Explore every episode of the podcast Horse Geeks

The differences between multitasking and taking time to focus on one thing can make the difference between anxiety and calmness, tension and adaptability. Making changes during training, changing anything or creatively creating something new all require more concentration and focus compared to doing things that are already habitual, familiar. If we are not good at focusing on one thing, then making improvements with horses becomes harder not easier. The busier we are as riders, the less we feel or even notice how a horse is responding to what we are asking. Responses are unpredictable, from horses or people, so if we don't notice them, then we often don't know how to proceed. We get stuck going through the motions of training and miss a deeper connection with our horses. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.wexfordfarm.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Guest Abby Shpilman shares some of her expertise as an anxiety therapist with anyone struggling with confidence issues. Whether we call it anxiety, self doubt or fear Abby and I are in agreement that the feelings are the key, not willpower! In order to move past fear issues we have to figure out what the feelings of it actually are inside the body, not the brain. Abby takes it a layer deeper with riders and non-riders alike by really digging into emotional memories that can become stuck in the body. And fear around horses can start to become a problem no matter how much horse experience you have, it happens to all of us at some point or with some horse. Abby works remotely with clients, like I do, in order to offer her specialized help to people with anxiety around the world. Guest: Abby Shpilman, Anxiety Therapistridewithconfidence.com.au @AbbyShpilman on YouTube Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance wexfordfarm.com @kirstennelsen on YouTube

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Calmness is the observable energy output from a regulated nervous system. When the parasympathetic portion of the autonomic nervous system is dominant, the body is in a "relaxation response." This does not mean resting, just a use of the body that supports long term survival. The opposite function of the nervous system, for short term survival, is called a "stress response" and happens when the sympathetic portion of the autonomic nervous system is dominant. While we can't control if a person or horse has a stress response, we can recognize the outward nonverbal result, the expression of stress with energy and body language that looks and feels anything but calm. Calm is the energy of pleasure hormones running through the body. Not calm can mean tense, angry, anxious, nervous, placating, stuck, frozen or shutdown. So anything other than calm, even during strenuous activities, is how we learn to recognize stress responses. Once we recognize them, then we can also develop the skill of redirecting, counteracting or repurposing all that energy towards a change of function in the nervous system. Whether the body is mostly operating in a stress response or more often in a relaxation response, especially during work, is what makes the difference to long term health. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.wexfordfarm.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Understanding how the two movements of the spine, lateral bending and rotation, affect each other is important if we want the best possible performance from horses. Rotational movements stabilizing, not moving, is what makes a horse's back and hindquarters level side to side. When we ask a horse to laterally bend too much, it causes rotational movement of the vertebrae at the same time. It has always been that way, but we do not talk about in classical or traditional horse training. So rotational movement of the barrel and pelvis is a prevalent problem but lives in our collective blind spot as riders, trainers and judges. Becoming aware of when a horse is un-level is a substantial part of helping horses into a mechanically sound functional and balanced coordination. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.wexfordfarm.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

The unspoken assumption of driving horses energetically forward into bit resistance is that the only option a horse has is to lift the back and engage the hindquarters. But coordination is complicated, just not that simple. Many horses simple drop the back or adjust by going crooked, laterally bending or rotating the spine, instead. As riders we are often unaware of the subtle compensation patterns. Head sets, neck sets and collecting horses into a frame does not cause internal coordination to balance or even be used in a healthy mechanical way. We can't make a horse look right in order to be right on the inside. Bodies have a way of adapting in order to relieve pressure in many ways that are not balanced or even a healthy use of the body. We need to know what balance feels like and let the posture or frame reflect whatever internal coordination is actually doing during development. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructor www.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.wexfordfarm.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Deb and I do our best to answer a listener's question about her sensitive mare that gets a bit snarly when being touched, groomed and tacked up. As people we tend to zero in on these "don't touch me" spots and try to use desensitization to gain acceptance. But the real issue is trust and those areas are protected by a horse for a reason. How we approach, our energy as well as our actions, makes the difference between gaining trust and working through self-protection or not. If we begin with the thought that the horse has a good reason to feel protective, it changes how we handle the entire situation. If we approach respectfully, instead of blasting into protected areas, then horses can at least learn to tolerate the required touching. If we work with what a horse does like, can authentically accept first, then little by little we can work our way into the protected areas and gain trust from our horse. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.wexfordfarm.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

There was recently a bridle-less riding competition in England that has gotten a lot of attention on line. Deb and I both love and support these types of competitions because they demonstrate great horsemanship skills, essential self-carriage and refined communication between horses and riders, as it should be. These events help us move away from “framing” horses into uncomfortable, unnatural postures and movement, which we feel is a positive change for competitive riding.

