Horse Geeks: Recent Episodes
Kirsten Nelsen
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: Creating space and setting up situations for making mistakes, exploring, being wrong more often than right and interrupting our preconceived ideas is so important for authentic learning. If we only practice for what a judge wants to see, always pushing to be perfect ourselves or make our horse work perfectly all the time, we miss out on all the little details that move us from being good with horses into being great with horses. Giving ourselves and our horses a safe space for making mistakes without fear or punishment is probably the most important thing we can do to improve our feel, timing and balance, moving into a higher level of working with and communicating with our horse.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: Dr. Anne-Marie Hancock shares her knowledge, experience and expertise about horses and why stumbling can indicate a problem lurking inside our horse. Inflammation, no matter how it increases, is something a healthy body still needs to process. When our horse's gut health and immune system are not functioning well, then chronic inflammation starts to build up in the body and opens our horse to all kinds of illnesses. Dr. Hancock also reviews her diagnostic and treatment protocols for gut health, immune boosting, EPM and Lymes in horses. We may have more options that we thought! Dr. Hancock is also available for phone consultations and is happy to work with your local vet if your horse is not responding to current treatments.Guest: Dr. Anne-Marie Hancock, DVMTrue North Equine in Marshall, VA540-363-9111dr.hancock@truenorthequinevet.comThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: In this discussion we talk about why horses stumble as it relates to training, balance and physical condition. The more serious reasons, such as EPM, Lymes or systemic inflammation are for another day. But there are a lot of reasons why horses stumble, sometimes alerting us to problems and other times just part of the process of change. Knowing what to pay attention to when our horse takes a misstep or trips helps us decipher the difference between a problem lurking and just a normal part of change.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: Defining what impulsion is in horses is the first part of the discussion because there are so many misconceptions in our horse world. We begin developing impulsion through our horse choosing to be both self-propelled and self-controlled when it come to forward motion as the very first step. Once our horse is both self-propelled and self-controlled, at least during walk, then we can begin to play with refining balance into a precise tempo. Using a metronome app or music is what helps US help our horse. Without an external, consistent sound, it is extremely for any of us to actually be accurate enough with our aids to fully develop impulsion in our horse. We need consistency somewhere in order to equalize our horse's physical ability to push and brake during motion.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: The end of our horse's spine is about 1/3 of the tail. When we consider movement of the tail, we need to connect that to the use of the spine. In other words, a tail off to one side can help us detect lateral imbalances. A tight tail can be part of a tight back. While we can't assign specific meanings to all possible uses of the tail we can generalize and maybe investigate a bit more. A busy tail can indicate our horse is struggling with something. A soft, quiet tail can reflect softness through the back muscles. No tail use is right or wrong, but sometimes odd use of the tail can let us know that horse has a story to tell us, about something.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: Because horses move their head, neck and legs a lot, we tend to look only there in order to assess balance. But the truth is up higher, in the back and top of the hindquarters. Deb and I discuss all the different ways we can visually find clues about our horse's coordination. If we simplify engagement into "stability" and disengagement into "instability" then the more we see our horse's pelvic bones and back move, the more unstable or disengaged the hindquarters are. When our horse is engaged, we cannot see the pelvic bones move, just the muscles. Tips and ways to develop our eye for balance are also discussed in this episode.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: Tracking up is a common way that we have been taught to assess horse movement. It means that our horse's hind hoof lands in the hoof print left by the front hoof on the same side. This is supposed to indicate engagement of the hindquarters with a free swing of the hind leg forward. But there are many examples of horses with a very unstable pelvis that are tracking up, even the back can be dropped in spinal extension and the hind hoof can land in the print of the front. So if an unbalanced horse can "track up" than why do we use this visual as a guide at all? It is also possible that the overloaded front legs are not leaving the ground as soon as they should, leaving a hoof imprint that is so far back that even if the hind legs are barely stepping forward the hoof will land in the print. Tracking up is just not an accurate way to assess our horse's balance at all. There are other ways we can see and assess balance if we just let this metric go.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: Taking the discussion about both hindquarter engagement and superfluidity to a practical level of daily work. How do we know if our horse's hindquarters are engaged or disengaged - by how stable they are when engaged and by how unstable they are when disengaged. When we can visually see our horse's hindquarters rolling, tilting or shifting around up on top, then we know that movement of the pelvic bones is putting excessive stress on the SIJ and compromising spinal stability through the sacrum and lumbar. Only when our horse is stable in the pelvic bones and connection of the pelvis to the sacrum and lumbar can our horse finally release all excessive tension through the neck, jaw, head and even through the thoracic sling that involves shoulder placement. The barrel and hindquarters must be very stable in order to free up the neck and shoulders.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: The term superfluidity is a physics term that describes what it feels like to ride a horse in balance so succinctly. If only this was the goal of riding for all of us, this feeling of balance in motion that appears to defy gravity and feel like floating. We have all had accidental moments of this feeling, a small sneaky peek at what a beautiful ride feels like. These fleeting moments are what motivate so many of us to get better as riders and put the time into training our horse. While learning a competitive sport is a job unto itself, if balance, or this experience of superfluidity, was also a goal then we would be so athletically prepared that the competition training would feel easier.