The Confident Rider Podcast

A little while back, I got to chatting with Lee McLean. At the time, I'd just released a conversation about the things I turn to when the world feels hard or tense, and we were discussing how the lessons we learn with horses often translate into everyday life. I found the conversation so engaging that I asked her to come on the podcast so we could share our thoughts with all of you. For those who don't know Lee, she's a passionate horsewoman who “talks, thinks, and dreams horses non-stop.” Many of you may know her through her business and writings, much of which she shares on her Facebook page, Keystone Equine. During our time together, we talk about: The lessons we've learned from our horses and how they support us in navigating daily life The nature of self-care (and our struggles with it) How we handle criticism Staying sane in the online world It was such a pleasure to spend time with Lee- I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. You can find Lee on her Facebook page here. xx Jane  ------ Jane Pike is a coach & horsewoman from the South Island of New Zealand. Her work focuses on practices and understandings that increase vitality for both humans and horses, incorporating nervous system awareness to both mindset and movement. The methods she teaches explore physical and emotional patterns at their most foundational level- the brain and the nervous system- with the aim of creating adaptability and responsiveness, both in and out of the saddle. Jane has featured and written for various magazines around the world and is a sought after international clinician and trainer through her business Confident Rider and her membership program, JoyRide. Visit the link below to learn all about the JoyRide membership program, to help you think, feel, move & ride differently: https://confidentrider.online/joyride/ For other resources: Website: www.confidentrider.online Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheConfidentRider/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/confident_rider/    

A few days back, I wrote a list of things that I had mused on, read, or noted down to consider when the world feels hard or tense. I shared it first on Facebook, and then when the time came for our live Q&A in my membership program, JoyRide, I decided to share it there as well.  Today's episode is a repeat of that conversation. It's neither conclusive nor definitive, but I think gives us some ideas that we can hold close to inform our action and behavior as we're moving through the world. I hope it's useful in some way, thanks for listening! xx Jane

Oh, there are so many things that I have learned from being in coach with a focus on the nervous system.   In this episode, I pick five things that spring to mind as 'standouts'; things you may not have considered or fully understood previously when it comes to being in the world, working with horses and your nervous system health.   We talk about:   1. Why there is nothing wrong with being in fight flight. What we are ultimately seeking is "appropriate responsiveness", a nervous system that is accurately responding to the reality of the moment. 2. Why calm is not the goal   3. Why we need to take care not to use meditation, breath and mindfulness practices as another substitute for control. 4. The necessity of adaptability within the sympathetic system and why you want to be able to access the full spectrum of fight flight.           5. How our dominant western culture doesn't support a healthy nervous system state and what it is you need to thrive.     I hope you find it useful!    xx Jane  

Lovely friend, this is the final session in our Christmas Conversations series.  A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has joined us for the live sessions, and to my incredible guests who given so much love and energy to our time together. I am so grateful to you all. Today, I am joined by an incredible group of women: Tania Kindersley, Kathy Price and Stevie Delahunt. I'm sure you will enjoy this conversation as much as any other, and I can't wait to hear about your thoughts and musings.  If you want to get in touch with any one of them, you can do so in the following places: Tania Kindersley: Facebook via The Red Mare Place of Peace on Substack Tania Kindersley on Substack  Kathy Price: Here on her website  On her Facebook page here Stevie Delahunt: Here on Facebook Here on Instagram @adventuristbarbie

Fabulous souls, we are back with our second to last Christmas Conversation and it's another (christmas) cracker (I couldn't help adding that in there). I'm so blessed to be joined by the wonderful trio that is Kimberly Carter, Brigid Piccaro & Terry Kuebler. In all truth, I don't know how to reduce the vast expanse of ground we covered over the course of our time together, so I will leave you to listen to it instead! I hope you enjoy it, happy listening! xx Jane If you want to get in touch with anyone you heard today, here are the places to find them... Kimberly Carter: https://stableroots.substack.com/ Terry Kuebler: https://www.terrykuebler.com/ Brigid Piccaro: redsoulmare@gmail.com

Fabulous souls, welcome back to the fourth session in our Christmas Conversations series. I have been having so much fun with these, I don't want them to end! Today I am joined by Kate Sandel, Elsa Sinclair & Chantel Prat for what was a wonderful conversation- I would love to hear your thoughts also! Happy Listening! xx Jane You can find... Kate Sandel here at Soft & Sound Elsa Sinclair here at Taming Wild Chantel Prat here on her website

Welcome back to the third conversation in our Christmas Conversations series. Today, I am joined by the wonderful Christine Dickson, Joell Dunlap & Robyn Schiller. We are answering the questions: What have you held close this year? What has anchored you? What are you being called towards? What would you like to share? I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, happy listening! xx Jane You can find... Christine on her website here or email onthepathcht@gmail.com Joell on her website here or email joell@squarepegfoundation.org Robyn on her website here or email robyn@warwickschiller.com

Welcome to the second episode of our Christmas Conversations series- I'm so glad that you are here! Today I'm joined by the incredible Denise Elizabeth Byron, Gareth Mare and Tayla Mari, once again exploring the questions of... What have you held close this year? What has anchored you? What are you being called towards? What would you like to share? I so appreciated everything that was shared and am thrilled to be able to share it with you also. Happy listening! xx Jane You can find: Gareth Mare & Talya Mari here Denise Elizabeth Byron here