Riding horses bridle-less is not a trick, it is a result, the side effect of good training methods. Riders must have better balance because they can’t rely on their hands for stability. Horses must be balanced enough that steering and speed adjustments are easy and can be communicated through the rider’s seat and torso. When horses have freedom to move the neck naturally they find it easier to balance and rebalance during the performance.

Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.org

Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.wexfordfarm.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

How do we work on balance in simple ways everyday? Deb gives us lots of hints from her work as an Alexander Technique Instructor. Often we have poor internal maps about where major joints are in our body, which can throw off the use of our head, arms and legs as a result. Deb goes over in detail where 3 major joints are located and how we can bring our awareness to them, gently moving them, in order to improve our balance while we are out and about doing normal daily stuff. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.wexfordfarm.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Balance in mind and body brings a sense of ease, efficiency, focus and clarity. Finding balance is a self-rewarding process because every time we improve emotional, mental or physical balance we just feel better - thanks to pleasure hormones and reduced muscular tension during motion. Working on balance is something we can do all the time internally even during challenging situations that the external world throws at us. The very first step of working on balance is awareness. Becoming aware of our thoughts, emotions and ease or lack of ease in physical movement is the very first step. Without awareness we rely on habits and instincts. With awareness we have the choice to change our habits. Small pauses with a shift to internal awareness can be done anytime, anywhere and in any situation. Giving ourselves permission to pause and create a little space internally in order to develop more awareness is not hard to do but does require practice. Our habits and instincts will kick in unconsciously all the time. Once we feel bad, muddled, stressed or have physical discomfort, those are the moments we can build awareness and start exercising choice about our internal world. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.wexfordfarm.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

When it comes to the health of our horse typically the last thing to be considered is how our horse is moving and how we balance as riders - how habits of coordination may be affecting our horse's well being. The veterinary term for dysfunctional coordination is mechanical lameness, meaning discomfort before any limping or pain manifests. While research on equine biomechanics has advanced, the information from that research is not yet part of our regular riding and training work. We have traditions in training that actually cause dysfunctional coordination in horses but they are so prevalent and common that they are never questioned. We contribute to our horse's healthy, balanced coordination or dysfunction every single time we ride and train horses. Because coordination, movement, are just habits stored in the nervous system the person who rides or trains a horse the most frequently has the single biggest impact on that horse's coordination and health over the long term. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.wexfordfarm.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Being "just a trail rider" still means that how we balance on the back of a horse has a positive or negative impact on how horses feel, mentally, emotionally and physically. We are not neutral when we interact with horses. We are either helping horses thrive or we are making life harder. Learning how to adapt to different situations, sometimes rapidly, in order to help our horses feel safe, stable and comfortable during trail rides is the challenge of trail riding. Just because we don't compete with our horse does not mean that we don't have the same impact on our horse's well being. As riders we need to know how to help horses feel safe once they don't, and how to feel physically stable and comfortable when they don't. If we don't know how to do this then we may be more of a burden to our horse than a friend. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.wexfordtraining.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

What we put our attention or awareness on has a direct affect on our perceptions. Our perceptions are what trigger general nervous system use, for short or long term survival. Dominance of the sympathetic (fight or flight) or dominance of the parasympathetic (rest or digest) affect the body globally - influencing health, brain function, decision making, behavior and responses, further strengthening or altering the original perception. Focusing our attention on what is wrong is a good way to stimulate a stress response, dominance of the sympathetic portion. Focusing on what is right, gratitude or appreciation for what is going well, is a good way to stimulate dominance of the parasympathetic portion. We actually have a choice about how we feel and how we help our horses feel. How we feel directly alters our perceptions of all situations which influences our behavior and future choices. We can stop a negative spiral into anxiety, tension or depression by consciously altering what we put our awareness and attention on. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.wexfordfarm.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