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: This is a confusing topic even for professionals and difficult to describe accurately. But the way Deb and I discuss engagement of the horse's hindquarters, or pelvic engagement, is functionally not that different from how we ideally stabilize through our pelvis. Instead of sticking with strictly scientific terms, we talk about what it means for the pelvis to engage and what it means when the pelvis disengages, from the perspective of balance and functional use or the job of the pelvis in the body. Hopefully this helps clarify what it means to engage or disengage our horse's hindquarters, and how engagement or disengagement of our pelvis directly affects our balance in the saddleGuest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: Deb takes the lead on this conversation, sharing her expertise about how our perceptions of our body influences the use of our body. One issue common with riders is attaching our pelvis to our legs instead of our torso. But we actually balance on our pelvis in the saddle, as the supportive structure for our entire torso, while our arms and legs are meant to dangle while we straddle a horse. A few tips for how to feel a better coordination are included as well.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: This is a tough discussion. Harsh and abusive tactics are still pretty common when it comes to horse training. If we continue to stand by silently we also condone harsh training tactics, at any level of training. Unhappy horses will be the end of riding as a recognized sport. Sport should be challenging but not induce suffering. Inside the horse world, we learn to accept abusive tactics as almost normal or at least as necessary sometimes. But harsh methods, even those I have regretfully used myself, never result in partnership or beautiful movement. Good people use bad methods when knowledge is lacking. As we learn more, we should all be able to do better by our horses. While some videos surface that make all of us cringe, the day to day practices of reaching for spurs, head setting devices or a bigger bit as a solution to training is the beginning of a way of thinking that directly leads good people to that cringe-worthy result. We have to think differently from the very earliest stages of training.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: Although Deb and I are not experts in this field, we share our experiences of how inflammation has become a training issue in different horses we have worked with. Diet related inflammation has shown up in many ways that have been hard to detect. But once detected and addressed, the horses that had been really struggling to progress in training all turned around. When training feels stuck or behavior is not improving, we both now look at underlying issues that may be affecting both behavior and movement. I am much faster these days, because of past experiences, to change horses to forage based diets, test for lymes, epm or cushings or even check for allergies. All of these underlying problems, causing inflammation in the body, can manifest very differently for different individuals. They symptoms can be subtle and easy to write off as a behavior issue or bad conformation. I now think it is always worth trying a diet change or getting some inexpensive diagnostics done.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: How we manage ourselves can make us part of a solution or part of a problem we are having with our horse. Learning how to redirect our own thoughts can help us learn to calm our emotional state when our horse pushes our last button. Learning techniques, like HeartMath or Alexander Technique, away from our horse can give us the tools for developing a calm, unflappable response, allowing us to look at things from multiple perspectives - no matter what our horse throws at us! Remaining calm when a horse is losing it, is the one quality that all masterful horsemen and horse women have in common.HeartMath courses and training with Sam MacLeansam@rdrequine.comGuest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: Stress responses are trigged in different individuals by very different things. What causes a stress response can be related to thoughts, emotions, physical coordination or instincts, but the effect of a stress response is always the same in us and our horse. Stress responses deplete health. When severe or chronic, stress can result in many different kinds of health issues. When we take the time to look past behavior or past words, we can tune into energy and body language in order to see if what is motivating any action or words is essentially stress or relaxation. We can do this for ourselves, and begin seeking small ways to reduce stress and regain the relaxation response, and we can help our horse do the same. We may have to slow down a bit in order to figure out how for each individual, but just shifting from a stress response into a relaxation response is one of the easiest ways we can support health.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: Learning to pay attention to our horse's breathing is the main way we know if our horse is getting too stressed physically - whether it is from hard work or because it's just so dang hot! Reminder that our horse's temp should be between 99-102˚ F when normal. A fever is when the temp reaches 102.5˚ F or higher and our horse needs to immediately cool down while we also call the vet. Managing high temps, how to slowly cool down our horse after hard work and how we can adjust our training during hot days are all covered.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: Muscles support movement of the skeleton. When the skeleton is in poor coordination then the muscles that support poor movement are worked during a warm up session - not the same muscle use or even the same muscles required for balance or collection. Speed and gaits will warm up the cardiovascular system but how the skeleton coordinates movement dictates which muscles are actually increasing circulation and which are either not working or over working and reducing circulation. Going faster does not necessarily warm the body up as a preparation for more complex work because it depends entirely on how the body is coordinating during slow warm up work.