is an important teacher, and my riding accident that taught me to trust in my emotions
My challenging training experience with a young kidney deficient mustang, and how I learned the connection between emotional patterns and physical wellness the hard way

Resources

This show is supported by The Herd: Healing and Horsemanship Collective.

Check out the post that expands on this episode, ‘Unpacking Emotional Intelligence’ on the blog.

Links from this episode:
Peter Levine, PHD - Somatic Experiencing
The Elements in Ayurveda
The Tao of Equus by Linda Kohanov
Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen

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I could talk for days about the word ‘wild.’ Fortunately, I’m not the only one! Trent is a kindred spirit who also deeply contemplates this term, and has essentially made it his mission to educate people about his work, The Wild In Us.

Trent is a long rider, saddle maker, leather craftsman and all-around devotee of the old, wild ways with a so-called “addiction to packing.” In 2017, Trent completed the Pacific Crest Trail on horseback, riding roughly 2,600 miles from Mexico to Canada to raise awareness about Ataxia - a degenerative neurological disorder that plagued his family - and the plight of wild horses. To this day, he donates a portion of all proceeds from his shop to the National Ataxia Foundation.

I first spoke with Trent in January of 2022. We spoke about his backstory in what made him choose a life full of back-breaking work, and heart-melting beauty on the wild side. We also got into what makes mustangs unique for wilderness exploration, how to turn loss into motivation, and why living each day like its our last is of the utmost importance. Our talk is available in the blog post, ‘Trent Peterson on The Wild In Us’. I highly recommend reading it to gain a better understanding about Trent’s work, and what we talk about in this interview.

In this interview we talk about:

Trent’s background that led him to become a saddle maker, leather craftsman, and dedicated wilderness packer
His Dad’s words, “whatever you do, do it with a purpose”
Living today like there’s no tomorrow, and doing what you love as much as you can because you don’t know how long you’ll be able to do it
What our ancestors would think of the way we live now, and how healing it is for us to do things that allow them to live through us
How Trent defines the word ‘wild’
How to coexist with fear and the belief that everything you want in life is on the other side of fear
Debunking the myth that horses are a ‘luxury’, and centering horse-human relationships as rich collaboration with endless potential
The Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Program, and how the so-called Wild Horse and Burro problem stems from the complex, emotional relationships we have with horses.
TRIGGER WARNING: I’m imagining some people’s horrified responses as we discuss horse meat. Please don’t take our words out of context, and know that we are NOT advocating for horses to be consumed as meat. However, it’s a truth that they are meat (I mean, we are too… technically). Our cultural perspectives color our beliefs so heavily that we often cannot state the obvious, and avoid the uncomfortable conversations because they’re so far outside what’s “acceptable” to us. So I encourage you to unpack your cultural conditioning, and explore the uncharted territories of your mind with us

Resources:
The Herd
The Herd’s Facebook group
The Wild In Us
Trent’s Instagram @the_wild_in_us
The Long Rider’s Guild
The BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program
Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen

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Nica describes her work as drawing a deeper connection to ourselves, nature & horses. If you haven’t yet seen her beautiful artwork, let me just tell you that if you’re a horse person (as you must be, if you’re listening to this), you’re going to take one look at any of her pieces and instantly be reminded of the magic you see, and know in horses. Her art constantly sparks realizations in me, in the same way that realizations come when I’m working with horses. I am fully certain that Nica is channeling the true spirit of the horse in all of her creations, and so in her artwork, there is something for everyone who believes in their magic.

In this interview we talk about:

That one horse that changed everything - the magic horse Merlin who put Nica through a fiery initiation on an alternative path with horses
Willing partnerships versus relationships based on control
How “difficult” horses have the most potent medicine for us
The gift of doing nothing with horses
Unlearning tradition without shaming ourselves or others'
What it means when people are afraid of horses, and why maybe all of us should be a little afraid of horses
Embracing our emotions and tapping into our intuition and what Nica calls our “share muscle”
How horses are working on us to evolve our consciousness
How sensitive people are being called to listen to horse wisdom and question tradition

Resources:
Join the Herd
The Herd’s Facebook group
Nica’s Website
Nica’s Instagram
Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen

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“It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it, one must work at it.” - Eleanor Roosevelt. My feet have never hesitated to walk the walk with horses, but for me, much more daunting is to talk the talk. So here I am, finally putting out the first episode of this show that I’ve dreamed of for many years. This episode is all about my backstory and what led me to start the podcast.

In this episode I talk about:

My life with horses and the nontraditional path I’ve walked practicing natural horsemanship, and gentling wild horses
How I got into holistic/alternative medicine
My time studying Ayurveda with my teacher DeAnna Batdorff
My mentorship with Diana Thompson who introduced me to Equine Acupressure and weaved rehabilitative movement into my horsemanship
How everything took a turn in 2018 when I started my MA program in Anthrozoology at the University of Exeter, met the love of my life, and began working at a dog rescue
How everything changed again in 2020 when I stepped away from my path
The biggest change in my life yet, and how I nearly gave up on my dream with horses
How I came full circle, and found myself starting to really research therapeutic horsemanship, and equine assisted therapies and Horse Medicine (with a capital ‘H’ and capital ‘M’)
How this podcast will be an exploration of the vast, growing world where horsemanship and healing intersect

Resources:
Join the Herd
The Herd’s Facebook group
Windhorse Ranch, Sebastopol CA
Tip Training Program - Mustang Heritage Foundation
DeAnna Batdorff - my Ayurveda teacher
Diana Thompson - my Equine Acupressure teacher & mentor
Wild Horse Folk - platform for people in the wild horse community
Divine Equine Assisted Therapy Center, Santa Cruz, CA
Horse & Heart Ranch, Santa Cruz, CA
Medicine Stories Podcast
Podcast cover photo by Tricia Mogensen

Healing and Horsemanship: Recent Episodes

Shannon Ray Riley