When human hands connect to horses heads and necks through the reins the situation becomes very tricky. It does not matter what bit is used or if the reins connect to a bit-less bridle or halter. The reins are the part that connect the person and horse. How we use the reins always has a dynamic effect on a horse's balance in both mind and body. The inherent challenge of using the reins in ways that benefit horses is that humans love to grip with the hands. We cannot stop gripping with our hands as long as our torso is unstable in the saddle. The most mobile, adjustable part of the horse's entire body is the neck and head. Horses need to make adjustments in neck use when weight distribution becomes unbalanced in the barrel and hindquarters. When we restrict the use of the horse's head and neck through the reins, we can often cause horses to adopt unbalanced patterns of compensation that become habits of dysfunctional coordination. Learning how to use reins effectively - for the benefit of a horse's balance - is a learned skill for all people and takes a bit of practice to override our instincts to grip. Rein contact and even rein aids can be last on the list of things to do when it comes to developing a balanced coordination in horses. A dynamic rein contact only becomes necessary as the horse moves closer to three dimensional balance overall. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.wexfordfarm.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

It is a major shift of perspective in horse training to turn the tables on tasks. Most training programs outline a series of tasks to be accomplished in a particular order. This is how most horse training programs are structured. The unspoken promise is that a calm, focused, well moving horse - or balance - will the side effect of doing all those tasks in that order. But we have waaaay too many examples of that methodology just not working for people or horses. When there is a problem either the rider or the horse is blamed for a lack of results. But what if the program is the real problem? When a program cannot adapt to the individual needs of people and horses, then what? Turning the tables on tasks means we learn first how to recognize balance and imbalance, in mind and body, in people and horses. Then we utilize any task in any order to help develop or improve balance. There really never needs to be an order to tasks. Instead we learn how to find the path of least resistance to balance by trying out different tasks and mixing up the order of things. That idea, of turning tasks into tools for balance, is a big one! Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructor www.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.wexfordfarm.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Whether we or horses are mentally and emotionally unstable or physically unstable really makes no difference. Unstable thoughts, emotions and coordination all intertwine and affect each other. We don't often look to something as instability as the root cause of our problems, but it affects all horses and people at an instinctual level. We simple can't feel safe and unstable at the same time without a lot of conscious effort. Deb and I look at stability and instability in different ways, how it manifests in our experience frequently but fails to get a lot of attention. Knowing how to focus thoughts, calm emotional states and find stability in the right areas of the physical body is how we work through a huge variety of problems and turn things around during rehab. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.wexfordfarm.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Our bodies are mass with weight. How we distribute our body weight internally and how we use muscular contractions generate invisible forces that always have an impact on a horse's movement. When we ride or drive, our balance or imbalance in the saddle or cart has a direct impact on a horse's ability to balance coordination or resort into dysfunctional coordination because of us. We are never neutral to a horse. How we use our bodies can guide a horse's coordination into a better, balanced, healthy use becoming a primary aid before, during and after using our leg and rein aids. How we use our bodies can also contribute to a dysfunctional coordination already adopted by a horse and can even cause dysfunctional coordination in horses. If we are riding to please a judge or adopting postures that look the part for our sport, then we may not be aware of how we are influencing our horse's movement as soon as we get in the saddle or cart. When our horse has problems, looking at our own balance as a contributing factor is just not on our radar - but perhaps it should be. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Insturctor www.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer developer of Training for Optimal Balancekirstenwexfordtraining.mvsite.app

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

The skeletal design of the female body is different than the skeleton of a male body, mostly through the shape of the pelvis and lumbar portion of the spine. Can't reference where I learned it, but I remember reading that the female body also has roughly 20% more connective tissue than males. Our traditional riding instruction works well for male riders but the same instructions actually have the opposite effect on female riders. In order to stabilize our seat as female riders we can begin with heels flat, not down, and shoulders down, not back. In order to learn the muscle use needed to coordinate stability through the lumbar and pelvis, the seat, slumping is a girl's best friend! Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer developer of Training for Optimal Balance kirstenwexfordtraining.mvsite.app

