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Artwork for The Thinking Horse and Rider: Helping Riders Understand Their Horses

The Thinking Horse and Rider: Helping Riders Understand Their Horses | Anna Fox

Equus Enlightened
Equus Enlightened
Horse Training
Horsemanship
Horse
Perfectionism
Dressage
Relaxation
Autonomy
Leadership
Self-Carriage
Flow
Horse Riding
Horses
Balance
Anna Fox
Awareness
Rhythm
Equestrian Training
Animal Communication
The Thinking Horse and Rider

Helping riders understand their horses through horse training, behavior, and connection. This equestrian podcast explores horse psychology, rider mindset, and practical horsemanship to solve common training problems like tension, miscommunication, and lack of trust. Learn how to build a calm, willing partnership using groundwork, riding, and awareness—so your horse isn’t something to control, but ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes81Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Pets & AnimalsKids & Family

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Artwork for The Thinking Horse and Rider: Helping Riders Understand Their Horses

Latest Episodes

Can changing the way you move help your horse move with greater ease?

Feldenkrais Method practitioner and Debono Moves creator Mary Debono joins us to explore how a rider’s balance, breathing, tension, and movement habits shape the horse–human conve... more

We pay the bills. We buy the feed. We schedule the vet. We rearrange our lives around our horses. It’s easy to start feeling like the horse should give us something back. A good ride. Good behavior. Effort. Compliance. But horses don’t think about re... more

What happens when trying harder actually makes riding harder?

In this episode of The Thinking Horse & Rider, we’re digging into emotional tension—the pressure riders put on themselves to do everything correctly, remember every instruction, fix every... more

If your brain is already rehearsing everything that could go wrong before you ever reach the mounting block, this episode is for you.

This week on The Thinking Horse & Rider, we’re continuing the conversation from Episode 75 and digging into mental ... more

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Recent Guests

Ginny Horton
Old communicator referenced in episode
Episode: 74. The Horse Training Mistake Almost Everyone Makes (Without Realizing It)
Stacey Carter
Founder of Heart Centered Horsemanship, focusing on mindful horsemanship and Equine Assisted Learning
Heart Centered Horsemanship
Episode: 72. Heart Centered Horsemanship with Stacey Carter
Elizabeth Reicks
Founder of Hatha Equus and co-founder of Hatha Equus International
Hatha Equus
Episode: 61. Horse Autonomy: How Giving Your Horse Choice Builds Safety, Trust & Better Riding
Elizabeth Ricks
Guest announced for next week
Hatha Equus
Episode: 60. How to Motivate a Lazy Horse Using the Energy Ladder
Giorgia Ghizzoni
Co-founder of Hatha Equus International
Hatha Equus International
Episode: 59. How Playfulness Helps Horses Learn and Perform Better with Giorgia Ghizzoni
Kim Hallin
Author of Horse Wisdom, Life Lessons for Humanity; founder of Unbridled LLC
Unbridled LLC
Episode: 56. Why Horses Need the Right to Say No | Rethinking Horse Training
Angie Morin
Animal communicator and former competitive dressage rider and trainer
Angie Morin Animal Communicator
Episode: 54. Seeing the World Through Your Horse’s Eyes
Elaine Hayes
Founder of Partnership Dressage, LLC
Partnership Dressage, LLC
Episode: 53. Why Your Horse Isn’t Progressing: The Missing Piece of Awareness
Ellen Peebles
Horseperson with parallel background to Anna, discussing seven things not learned in riding lessons
Episode: 52. What Riding Lessons Don’t Teach You (But Your Horse Needs Most)

Host

Anna Fox
Host of The Thinking Horse and Rider; focuses on horse training, behavior, and connection with Equus Enlightened affiliation in most episodes.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 9 ratings
  • Incredibly supportive