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: The point of balance is near the center of mass, but is also different. While the center of mass or center of gravity is a static location in a three dimensional body, the point of balance moves and acts as an instant center of rotation. The body organizes around this central axis, so when the point of balance is not centered and stable, then the body organizes dysfunctional use but can still maintain enough stability to do tasks and get the job done. Understanding the differences between people and horse's point of balance is also another piece of helping us ride better, develop our horse into healthy ideal balance and feel our way through various challenges.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: The long reins, as a very traditional ground work technique, can be done many different ways. This discussion is about how to use long reins a little differently for the specific purpose of balance and rehabbing horses.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside outNEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com AND - For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.comTopic: Special therapies that help loosen our horse's thoracic sling of muscles around both of the front legs seems to be gaining a lot of traction. Groups and posts are all buzzing about exercises we can do to loosen, strengthen, lift, or somehow improve the use of these muscles all around the shoulders and ribcage in order to help our horse move better. This emphasis on the mobility of the forehand is not wrong, we just can't isolate it. Until the spine, ribcage and pelvis are stabilized in our horse, the front end is doing the job - hence the problems related to that dysfunction. If we want to free up the shoulders or improve mobility through the entire thoracic sling of soft tissues,, then our horse needs to be engaged and stable through the midline and hindquarters first.Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgThe workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerDeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancehttps://kirstennelsen.com/
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com
AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Instead of spending a lot of time working on conditioned responses or desensitizing our horses over and over, it becomes much more efficient to help our horse develop coping skills by working with the use of the nervous system as part of training. When we help our horse focus mentally on us or the task at hand with calm energy, our horse learns to think through challenges instead of reacting all the time. Our horse’s most prevalent emotional state is what makes the difference between our horse self regulating behavior from the inside out and us needing tactics and devices to gain compliance or obedience from our horse. The idea that our horse can learn to pause and think through challenges is respecting the intelligence of our horse and in turn our horse more willingly cooperates with the different things we want to do.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
The workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 140: Self-Regulated Behavior appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com
AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Discussion about how our stability and our horse’s stability – or lack of it – is fundamental to functional use and balance. A loss of stability can create fear or stress for our horse that affects all aspects of health. It does not matter if instability is temporary, as part of development and improving coordination, or chronic. Feeling unstable feels terrible to us and our horses. A fundamental lack of stability though the use of the skull, spine and pelvis can actually be the root cause of why our horse appears to resist training or appear disobedient. Not feeling stable means individuals might not feel safe in their own skin. And stabilizing the midline of the body is something we can all do and help our horse do too.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
The workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 139: Instability Is A Big Deal appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com
AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: If teaching through tasks, such as riding maneuvers, patterns or navigating obstacles, actually taught horses and riders to balance as a side effect, then we would not have the problems we have in the horse world. But we and our horses can all perform many tasks and get the job done while still struggling with fear issues, defensive behaviors and chronic lameness issues. When we don’t pay attention to HOW we do what we do, then we tend to deplete the very systems of body and mind. When we make balance the focus of training, then the tasks just become easier to achieve. Looking at riding from the inside out means that we take some time to improve the internal operating systems of ourselves and our horses, hopefully before big problems arise, but afterwards is just fine too.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
The workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 138: Tasks Don’t Teach Balance appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com
AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: A chat about learning in general, whether we are the one learning or we are the one trying to help our horse learn. The three basic strategies that help facilitate learning and actually empower individuals with knowledge are pretty simple: 1. Overcome any fears associated with making mistakes 2. Allow discovery with lots of trial and error in the process 3. Give guidance, as needed, for only as long as needed, without taking over Using these 3 simple strategies while we are learning helps us help our horses learn to learn. We are the guides and teachers for our horses. Helping our horse learn new skills and feel empowered with self-carriage not only benefits our horse, but helps us reach our desired goals as well. When we help our partner, we help ourselves.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
The workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 137: Strategies For Learning appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com
AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Discussion about what tensegrity is, how it works and why it is important for us to understand as a structural model for living bodies. Taking a deeper look at the overall structural system of the body helps us look at the problems we have from a different perspective. The closed system of a body is an interactive network of small parts. Each part plays an important role in the whole and stressed or weakened parts of the system are where we start to experience failure of the structure. So, what that means is that the lameness may be stemming from a problem in the spine. Same with muscle soreness, joint issues and even behavior issues. The root cause of the problem within a tensegrity structure is not necessarily in the same location as the breakdown. Mmmm.