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

As riders we have to improve our riding skills in order to improve our horse's balance. Our weight and mass has a constant, dynamic influence on a horse's movement whether we are aware of it or not. We tend to focus on our aids with no thought to how we are distributing our body weight while riding. But our weight has a greater impact than any aid can, even with leverage. Improving our riding skills is often the last thing we consider, if at all, as a solution to health issues or chronic discomfort. But how we coordinate the conformation we have can have a huge impact, positive or negative. Improving riding skills means balancing our body over gravity, which is something we all have to learn and practice. Changing habits of coordination is a big ass deal - for us and for horses. The process is disorienting and disconcerting because we are literally altering our relationship to space and gravity. This can be a challenging process if we are attached to all of our traditional instruction, but if we have problems, then improving our own riding skills can often become the solution. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.kirstennelsen.com check out my offers at kirstenwexfordtraining.mvsite.app

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

The term swinging back is used a lot to describe ideal use of horse's backs, but what does that really mean? Does the back swing, back and forth or side to side like a swing set? If we look at the spine itself, the vertebral joints and soft tissues that support the bones of the back and pelvis, then the body itself shows us how little mobility it is meant to have there. The back should not literally swing or move like a swing set. The sensation of swinging as a movement adds excessive force and strains a horse's back and hindquarters. The term through-ness might be a preferable description because it does not imply movement, just energy. Swinging movement might also be a safer way to describe good balance in horses, but it is not the back that is swinging when horses move in balance, instead the back feels incredibly still. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Not physical therapy type tape - just plain old masking tape, painters tape or maybe even duct tape if not pressed too hard. When we place tape on our horse's hindquarters, straight across or point to point on the pelvis, the tape helps us see what is already happening that we might not be aware of yet. Pelvic movement in horses is subtle, the tape helps the habitual use of the pelvis be more obvious. The lesson link below is an example of using a single strip of tape across the top of the horse's hindquarters in order to develop a better eye for how the horse coordinates movement, while loose and while doing a groundwork exercise. Laurie's lesson on youtube:

Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer developer of Training for Optimal Balance www.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

We all hold visions in our heads, the image of what we think things should be like, look like or feel like. Then the gravitational force of reality suddenly invades our image. This is the rub. The rub is that uncomfortable feeling when things are not going as planned, when our horse is not performing or acting the way we want or even when life throws us an unexpected change that we did not see coming. That moment in the rub is really uncomfortable, it is a stress trigger for our fight or flight nervous to kick in gear. If we can pause and just sit with the discomfort for a minute or two, allowing the emotions to quiet down a little, then that reality that suddenly disrupted images in our heads might hold a very personal and important lesson for us. We have all felt the rub, many times. We all tend to respond to it by trying to gain more control, distract ourselves or push away anything that challenges our inner image. What we are all capable of doing is using our conscious awareness of the rub and pausing instead of acting or reacting. Pausing long enough to feel authentically curious about what a sudden dose of reality might be trying to show us. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructor www.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer developer of Training for Optimal Balance www.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Once again... it depends I guess. Deb and I discuss what this horse training strategy entails and the drawbacks we have seen from experience. At the end of the day this strategy comes from observation of horses, but fails to explain that horses approach and retreat from triggers as long as their safety is questioned. When we use the approach and retreat strategy we are mimicking a stress response in horses. Is that really what we want to do? The strategy Deb and I have found far more useful is "Pause & Wait" rather than taking any action at all. We discuss what is happening in the nervous system during the pause and wait, which is what makes it more useful to gaining a relaxation response instead of feeding the stress response. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructor www.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.wexfordfarm.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