    I love Anna’s perspective on horses, her interesting and approachable exercises and suggestions, her thought-provoking guests, and her calm, grounded way of communicating. Her work has been an inspiration to me as a new rider who wants to prioritize my horse’s well-being.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CarolynD9154
    United States5 months ago
  • A True Horsewoman's Podcast

    I love this podcast because it teaches a horse-centric approach to building a relationship with your horse. I found this podcast when I was looking to change my approach and mindset when it comes to my relationship with my horse and training my horse. Somewhere along the way things got flat. We both lost the fun and playfulness. Anna's podcast, and her wonderful guests, have helped bring back the joy, fun, and wonder. My horse and I have been together for 17 years, and the approaches I'm learnin... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    kmoshea
    United States5 months ago
  • Reflex to relax

    Don’t have a firm grasp of that “technique.” In the fake it ‘til I make stage at this point

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    SavvyMike48
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Episodes are practical, with clear takeaways that riders can apply at home and at the stable.
The host's approachable approach and thoughtful guests make complex concepts feel actionable.
Some listeners find the neurobiological discussions very insightful, while a few wish for more guest diversity.
Listeners praise the emphasis on horse welfare and relationship-based training over brute force.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

68. The Biggest Myth in Horse Training: Dominance
Q: What can riders do in the short term to move toward cooperative leadership with their horses?
Start by observing horses for 10 minutes to notice alignment and cooperation rather than forcing dominance, and experiment with allowing more autonomy and consent within training and daily care.
68. The Biggest Myth in Horse Training: Dominance
Q: Where do you think the dominance theory in training horses comes from?
The guest suggests it stems from a desire to equate control with safety and from historical training cultures that rewarded obedience and punished resistance, but notes it is not universally observed in wild horse societies and is often misapplied to domestic settings.
61. Horse Autonomy: How Giving Your Horse Choice Builds Safety, Trust & Better Riding
Q: How can someone start thinking about teaching themselves and their horse autonomy without triggering panic or unsafe situations?
Begin slowly, reduce micromanagement, and use grounded exercises that foster trust, such as starting on the ground, practicing gentle self-regulation, and gradually introducing low-risk autonomous movement under supervision or with supportive materials; always have safety boundaries and seek help if needed.
61. Horse Autonomy: How Giving Your Horse Choice Builds Safety, Trust & Better Riding
Q: So what is your definition of autonomy as it relates to horses?
Autonomy, in this context, is about giving horses choice and agency within clearly defined boundaries and movements that promote safe, healthy bodies and minds, rather than isolating them with rigid control; it's a spectrum that prioritizes movement development, self-regulation, and consent.
59. How Playfulness Helps Horses Learn and Perform Better with Giorgia Ghizzoni
Q: What is the core difference between play and traditional training in your view?
Play is about intrinsic motivation where the horse chooses to engage, driven by curiosity and a sense of safety, which leads to lasting learning and better movement. Traditional training often relies on external rewards or pressure, which can undermine genuine engagement.

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A practical, rider-centric show focused on understanding horses through behavior, psychology, and humane training. Episodes emphasize building a calm, willing partnership via groundwork, mindful horsemanship, and energy regulation, with recurring guests who bring expertise in animal welfare, autonomy, and non-dominant training. A standout characteristic is its emphasis on nervous-system awareness and empathy as core coaching tools, making advanced concepts accessible for riders at all levels. This combination of science-informed methods, personal storytelling, and hands-on exercises helps listeners translate learning from home to real-world riding and improve safety, trust, and joy in the horse–human relationship.

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1. The NOËLLE FLOYD Podcast
2. The Mel Robbins Podcast
3. Curious Equestrian
4. Because of the Horse Podcast
5. Canter Therapy

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 3 years ago and published 81 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Ginny Horton
2. Stacey Carter
3. Elizabeth Reicks
4. Elizabeth Ricks
5. Giorgia Ghizzoni
6. Kim Hallin
7. Angie Morin
8. Elaine Hayes

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