recommended site: Steven Levine www.biotensegrity.com
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
The workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 136: Tensegrity Structures appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: Turning our thoughts and language around is part of shifting our objectives from task oriented training into mastering balance. Qualities are neither good or bad. What we call problems are those qualities that we have in excess or that our horse has in excess. Once we identify an excess, then we know exactly where we need to begin building skills – on the opposite side of any quality. Too much whoa and too much go are both problems only in excess. When the skill of whoa is balanced with the skill of go, then we enjoy the ride. Balancing go and whoa is just one simple example of how to perceive “problems” from a much different perspective, which then helps us guide our horse through struggle or skill development in order to build a solid, balanced foundation of skills.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
The workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 135: Problems Are Imbalances appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Defining what the horse posture of Basic Balance looks like, as a long but balanced frame, but more importantly what Basic Balance feels like when the coordination comes together. What we are calling the posture of Basic Balance is the minimal coordination that is mechanically efficient and supports the long term health of our horse. While the postures of extension and long and low can hold some benefits, they are both considered unbalanced postures because they are not supportive of long term health. We can shift between postures during the process of developing Basic Balance, but ultimately when we have issues with steering, speed adjustments or uncomfortable gaits, then we know that we still need to seek the coordination of Basic Balance for our horse’s soundness and health as much as our ease of riding.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
The workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 134: The Posture Of Basic Balance appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Horses that lean into the fight defensive strategy as a means for expressing fear, uncertainty or instability suffer the most in our horse world because they are misunderstood and often punished for this expression of fear. The fight defensiveness from our horse can manifest as pushiness, biting, kicking or extreme signs of aggression. But all of that behavior is rooted in fear. When we punish or fight with our horse in this state, we only act to escalate fear instead of reducing it and building trust. We need another strategy! Defending ourselves, holding our ground, is something that a horse understands and does not escalate fear. When we simply defend our own space from our aggressive horse, then we show our horse that we are qualified to defend the herd. Finally our horse can relax and let of the underlying fear because we have proved ourselves worthy of protecting our horse. We stand our ground or defend ourselves as a way to help restore confidence and build trust with our aggressive horse.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
The workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 133: Aggressive Horses appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Discussing what balance means on a practical level and why we make it our goal. Before talking about a horse posture called basic balance, we take a moment to just discuss what balance means, how we recognize it and why it is important for our health as well as our horse’s health – on top of improving performance. And balance is for every body – people and horses – no matter age, conformation or current challenges.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
The workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 132: Balance For All Bodies appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com
AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: What is positive reinforcement as a training tool and is it better than negative reinforcement? We use both types of reinforcement for training our horses all the time. Positive reinforcement is a way we can say “yes” when our horse offers something we want. Negative reinforcement is a way we can say “no” when our horse offers something we don’t want. Types of positive reinforcement are treats, food, doing nothing, or providing a sense of safety and comfort. Types of negative reinforcement are the “aids” we use while riding, tugging on a lead rope, pushing our horse away from us or pulling our horse towards us. Neither type of reinforcement is inherently good or bad – even though I think the names are unfortunate – we are simply having a dynamic yes-no conversation with our horse during any interaction by using both types of reinforcement. And we need them because the conversation is nonverbal!
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
The workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 131: Positive Reinforcement appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Long and Low as a horse posture is at best confusing for most riders and horse owners! Is it good? Is it bad? Does it benefit the horse or harm? And the instructions we get are all over the place! So this podcast takes a look at why horses seems to like this posture or choose it, what the benefits are mechanically for the body if this posture is temporary and what the drawbacks are for the body if this posture becomes too habituated for our horses. We also look at the human equivalent of long and low in order to better understand the changes in the body that occur when this posture is dynamic. When we cue or leverage our horse to lengthen the neck or lower the head, then there is very little if any benefit at all for our horse. The posture does not create stretching. The posture should only be the dynamic result of releasing muscular tension. The muscles lengthen and restore suppleness first, then our horse falls forward into long and low. Ultimately we want long, but not low with the posture of long and low only a temporary step in the process of improving balance when needed.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
The workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 130: The Posture of Long and Low appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Stephanie Carter FNTP, brings a ton of information to this podcast about ulcers in horses. She covers the three types of ulcers, what some common causes are and how we as horse owners can recognize the symptoms of possible ulcers in our horses. Also included are some dietary and lifestyle changes we can make in order to help cure ulcers, even if we also need to work with our vet and use ulcer meds for pain relief.
Stephanie recommended this video of a lecture on equine ulcers give by Dr. Ben Sykes, DVM if you would like to take a deeper dive. Dr. Ben Skyes – Gryason Jockey Club presentation on Equine Gastric Ulcers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20ao-gtovN8&t=14s
Guest: Stephanie Carter, FNTP Indigo Ancestral Health stephanie@truenorthequinevet.com www.truenorthequinevet.com or www.stephaniecarterNTP.com
The workbook series mentioned on this podcast is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 129: Ulcers In Horses appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: The balance of the head, neck, back and pelvis are all related and are primary to the overall balance and coordination of the body, especially during motion. Deb talks about the details of human head and neck use and I talk about how the same ideas have to be organized for our horses. The use or coordination of the skull and cervical portion of the spine is a delicate area for both horse and rider and can easily lock up, making balance through the lower spine and pelvis much more difficult to find. The entire axial skeleton, that includes the skull, neck, back and pelvis, are where we and our horses begin finding ideal balance and correct mechanical use of our bodies.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
The workbook series mentioned on this podcast is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 128: Head And Neck Use For Horses And Riders appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Buying a horse, moving our horse, a horse in a new barn for training or going on an adventure with our horse for trail riding or shows can all create stress for our horse. Understanding what helps our horse feel safe is what helps our horse adapt quickly to new environments. Horses depend on familiar herd members more than familiar environments. When we earn the position of trusted herd member in our horse’s mind, then traveling to new places with our horse becomes a lot less stressful for both of us.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
The workbook series mentioned on this podcast is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 127: Horses Feeling Safe In New Places appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Discussion about the important differences, in concept and practice, between various horse postures and working to gain the right frame while our horse is working. We talk about the two essential postures for riders, vertically upright or crouched in a half-seat posture. But both essential postures still allow for huge variances in coordination for all riders. The same is true for horses. There are essentially four basic postures, related to the use of the spine, but an allowance or variance within each posture depending on the horse. Also some discussion about how much our human hands and use of the reins can influence our horse’s ability to balance and change postures, for better or worse!