For all living bodies the perception of feeling entirely safe, stable and essentially comfortable doing anything is a primary need, not optional. If we consider that feeling unsafe, unstable or uncomfortable might be the deepest root cause of the problem we are having, then we begin to look at the problems we have or problems our horse has through a very different lens. Feeling safe, stable and comfortable is how we shift from sympathetic nervous system dominance into nervous system regulation, or cohesion, or dominance of the parasympathetic nervous system that navigates long term survival. The multiple choice question can also have a fourth option, all of the above, or a fifth option, two out of three. But in order to gain cooperation, authentically bond with our horse or improve athletic abilities, those three magical ingredients must be in the mix, felt inside by every living creature. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Understanding what makes horses tick is complicated and requires an education to some degree. But once we have more depth for understanding horses, then we work in very simple, practical ways. When we try to make things too simple, so simple that we lack understanding, then we typically have problems with horses. When we make things too complex we suffer from analysis paralysis or can't see the issue right in front of us. Both complex explanations and simple observations compliment each other and help us understand horses in ways that make training safer, more predictable and more effective for long term changes that stick. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

This discussion starts with an email I received from the Heart Math Institute that shows the effects on heart rate, heart coherence, between a boy and his dog when conscious thoughts and feelings of love are held in our heart. Horses are incredibly sensitive to our energy and what can feel like a woo-woo connection with horses is now being explained and shown through the research done at the Heart Math Institute. Whether just for our own well being or for bonding with our horses, the information, techniques and tools offered by the Heart Math Institute are worth looking into! The Heart Math Institute www.heartmath.org831-338-850014700 West Park Ave Boulder Creek, CA 95006Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Stephanie Carter, NTP, owner of Indigo Ancestral Health, joins me in this episode to discuss functional nutrition for horses, what that means and why it might be important for your horse's health. Our conversation takes many turns but as promised, I will include the basic ingredients for a forage based diet and the ingredients to avoid that tend to cause inflammatory responses. Also included is Stephanie's contact info in case you would like to set up a personalized remote consultation for your horse or barn. Basic Forage Based Diet IngredientsHay pellets or cubes as base of "AM and PM meals" Meals include a fat supplement and vitamin/mineral mix. Check ingredients closely to make sure hay, fat and vit/min mix are free from inflammatory inducing ingredients listed below. Inflammatory Inducing Ingredients - What to Eliminate or Avoid Entirely Soy and soy products, with exception of heat extruded soy beansWheat and wheat products Corn and corn products Canola Oil Molasses Zinc Sulfate Guest: Stephanie Carter, NTP, Indigo Ancestral Health www.StephanieCarterNTP.com stephaniecarterntp@gmail.com 540-422-0994Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

We can only feel bored if we feel safe. Feeling unsafe is never boring, but we think we need to push through feeling unsafe in order to grow and progress. Yes... but.... how much stress in the nervous system constitutes a healthy level that is beneficial and how much constitutes an unhealthy level that is detrimental? The answer to that question is different for every person and every horse, and the answer changes over time for the very same person or horse. When we start to "brace for impact" or feel our horse brace, then we have wandered into a negative amount of stress for the situation. Seeking ways to reduce stimulation, slow down, take little breaks or do something so easy that it is boring are the fastest ways to restore cohesion of the nervous system. Slowing down is often what we need to do in order to advance rapidly. Boring is a welcome relief from intense or chronic stress. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Horses test our patience a lot. Most horse owners are very aware of how often it is difficult to be patient with all the challenges offered by their horses and how frustration quickly surfaces. If we consider patience is just listening, actively observing whatever a horse is communicating, then patience transitions from anxious passivity into a quiet activity. Feeling passive, waiting for a horse to figure something out or change can increase our anxiety or tension. Feeling active helps us remain calm, we are actually doing something even though listening is sort of a non-doing. Once we realize that we need the listening time, awareness or observations of horses in order to know what to do next, then we no longer struggle to be patient, we just are. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructor www.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

