In this episode we talk about something which is really at the nub of so many issues horses experience with humans.  

How can we work out whether a horse has a physical problem, a training problem, a lifsetyle problem, an equipment problem...?

 How do I start tracking where things might be going awry with my horse, and what is a symptom and what is a primary issue?

if you would like to find us you can join Kathleen at https://www.ethosequine.com

Or Kate at www.softandsound.org

In this second episode we start light - ethics!! 

What is ethical when it comes to horses ? We consider this from many perspectives -  owning them, caring for them, riding and training.

What is ethical in relation to horses as a wider framework? And what is my own moral compass concerning horses? 

We hope this episode gives you food for thought.

if you would like to find us you can join Kathleen at https://www.ethosequine.com

Or Kate at www.softandsound.org

The first one!!  


Kate and Kathleen  give a 'as-brief-as-they-can-make-it 'introdution to their lives with horses and how they came to be where they are today. 

We also try to descrtibe how we think the podcast might pan out  as we share our thoughts about and exoeriences of, a life lived with horses. 

 Find out more on FB at Ethos Equine (Kathleen) and Soft and Sound (Kate).
Or https://www.ethosequine.com and https://softandsound.org
  

if you would like to find us you can join Kathleen at https://www.ethosequine.com

Or Kate at www.softandsound.org

In this episode we talk about all the things we love about a life filled with horse. Where do we find fun and joy in this sometimes challenging pursuit? 

I am sure we will return to this topic over and over, as really it is this which keeps us hooked...

if you would like to find us you can join Kathleen at https://www.ethosequine.com

Or Kate at www.softandsound.org

We were asked a question about 'the basics'.  What are they? How do we go about teaching them?   How do we know when a horse has had them missed out of his education?

We talk about the difference between principles and practical tools, and where do we start with a young untouched horse vs one who has had a few experiences of life with people...

We hope you enjoy this episode, if you have a question you would like us to discuss please do get in touch. 

Episode 6

if you would like to find us you can join Kathleen at https://www.ethosequine.com

Or Kate at www.softandsound.org

In this episode we continue our chat about the basics. It turns out we could talk about this for a very long time...
This time we discuss what a horse needs to be asked to be ridden - and feel really good about that. How we can contribute to that in our day to day handling?  A horse may be talented enough (and sometimes worried enough) that you can cause him to piaffe, but that doesn't mean that he is balanced, or straight, or relaxed.  Even if we have no desire to piaffe, we most likely want our horse to be calm, forwards and straight.

How does leading, feeding and going around gates contribute to this?  We hope you enjoy this chat - we did!

Music credit to Hurricane Rodriguez 

Episode 7

if you would like to find us you can join Kathleen at https://www.ethosequine.com

Or Kate at www.softandsound.org

In this episode we talk about the all important topic of Attention and Awareness, can you request it, keep it and direct it?

How does your horse feel about paying you attention and are you practicing it?

if you would like to find us you can join Kathleen at https://www.ethosequine.com

Or Kate at www.softandsound.org

In this episode  we begin a huge topic, which we  both feel pretty passionate about - women and horses.  Whether you're making your living with horses, competing, or just enjoying them in your life, what does it mean to do this from the female perspective? What are our strengths and where do we struggle?  Can we see helpful examples of women in the equine world which can inspire and faciliate us?

This is definately just a Part 1 and we would love to hear your thoughts.

if you would like to find us you can join Kathleen at https://www.ethosequine.com

Or Kate at www.softandsound.org

In this episode  we continue our conversation about women and horses, but this time with a focus on working in the equestrian industry. 

Is it still true that we have to work twice as hard, be twice as good and earn half as much? 
Why might we still so so many men at the 'top', while our customers are primarily women?

 Can we see helpful examples of women in the equine world which can inspire and faciliate us?

In this episode Kate and Kathleen respond to a question from a listener, who wanted to know our thoughts about single horse ownership vs multiple horses. We talk about the pros and cons of both situations, our personal experiences of that,  and things any horse owner might want to think about. 

If you have a question you would like us to answer, please do get in touch.

You can find us here:

Kathleen - www.ethoseequine.com 

Kate - www.softandsound.org

In this episode we talk with Liana Upton about her experiences of having children and running an equestrian business.  She candidly shares the many challenges, and we talk about how women manage their lives as self employed horse trainers whilst giving birth,  breast feeding, and looking after children. 