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
The workbook series mentioned on this podcast is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 126: Horse Postures And Frames appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Deb and I discuss what the posture of extension is, what it means, why we and our horses choose it and what purpose it serves. By thinking in terms of posture instead of conformation, we lift the limits from ourselves as riders and from our horse’s true potential. No matter what conformational challenges our horse has, we can help our horse alter posture and internal coordination during motion through training. By changing coordination, our horse can maximize athletic potential or restore soundness or overcome chronic behavioral issues. The work means that we pay attention to our horse’s chosen posture during work. Instead of just getting our horse to perform a task or “look right” by framing in the neck, we learn how to help our horse change coordination within the work we already do.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
The workbook series mentioned on this podcast is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 125: The Horse Posture Of Extension appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Let’t take the intimidation out of the science that directly influences rider and horse balance. While the body is complicated and the interactions of forces is complicated, actually feeling the interplay of mass and force is easy to understand and manage. Ironically, complicated explanations help us simplify riding, training and improving balance. Once we understand what we cannot change, we finally gain skills to work with those things and quit struggling against them.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 105: Biomechanics and Physics (made easy) appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: What we need to know as horse owners about herd dynamics and how they play a role in our horse’s inner sense of safety. Many of the problems we have with horses can stem from our lack of awareness or dismissing the little tests that our horses give us when they need reassurance. Also how to tell the difference when a horse perceives us as predator compared to when our horse is testing our metal as a herd member.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 104: Herd Dynamics appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: Discussion about what internal straightness means, as two dimensions or as a combination of two spinal functions. Internal straightness is an important part of balance, not only for riders but especially for our horses. Straightness, which could also be called length x width, brings efficiency and ease to movement. Also discussed is how our horse can look straight while still holding a bend or rotation issue through the spine.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 103: Internal Straightness appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Horses do not understand the concept of “no pain, no gain” that is entirely a human idea! Horses may struggle with change and be challenged, but cannot cross a threshold of discomfort or they will simply defend themselves from us. Effective training involves working with horses in a way that minimizes the discomfort involved in change and seeks comfort as rapidly as possible. It is finding the path of least resistance and maximum comfort that makes our training time effective and productive.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 102: Ease Is Always The Right Path appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 101: Simple Does Not Mean Easy appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
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The post Horse Geeks Episode 100: How Did We Get Here? appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
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The post Horse Geeks Episode 99: Feeding Horses for Optimal Digestion appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
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The post Horse Geeks Episode 98: Why Use Groundwork With Our Horses appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
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The post Horse Geeks Episode 97: Working Through Fear Issues with Horses appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
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The post Horse Geeks Episode 89: Spurs and Riding Whips appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
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The post Horse Geeks Episode 88: Rider Leg Contact and Leg Aids appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
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Topic: Habits and instincts are unconscious ways that we use our thoughts, emotions and physical coordination in action. In order to make improvements to any habit, the very first step is to become consciously aware of habits or instincts that we use unconsciously. Only when we are dominant in the “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system can we bring the unconscious up to conscious awareness. Only when we are consciously aware of our habits and instincts do we have access to our power of choice. Choosing is our super power and the key to making improvements in our lives and riding.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 87: Self Awareness = Choice appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: Understanding that all of us go through 3 distinct phases when navigating change is helpful to the process and can help us adapt much faster to significant changes in our lives. Phase 1 is resistance and dislike Phase 2 is confusion and disorientation Phase 3 is integration, acceptance and new desired habits Change is hard for all of us, and recognizing these unavoidable phases helps us move through change without getting so stuck in the yucky parts.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 86: The Process of Change appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: Digging into how our human (and horse) nervous system works and how we have the powerful capacity to find our own sense of safety, calmness and restoration by setting aside time everyday where we allow our own parasympathetic nervous system to restore our bodies and minds. The power is within us to find more ease and joy in the life we have right now – today. Our own “rest and digest” nervous system affects every single part of our bodies and minds. When we allow it to operate fully then we find our spark of healing, spark of creativity or spark curiosity – PLUS it just feels good! This podcast is for all humans, not just riders and we hope you share it with someone it might help.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 85: Finding Safety In Ourselves appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
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The post Horse Geeks Episode 84: Control or Support appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: Defining what rein contact really is for riders and how to go about developing an authentic rein contact. Discussion also includes how rein contact is related to our seat balance and what the purpose is behind taking the time to really learn a correct rein contact. Big topic for all of us as humans learning to communicate through the reins with our horses.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 83: Rein Contact appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
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The post Horse Geeks Episode 82: Tracking Up appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: What are head-setting devices, how to they work and why would we use or not use them on our horses.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 81: Horse Head Setting Devices appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: The key differences between snaffle bits and curb bits, plus the differences in mouth pieces. Learn about the traditional uses of different bits in classical Western and English training programs and a touch about hackamores and bit-less bridles.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 80: Bits and Bridles appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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AND – For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Using obstacles can act as a positive stress or a negative stress for the body depending on how the body is balancing during the challenge. Outside obstacles, maneuvers or patterns to not necessarily create or enhance balance, they mostly challenge the current use of the body. While the challenge can act to facilitate a change of use, the challenge can also act to reinforce poor use or dysfunctional with added stress and strain. It all depends on HOW we and our horses balance during the challenge.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 79: Ground Poles and Hill Work appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: Taking a look at how our horse training paradigms can shape our daily work, expectations of ourselves and our horses and whether or not we are happily successful with our horses. Changing how we look at the building blocks of horse training can change everything – and change outcomes!