What we see on the outside - good posture, elegant movement, radiant health - are all the final result of changes that start on the inside. Making a horse look right or being able to do various tasks or maneuvers does not mean that the horse has a healthy coordination on the inside. Just like plastic surgery can make people appear to be healthy, restricting horses into frames or headsets only gives an outward appearance of good coordination. When we focus more on what our horse looks like rather than how our horse feels during a ride, then we allow dysfunctional coordination to take its toll over time, resulting in lameness or behavior issues. The feel of smooth gaits, easy transitions and ease of steering are the result of helping horses balance their coordination. A horse that struggles in performance, struggles to do tasks or is not easy to ride is a horse telling us that the coordination inside is not what it could be or should be for healthy movement. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Internal rhythm, just like internal straightness, is a term I came up with to help simplify the vertical and horizontal aspects of balance in both horses and people. Internal rhythm, as a specific use of the spine and pelvis as well as specific weight distribution, is a learned coordination for all horses and all people. This aspect of balancing a three dimensional body is related to rhythmic motion and all speed adjustments. The result of habituating internal rhythm as a coordination is ease of motion in all gaits and during speed adjustments up or down. It must be coordinated with internal straightness in order to bring the body into three dimensional balance. I use these terms because they are different and people have no preconceived ideas of what I mean. But internal rhythm is the same ideal as impulsion, lifting the back, engaging the hindquarters, rounding, collecting, framing or just a good rider on a good mover. I don't use the typical words because the meaning of them is so different to different people. Hope you find this podcast helpful. Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

What it means for horses to find balance left to right involves two different spinal functions that affect each other. The function of spinal alignment, reducing all lateral bending, is how horses begin to stabilize the midline and make lifting the back or engaging the hindquarters much easier for them. The function of spinal rotation is the least understood function of horse's spines in the horse world. Rotation of the spine is what makes a horse's barrel roll side to side, why the saddle slips to one side and why the hindquarters tilt on a turn or during lateral work. Unstable rotation in a horse's spine also causes weight to shift left to right, making a horse heavy on the forehand and often heaviest on one front leg, which can lead to a lot of lameness issues. Conversely, when we understand what internal straightness means in horses and help them develop that coordination, then suppleness through the muscles and ease of steering on any path of travel is the result we feel. Internal straightness is an important part of horse balance that relates to the left and right sides of the body. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructor www.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

It depends... what is the mindset behind the actual dressage training? I share a really great article about the need to change the current mindset around competitive dressage that I tend to agree with, a lot. I explain the different factions of dressage and how confusing that can be, especially in America. Finally I talk about the essence of dressage and how dressage fundamentals are exactly the same as working on balance or doing rehab work with horses, even though it looks pretty darn different from what people expect. Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Choosing the right saddle has two sides to it - the fit for the horse and the fit for the rider. Finding a saddle that both horse and rider agree upon is important for success with any horse. Having a good saddle fitter can be incredibly helpful in the process, and preferably not a saddle fitter that only sells one brand of saddle unless you have done saddle research on your own. With good balance as a rider we can adapt to saddles far easier than horses can. When it comes right down to it, the comfort and stability of the saddle for the horse is what really makes the difference between ease of riding or not. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Perceptions are personal, for people and horses. It is the perception of things that affect us, that motivate different responses. It is perceptions, more than actual events, that shape how we organize our lives and how we feel most of the time. With horses and people, the key to overcoming fear or even things that stress us out, is changing the perception we have of it. This is a process that cannot be forced but can be achieved. Changing a perception of something requires gentleness, kindness and patience. We have to prove to the body and mind that something perceived as unsafe can transition into something that feels safe. This requires delicate repetition, not force, and respecting thresholds instead of trying to blast through them. The question, “how good can it get?” is a way to help us focus on what we want, instead of what we don’t want, and opens us up to a change in perception. Guest: Deb Romero, certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Horses ripping the reins from our hands, snatching the bit or just leaning on our arms all drive us crazy, but it is not a behavior issue and it is not personal. When horses lose control of their own body weight distribution during motion then too much weight passes through the barrel and lands on the forehand. While this does not cause horses to actually fall most of the time, it is a landslide of weight that they cannot control and we feel this weight distribution change in our reins the most. The problem is not really in our hands, that is just the final result. The problem is that the horse cannot control weight distribution during motion. This means that no amount of leverage or clever tricks with reins or bits are going to resolve the underlying issue. We have to look at this problem back to front, not front to back. Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.orgHost: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

We often get caught up in horse sales videos - looking at all the cool things that a horse can do. But it can be a different story when the horse arrives at the new home with a new owner. Deb and I share some tips for picking out the right horse for you, what to look for, what to check and how to have a realistic view of getting a new horse settled in. It helps to let your heart lead the way.