We take our collective hats off to Liana and all other women who manage this quite extraordinary feat.  We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed chatting. 

You can find Liana at https://www.sitwellmethod.co.uk or on facebook under Ravenroyd Equestrian https://www.facebook.com/ravenroydequestrian


Kathleen and Kate can be find in their usual places;  www.ethosequine.com and www.softandsound.org

In this episode Kate and Kathkeen talk about something which is on both their minds at the moment - buying a new horse. 
They have both aquired  many horses between them over the years and along the way have honed some of the 'Must haves'  and 'Must not haves'. This is a fund discussion but also a very serious one!

If you find yourself in the position of buying a new horse, maybe this episode will be of interest to you. If you're not purchashing right now, you might find it interesting anyway!

Find us here
Kathleen - www.ethosequine.com
Kate - www.softandsound.org

Well, this is some epsiode!  Kathleen and Kate chat to Lee Mclean of Keystone Equine about a life with horses, and specifically how she cares for herself, her family and her community.

Lee has been working in the online/social media space for quite a while, and she has learned some things about self-care and boundaries in this new world over the years . She now has a huge following and has had to take positive action to keep that healthy and safe for all.

 Lee is a prolific and amazing writer, and slowly and deliberately develops a small herd of ponies and horses, according to high quality traditions of horsemanship 

We loved chatting with her  and you can find her on Fb under Keystone Equine.
Kathleen can be found at www.ethosequine.org

Kate at www.softandsound.org 

March 2025

This week with Kathleen and Kate is a very special guest-  Jane Pike!  She of Confident Rider fame, and a passionate advocate for embodied practices for humans who share their lives with horses.  Well all humans everywhere really.

We were asked a question by a listener about rider fitness - how 'fit' do we need to be to ride a horse, and how do the other tasks we do in relation to horse care (wheelbarrows and buckets) contribute or not to our fitrness to ride?

Jane brings her own compassionate and innovative take ob this, considering movement more from the perspective of the nervous system and how this impacts our relationship  with our bodies and therefore with the bodies of our horses. 

If you would like to find out more about Jane you can find her on:

https://confidentrider.online

Kathleen on

https://ethosequine.com

kate on

https://softandsound.org

In this episode Kate and Kathleen talk about the challenge that horsepeople  can face when they see the gurus or masters working at the most subtle or 'black belt' level of horsemanship, without always being explicit abou the years of practical interactions with horses which have got them to this stage.

 We hope this episode helps you feel better about 'where you are now' and recognise that being a 'white belt' is something to be very proud of.

You can find us at

Kathleen - www.ethosequine.org

Kate - www.softandsound.org 

In this episode Kate and Kathleen talk to a very interesting question from a listener - Is my horse just quiet or is she shut down?

As ever, the conversation  goes where it goes, with some rambling side roads and interesting diversions. 

If you have a question for us, please do get in touch. You can find us here

Kathleen - www.ethoseqiune.org

Kate - www.softandsound.org

In this episode we begin to answer a listeners question, one which i am sure is familiar to many of us - my horses has a long term health condition, how do I manage that?

This is part 1, where we discuss our experiences of discovering and then managing significant health challlenges in our horses.  How can we balance optimim with realism, hope with pragmatism.  We will return to this very soon as it is a huge subject.

You can find `Kathleen here 
www.ethosequine.com

Kate here

www.softandsound.org 

In this episode we talk about the arrival of our respective new horses-  Sunshine and Rural. 

We discuss their integration, how they landed and what we have learned about them in the few weeks they have been with us.

Hopefully this episode will be interesting to you even if you have had your horse in your life for a longer time. It's always interesting to view them afresh!

You can find us on 

Kathleen - www.ethosequine.org

Kate - www.softandsound.org

Kate and Kathleen. Episode 19; living with horses with health conditions, Part 2.

In this epsiode we talk about our personal experiences of diagnosing and supporting horses with chronic health conditions. This includes Kathleens horses with PSSM and hormonal issues, and Kate's with complex phsyical issues.

We discuss our own ethical paradigms for what we we will continue to ask of a horse, and when we  make a decision to retire them.  Not an easy topic for any of us to consider, but an essential one.

If you would like to find out more about us you can track us down here

Katheen - www.ethosequine.org

Kate - www.softandsound.org

Or you can find us on Fb ar Kathleen Beckham and Kate Sandel