For a FREE Power Hour consultation please visit: www.kirstennelsen.com
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 78: Horse Training Paradigms appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: Are we searching for a feeling as a rider according to what someone is telling us to feel – or are we curious about what we feel while riding? Using our sense of touch, we learn to feel how our horse is moving moment to moment. This internal experience is different for every single person and every single horse. We cannot project what another individual is feeling internally.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 77: We Feel What We Feel appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: Discussion about our internal world and how it is the key to improving riding, horsemanship and even moving through our regular lives with more ease and more control over ourselves. Tapping into our internal world has very few words that help us describe our experience but the experience is the very important point of learning about and becoming familiar with our internal world.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 76: Internal and External Worlds appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: “It’s not how much weight we carry, but how we carry our weight” or in other words, imperfections, mechanical challenges or anomalies, size and shape of our bodies have very little influence on how well we can balance. Moving or riding in balance helps us become stronger and fitter – but we do not have to be strong or fit in order to move or ride in balance.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 75: How We Carry Ourselves appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: Understanding how the horse’s shoulders work anatomically and why we have so many “shoulder issues” while riding. Also – the simplicity of how to correct shoulder issues especially during turns, circles and lateral work.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 74: Dropped, Popped and Bulging Shoulders appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: Heels down is an instruction we have all heard our entire life of riding. While it is an important instruction for all riders, especially novice riders, this instruction can also be taken too far and actually work against our balance and stability in the saddle. How we use all of our joints, not just our ankle joint, can make riding a lot easier or a lot harder.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 73: Heels Down appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: Another one of those instructions that we have all had drilled into our heads while learning to ride – that also may or may not be interpreted in a helpful way with our horses. Taking a look at how we look, with our minds and our eyes – while riding our horses over fences, in a dressage test or just during our daily workout.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 72: “Look Where You’re Going” Deconstructed appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: Interview with mental health coach Lynn Lawrence and discussion about how much we can learn from horses about coming into our bodies and out of our heads, how to stay in the present and how to let the past go.
Guest: Lynn Lawrence, mental health coach
Con Brio, Morriston, Florida
www.leofarmsinc.com
Facebook: ConBrio.by.LeoFarms
email: leofarmsinc@gmail.com
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 71: Horses Helping With Mental Health appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: Looking at normal verbal instructions regarding rider’s hand use and rein contact and how we typically react to those instructions. How to develop better rein contact by becoming aware of the direction of force we generate in our own bodies while using the reins.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 70: How To Have Quiet Hands As A Rider appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: “Shoulders back” is one of those very common riding instructions that we have heard most of our riding career. But how we put our shoulders back makes a huge difference to our rein contact and our seat stability. There is also a huge difference on how that instruction affects female riders versus male riders.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 69: Deconstructing “Shoulders Back” appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: Discussion about our interpretation of how we move with the horse or how we sit still. Both instructions are not entirely wrong, but are also not entirely accurate. This podcast dives into the details of how we organize our bodies in order to do both – we feel like we are moving in order to keep our skeleton still while coping with the horse’s forces of motion.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 68: Move With The Horse Or Sit Still… appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Defining rider position, which usually goes with language about how to control body parts, and defining rider balance, which needs a different language because it is about how to manage forces of motion. A good rider position does not always lead to good balance. But good rider balance always lands the rider in a classically correct riding position. How we think about our riding makes all the difference.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 67: Rider Position – Rider Balance appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: How to make simple decisions as a rider and horse owner regarding saddle choices. Touch of saddle fitting theory, saddle design and what to check to make sure the saddle fits you as a rider and fits comfortably on your horse. What to know about professional saddle fitters – and why not to spend extra money getting a custom fit saddle.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 66: Saddle Fitting For Rider and Horse appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Things to consider and think about before selling your horse and what to look at during the process. Whether selling for a profit or re-homing your horse to a better situation, as the horse’s current owner we still have a lot to consider.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 65: Selling Your Horse appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Tips and things to think about when we go shopping for a horse. Best practices for finding a good match as a horse buyer and owner.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 64: Buying Horses appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: A look at trick training, both the practical type tasks and impractical tricks we can teach our horses. Explaining the difference between positive reinforcement and how tricks can become stimulating mental puzzles for our horses or using negative reinforcement that can stress our horses out and cause fear when we make the task achievement the only goal.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 63: Tricks and Treats appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Giving treats randomly to horses can actually cause problems but giving treats does not have to be taken entirely out of the picture. Learning how and why to use treats strategically can make treats a very useful tool for encouraging things we want our horse to learn or for overcoming challenges that our domestic horses have to deal with.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 62: Using Treats with Horses appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Discussion about different aspects of trailer loading related to safety and how horses keep us present with rapid emotional changes which are exaggerated during trailer loading training. Examples are discussed regarding just how bad things can go if we do not gain our horse’s confidence with trailer loading.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 61: Trailer Loading, Part 2 appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: How to tell if your horse has a real fear issue or just lacks motivation. When to use treats or food as part of trailer loading and when to take more time because food is just not working. Reading body language and energy levels offered by our horse is how we determine which trailer loading strategies are working or not working for our personal horse. Also included is how to simulate parts of trailer loading or all of trailer loading as part of emergency preparation training.
