EquiTheory

Hey hello hi friends (: We probably all saw this episode coming knowing me, but I genuinely feel this step is in the best interest of the podcast + myself; I've spent a lot of time over the past year really reflecting on what fills my cup + what I'm holding on to that no longer does. This podcast has been a passion project since it began + it has been such an incredible journey for me + I'm so thrilled to have played a role in advocating for more ethical horse training + management. It's truly been one of my greatest accomplishments in my eyes. Now, it feels like that story has been told + the project is mostly complete. It's a weird feeling that's taken me a while to sort out, but I'm doing my best to listen to my head + my heart with this one. All that said, I am 110% keeping the door open for future episodes to fill you guys in on what's going on with the horses + Azula's training. I'd love to pop in here + there, with no pressure or schedule (be a "real ~creative~" lol). So we'll see what happens friends, but for now, I thank each + every one of you for your time + support of this podcast. It means the world 💜

Hi friends, this week's ep starts out light covering some updates around my health journey, acne, etc and turned into quite a heavy one covering something I've been avoiding talking about for a while now. I wasn't really sure when I started the episode that I'd ever go there so apologies for the tone shift.

Even in the episode I say it happened a few months ago, but only in looking back have I realized it was actually nearly a year ago, December 5th that Hearthrob, Beau, Beaubie passed. Even now, having not seen him in years, and knowing it's been almost a year since his passing, I'm struggling to write this description. So please forgive me if the episode is a bit repetitive or all over the place, I know I didn't say everything I wanted to for Beau, but if I've learned one thing about grief, it's that it doesn't have to make sense. That said, I did want to share something as I know many have loved Beau from afar and cherished him. He reached far and wide and became a lil famous horse. He deserved every ounce of love and support he got from you guys and I just, man, I'm so grateful to have known him. I can't believe it's been almost a year. I wanted to share sooner, but honestly, I couldn't find the words. I'm still not fully sure what to say other than how special he was.

Rest easy sweet boy. You're in our hearts forever ❤️

This is the second of the premium feed episodes discussing a horse with anxiety about being left behind when his pasture mates leave. Here's the AMA for this episode...

Hello friends, this episode is exactly what it seems to be! 25 things I've learned in my time working with horses that I wish I'd known sooner and believe are worth sharing. Enjoy!

1. "they wouldn't do it if they didn't want to" is a myth
2. respect is often conflated / confused with obedience
3. punishment only teaches horses to conceal their worries, fears, pain, discomfort
4. it's not cool or a badge of honor to ride a "hot" horse
5. it's not a disservice to or waste of the horse to not exploit their talent + athleticism
6. regulating bodies do not always safeguard the horse's best interest + welfare
7. tradition is not law + often fails to update with current research
8. there is a difference in giving the horse a treat + training with positive reinforcement
9. release does not equal reward
10. management should be based on ethology + species-appropriate care
11. when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change
12. if you have 5 minutes, it will take all day, but if you have all day, it will take 5 minutes
13. yield to win
14. Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.
15. many issues in the horse world are reflective of systemic issues
16. mares are not moody
17. softness is not weakness
18. our mental health is reflected in our riding + training
19. think in "what do i want the horse TO DO" instead of what i want the horse to stop doing
20. good riding + training is very boring + looks too easy
21. all behavior has a purpose, look at what need is this behavior meeting rather than why is my horse "xyz" character trait
22. my relationship with my horse is my responsibility
23. if you slow down, you get there faster (successive approximation)
24. treasure my passion + honor it, don't exploit it
25. when you don't respect the "no" you cannot get a real "yes"

Hello friends, this episode is accidentally a more raw and vulnerable one. I start out catching you all up on Zoë + Azula and move into some more serious thoughts on training, mixing reinforcements (don't be scared now), my relationship with social media, and my dilemmas/paralysis when it comes to training and choosing my path. Enjoy!