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

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

The invisible forces that we can easily feel but we can’t see are the most important elements for developing balance. We can direct forces into specific directions, in ourself or while guiding a horse, and allow the body to adapt around this channel of invisible, organized forces of motion. Instead of shortening and contracting inward, we guide through lengthening and expanding gently outward. Even if we are unaware of invisible forces, the way we use our body and the way we give aids to horses will still have a dynamic effect. It is unavoidable even if we never really noticed before.

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

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

It is another one of those backwards, opposite of what we think, things with horses. Horses that are called lazy, slow or stubborn have really lost the desire to go forward freely and energetically. We think if we just push hard enough the problem will resolve - but that seldom works even after trying for years. The real solution is addressing the reasons that lurk a little deeper. Horses have to feel safe, stable and comfortable during forward motion in order to want to move forward with the energy we seek. Downward transitions are the key to helping horses learn how to control their own body weight distribution during motion, how to find more stability and comfort. As horses improve coordination the desire to move forward returns and builds up into more and more controlled energetic movement.

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

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

We don’t often think about our hands or how we use them, so this episode may bring some insights that help with shoulder discomfort and help with rein contact while riding or driving. This is one of Deb’s areas of expertise and she helps me understand why I am still feeling some discomfort from my slip and fall - the gift that keeps on giving. We use our hands for so much that just altering our focus and paying attention can help us improve our balance and use in measurable ways. Finding more ease when the body feels uncomfortable is always a great way to change our use because the discomfort is a constant reminder that we can’t forget about or even ignore sometimes.

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

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Horses use their necks the same way humans use their arms when the torso gets unstable. When we slip, trip or almost fall, we stick our arms out to the side and move them in order to help our torso not fall. Since horses arms are on the ground, the front legs, they only have their necks to make the same type of adjustments when their torso gets unstable. While a horse’s skull and neck is part of the axial skeleton, meaning it needs some stability, it is functionally used like a limb, meaning it needs a lot of mobility. How we use the reins, with or without a bit, not only affects a horse’s head and neck, it affects the torso balance too. Trying to manipulate a head-set in horses often causes dysfunctional coordination through the back and hindquarters because that adjustment has to go somewhere!

Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.org

Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer developer of Training for Optimal Balance www.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Deb and I are a little spicy in this episode, but we have both been there, done that, so what we share is not a judgement. Our intention is to point out what we see as fashions of riding that gravitate away from healthy movement in horses. It has become fashionable to look at tracking up as a sign of balance, that longer strides are always better than shorter strides for horses. The term impulsion has come to mean that faster is better, that energetically forward with quick tempos is the only way a horse can move correctly. But balance inherently shows us that imbalances can be caused by too much of anything. The fashion of faster or slower means better is what shifts competitive riding into movement that is no longer good for horses, no longer healthy, balanced movement. While the western pleasure world leans towards too slow and the dressage world leans towards too fast, both were originally intended to show, and build, balance in horses. Things just get unbalanced over time and turn into fashions instead of healthy movement.

Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.org

Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balance www.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

All people and horses learn at different rates and in different ways. Learning is that light bulb moment of understanding - but we are never exactly sure when or how that light bulb moment will happen. When we remain in the assumption that all people and horses are intelligent enough to learn, then we adapt how we share information until it happens. When our method of sharing information is not making sense to another, we tend to assume the other is just dumb. But maybe we just lack the skills for saying the same thing a different way until what we have to share is actually understood by another.

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

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

As. people, we are mass with weight that a horse has to manage under saddle or in a cart. How we balance our own body weight either adds to problems that horses have regarding balance or we help counteract imbalances. It is sort of one or the other. If we are not consciously in control of our own balance - relative to gravity - then we tend to just exaggerate any imbalances that horses happen to have. The idea of a mass/weight moving with unbalanced forces of motion, or an unbalanced horses, makes no sense. The imbalance is only and ever exaggerated in that situation.

Guest: Deb Romero, Certified Alexander Technique Instructorwww.optimalposture.org

Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainerdeveloper of Training for Optimal Balancewww.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Deb and I are back from a sabbatical of sorts, working on projects while absent from doing the podcast. This conversation goes a bit all over the place but has lots of interesting tidbits to take with you!