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 60: Trailer Loading for Life appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
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Topic: Basic Handling is all those things that we do handling our horses daily that are outside of normal training or work time. Issues related to leading, catching, picking up hooves, deworming, shots or tying can become huge challenges for both our horse and us. Learning how to reduce defensiveness and build trust by paying attention to our horse’s energy level and body language are the keys to resolving day to day challenges.
Basic Handling Workbook – paperback and ebook versions
Available at https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/ if issues with Basic Handling skills are currently a big challenge with your horse.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 59: Resolving Issues with Basic Handling appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
NEW: Wexford Training monthly newsletter! Get micro lessons with Thoughts to Ponder, Info on new content, learning offers and updates to my calendar delivered to your inbox monthly by signing up on the email list.
Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com
Topic: Defining the difference between correct lateral bending and incorrect lateral bending in our horse’s spine and how that relates to various lateral movements such as shoulder fore, shoulder in, half pass and pirouette. Just being able to do lateral movements does not ensure that our horse is mechanically correct or has healthy, functional lateral bending.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
https://kirstennelsen.com/
The post Horse Geeks Episode 58: Lateral Work appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
Topic: Discussion with Dr. Gretchen Nelsen, DVM about laminitis, what it is, different types, what causes it and what the symptoms of laminitis are in our horses. Dr. Nelsen also shares when to call the vet, first aid treatments while we are waiting for the vet and things we can do to reduce risks of laminitis for our horses.
For case examples and radiograph details, this podcast is supported with a YouTube video showing some of the visual parts of laminitis. Please see Horse Geeks Lesson: Understanding Laminitis https://youtu.be/2tbLtPe6J9I
Guest: Dr. Gretchen Nelsen, DVM
Hilltop Equine in Eustis, Florida
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
www.kirstennelsen.com
The post Horse Geeks Episode 57: Laminitis Explained appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
Topic: How we can use the information provided from scientific research to improve our horse’s movement and mechanical soundness. The different versions of how we are taught to help our horses become “straight on a circle” can either lead to ideal mechanical use of the spine or can actually cause dysfunctional use of the spine, leading to many performance issues, behavioral problems or painful lameness issues. Updating our training strategies to reflect what we learn from current research is how we can all help our horses remain healthy at all levels of riding.
Reference: “Spinal Biomechanics and Functional Anatomy” by Jean-Marie D. Denoix, DVM, PhD.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
www.kirstennelsen.com
The post Horse Geeks Episode 56: Straight On A Circle appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
Topic: Third episode reviewing and discussing the research paper, “Spinal Biomechanics and Functional Anatomy” by Jean-Marie D. Denoix, DVM, PhD. The focus of this discussion is on the spinal functions of lateroflexion and rotation in horses and how we can recognize dysfunctional issues.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
www.kirstennelsen.com
The post Horse Geeks Episode 55: Lateral Bending and Rotation Functions appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
Topic: Continued discussion of research paper “Spinal Biomechanics and Functional Anatomy” by Jean-Marie D. Denoix, DVM, PhD. Specifically discussing relationship of use between the cervical spine and head position with the thoracolumbar spine and hindquarters.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
www.kirstennelsen.com
The post Horse Geeks Episode 54: Relationship of Neck And Back Functional Use appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
Topic: Guest Sam McLean talks about the body working techniques she uses with horses and how they work. Acupressure, myofascial, heart math and T-Touch.
recommended videos, books and upcoming course
HeartMath Course link: https://www.rdrequine.com/service-pag…
Strolling Under the Skin video: https://youtu.be/ky0BmGP5nbU
Books: – Equine Myofascial Kinetic Lines (Fascialines.com) by Rikke M Schultz, Tove Due, and Vibeke Elbrond – The Spark in the Machine by Dr Daniel Keown
Guest: Sam McLean, professional equine bodyworkerwww.rdrequine.com
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
www.kirstennelsen.com
The post Horse Geeks Episode 53: Acupressure and Myofascial Body Work appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
Topic: Discussion and practical application of information published in the research paper: “Spinal Biomechanics and Functional Anatomy” written by Jean-Marie D. Denoix, DVM. PhD published 04/01/1999. This a long and important research paper that we will be discussing over several podcast episodes.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
www.kirstennelsen.com
The post Horse Geeks Episode 52: Spinal Biomechanics and Functional Anatomy appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
Topic: Review of research paper regarding muscle fiber types – relating the function of muscles through types to specific areas of the horse’s body. This helps us understand where the primary work of locomotion and postural stability are meant to happen.
Paper Title: Muscle fibre type distribution of the thoracolumbar and hindlimb regions of horses: relating fibre type and functional role by: Heli K Hyytiainen, Anna K Mykkanen, Anna K Hielm-Bjorkman, Narelle C Stubbs and Catherine M McGowan.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
www.kirstennelsen.com
The post Horse Geeks Episode 51: The Belly Does Not Lift The Back appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
Topic: Competition goals and how we go about helping our horses develop skills needed to remain sound while competing.
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
www.kirstennelsen.com
The post Horse Geeks Episode 50: Competitive Riding appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
Topic: Tips and thoughts for pleasure riders and trail riders
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
www.kirstennelsen.com
The post Horse Geeks Episode 49: I’m Just a Trail Rider appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
Topic: Discussion regarding symptoms, treatments and prevention of colic in horses.
Guest: Dr. Gretchen Nelsen DVM Hilltop Equine in Eustis, Florida
(my local horse vet and my beautiful sister)
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
www.kirstennelsen.com
The post Horse Geeks Episode 48: Understanding Colic appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out
Topic: What is natural horsemanship? What is natural? Is natural better? How does the horse benefit from natural or do we need tools for the benefit of the horse?
Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructor
www.optimalposture.org
Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer
Developer of Training for Optimal Balance
www.kirstennelsen.com
The post Horse Geeks Episode 47: Natural Horsemanship appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: Discussion continued about positive and negative reinforcement and how it more specifically works […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 32: Aids and Contacts appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: What are positive and negative reinforcements? How do we use them? What do […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 31: Using Positive and Negative Reinforcement appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: Review of why to use a gratitude journal for our own health and […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 30: We Get More of What We Focus On appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: Working with older horses and as we age ourselves – the importance of […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 29: Working with Older Horses appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: Looking at how we show love and how love is received by our […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 28: Love Will Keep Us Together appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: How do we know when we are not working a horse hard enough […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 27: How our Thoughts Affect our Results appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: How do we know when we are not working a horse hard enough […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 26: Quality of work vs. Quantity of time appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: In this podcast we compare the anatomy and function of horse’s spines as […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 25: Differences Between Horse and Human Spines appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: Balance as a function of intelligence, a paper by WHM Carrington, notes how poor […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 24: Balance As a Function of Intelligence appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: Thinking in terms of balance and looking at problems as simple imbalances can […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 23: Balance As a Concept appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: Professional therapist and new horse owner dealing with spouse that has significant brain […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 22: Life Lessons with Horses appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: The words we use inside our own head with self talk or to […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 21: Words Matter appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: What to expect and how to experiment with making changes to the mechanical […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 20: The Practical Side of Improving Balance appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: How body mechanics and forces of motion interact and how bodies perceive balance. […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 19: Biomechanics and Laws of Motion appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: All 3 Laws of Motion are constantly at play during all motion, even […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 18: Laws of Motion During Simple Actions appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: Newton’s 3rd law of motion states; for every action there is an equal […]
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The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: Newtons second law of motion states Force = Mass x Acceleration. Force is […]
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The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: Discussion about the Law of Inertia and how it relates directly to riding […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 15: Newton’s 1st Law of Motion, Inertia appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: How our fear of making mistakes can be the biggest stumbling block for […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 8: Overcoming the Fear of Mistakes appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: Actions are the “words” we use during nonverbal communication with our horses. How […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 7: Translating Words into Actions appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: A continuation of podcast 5 with an emphasis on the importance of rider […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 6: Stability in Motion continued appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: How the axial skeleton acts as a central line of force that is […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 5: Stability in Motion appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: Understanding the differences between posture, that can change, and conformation, that cannot change […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 4: Posture vs. Conformation appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: How we coordinate movement is the body operating system and what we do […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 3: Body Operating Systems and Software appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: What optimal posture and balance really means for horses and riders Host: Kirsten […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 2: Optimal Posture, Optimal Balance appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.
The Horse Geeks Podcast – Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out Topic: The dynamics between the roles of teacher and student and how we shift […]
The post Horse Geeks Episode 1: Student and Teacher Balance appeared first on Kirsten Nelsen.