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

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

Going solo right now since Deb is out of town for a few weeks and I am finally ready to start up again. This episode is about horsemanship in general, a little bit about my own journey and what I am looking for as a horse trainer. It's a mash up but with a point in there somethere as I talk about the less tangible parts of horsemanship such as balance, feel and timing.

Host: Kirsten Nelsen, professional horse trainer

developer of Training for Optimal Balance

www.kirstennelsen.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out

FREE TICKET link for the Art of the Horseman Online Horse Fair September 27-28 https://www.becauseofthehorse.net/a/23333/a2zsSgDH

NEW: Sign up for Kirsten's email list and get all four of the horse fair videos as part of the welcome sequence and a free monthly newsletter. Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com  

Topic: Sorry for the delay in episodes! Things have been challenging lately and episodes fell behind. Deb and I discuss what to expect going forward for just a little while. We might not be able to keep up with our normal weekly episodes for some time, but we will keep producing podcasts as often as we can. We would love to hear from you - either in the comments on YouTube or through contact forms on our websites listed below - if you are a fan of the podcast and would like to see it continue. Just trying to sort out where to put more time and energy these days as we approach episode 200! Thank you for all your support!

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 workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out

FREE TICKET link for the Art of the Horseman Online Horse Fair September 27-28 https://www.becauseofthehorse.net/a/23333/a2zsSgDH

NEW: Sign up for Kirsten's email list and get all four of the horse fair videos as part of the welcome sequence and a free monthly newsletter. Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com  

Topic: Deb and I continue our discussion about time and how it relates to our perceptions of progress, especially horse training progress. When we think competitively, time becomes a big deal with our horse. When we think creatively, in terms of a relationship with our horse or development of our balance and our horse's balance, then time is just less of a factor. Taking the time it takes to gain authentic, healthy changes regarding coordination is what allows us to do more and more with our horse over time. Rushing to get tasks accomplished as soon as possible is what gets us stuck with horses for years! Our primary perception of horse training has a lot to do with how we view and use time, and whether we think of training as a competitive project or creative project.

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 workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out

FREE TICKET link for the Art of the Horseman Online Horse Fair May 31-June 1, 2025 https://www.becauseofthehorse.net/a/23333/a2zsSgDH

NEW: Sign up for Kirsten's email list and get all four of the horse fair videos as part of the welcome sequence and a free monthly newsletter. Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com  

Topic: Time is just a way to measure changes. Without changes, there is no time. When it comes to developing horses we can look at changes on a clock, feeling stressed or frustrated because our horse is not cooperating with our time frames. Or, we can measure progress through the changes that our horse makes, even if they take a while. When we think competitively, time becomes a task master. When we think of training as a creative development, time stands still or just doesn't matter so much. Enjoying the creative process of developing ourself as a rider or developing our horses has a way of getting things done faster and with more permanence.

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 workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out

FREE TICKET link for the Art of the Horseman Online Horse Fair May 31-June 1, 2025 https://www.becauseofthehorse.net/a/23333/a2zsSgDH

NEW: Sign up for Kirsten's email list and get all four of the horse fair videos as part of the welcome sequence and a free monthly newsletter. Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com  

Topic: Deb takes a deeper dive into what she is always saying and explains what all the joints being open and available really means. And of course, we wander a bit into how this combination of muscle and joint use affects so many other aspects of 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 workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com

The Horse Geeks Podcast - Where we look at horses and riding from the inside out

FREE TICKET link for the Art of the Horseman Online Horse Fair May 31-June 1, 2025 https://www.becauseofthehorse.net/a/23333/a2zsSgDH

NEW: Sign up for Kirsten's email list and get all four of the horse fair videos as part of the welcome sequence and a free monthly newsletter. Sign up is at the bottom of the home page at www.kirstennelsen.com  

Topic: Training bands of different types are really popular right now. Deb and I take a look at the pro's and con's of using this type of equipment and how they work. The differences between tools that are dynamic and tools that are proprioceptive is also explained and how both can be beneficial at different stages of training - but only if they actually guide a horse and rider to the ultimate goal of self-carriage.

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 workbook series mentioned is only available at: https://kirstennelsen.com/shop/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kirstennelsen.substack.com