For the month of December, I've gathered together some of my favourite people for a Christmas Conversations Series including my three incredible friends who joined me today- Karen Rohlf, Kathleen Beckham and Barbra Schulte. Together, we answered the following questions: What have you held close this year? What has anchored you? What are you being called towards? What would you like to share? Hand on heart, I think this is one of my favourite conversations I've been part of- I really hope you enjoy it! Happy listening! xx Jane

When I was considering what overwhelm feels like as an experience in the body, the image that came to mind was one of foggy, misty cliffs; a landscape where we are aware of what lies in front of us but where the weather patterns at play are preventing us from getting a clear sense of the path that we should follow and the direction we should head. In other words, the experience of overwhelm is immobilising and removes us from the ability to act.  In this episode, we discuss the atmospheric experience of overwhelm including: The indecisiveness of overwhelm, and how this creates a negative loop that compounds on itself Nervous system considerations when navigating overwhelm and how listening to your body is not always the best way forward Reclaiming agency and voice, and creating space between you and the experience of overwhelm I hope you find it useful! If you are interested in joining me in JoyRide for the course navigating overwhelm, you can learn more or sign up here. Thanks for listening, xx Jane

What does it mean to begin? What gets in the way of us beginning again? How can we approach beginning with tenderness? This episode is a contemplation, meditation on beginnings; on the challenges we face, the stories we tell ourselves, beginning as an art in and of itself. I hope you find it useful in some way, xx Jane In this episode, I mention an online gathering called Circle. If you are interested in joining us or learning more, you can do so here.

Since the Western States Horse Expo, Barb and I have spent a lot of time chatting on zoom about life, horses, and the universe. Inevitably, there are many crossovers in our work; patterns and experiences we come across that inform how we approach things, beliefs and understandings that we witness either support people moving forward, or conversely, get in the way. Our conversations on confidence led us back to a foundational piece— of being enough. This idea that ‘I am enough' is a fundamental understanding to have and embody if we are to find ways of unpicking challenging situations, to take consistent action in support of what we love, and to rest in a place where we are able to advocate for ourselves and our horses.  And yet there is so much that gets in the way of us not only thinking that but believing in our own enough-ness.     We are so passionate about this conversation that shortly (next week!) we are holding a workshop with an additional mentoring option that we have called ‘On Being Enough: Exploring the Hearth Of Confidence with Horses & With Yourself'.  In this episode, I am joined by Barbra Schulte to talk about what we mean when we say the word ‘confidence' and how it is we go about developing a sense of ‘enough-ness'  I hope you enjoy it, you can tune in by searching the Confident Rider Podcast on your fave podcast app or via the link below. xx Jane You can learn more about our workshop here: https://confidentrider.online/on-being-enough-workshop/

Over the course of 3 days at the Western States Horse Expo, I presented a series of one-hour presentations that spanned everything from returning from injury, to processing big emotions, to looking at the way the nervous system affects our biomechanics. My designated area was the Mind, Body, Spirit tent, one of 3 presentation and seminar tents that sat next to the main arena. The overall expo lineup was a big one. Each time slot was filled with options of coaches, trainers and clinicians that felt impossible to choose from- and yet despite this the Mind, Body, Spirit tent remained one of the most well frequented and packed out of the entire event.  From a personal perspective, my time at the expo was brilliant in no small part to the people I got to share it with-- so when we had the thought to discuss what it meant for the horse industry to include a focus on all things mind, body & spirit, it felt only right to do so together with some of my crew! Consequently, this episode is something of a podcast party! I'm joined by the incredible Brigid Piccaro, Terry Kuebler, Lori Justin, Joelle Dunlap, Robyn Schiller & Christine Dickson. Our conversation spans a lot of territory, kicking off with what it means to have such large events include conversations that span outside what traditionally might be expected. I hope you enjoy it! xx Jane To get in touch: For Jane Pike: www.confidentrider.online For Robyn Schiller: www.warwickschiller.com For Joell Dunlap: www.squarepegfoundation.org For Lori Justin: www.saddlefitrevolution.com  For Terry Kuebler: https://www.terrykuebler.com/ For Christine Dickson: www.onthepathcoaching.net

Lovely people, it felt a little strange to just roll into the next episode of the podcast without mentioning what I'd been up to the last little while. I considered sitting on my lonesome and giving you a debrief (**yawn**) and then had the most excellent idea to contact some of my people and see if they wanted to join me too. With that in mind, with me today is Cutting Horse Royalty, Human Who Epitomises Grace (these all require capital letters), a fabulous friend and someone with a dry and mischievous sense of humour (all my favourite things), Barbra Schulte. If you are yet to fall in love with Barb, here's a little bit about her… Barbra Schulte is a Professional Cutting Horse Trainer, Personal Performance Coach, Author, Clinician, and Equine Consultant. Among her many accolades, in 2000 Barbra was awarded the prestigious National Female Equestrian of the Year Award given by the American Quarter Horse Association in conjunction with the Women's Sports Foundation. This honor recognized outstanding performance and leadership in a female equestrian. In 2012 she was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, one of the most prestigious awards available for women equestrians for outstanding career accomplishments. I talk with Barb about our experience together at the Western States Horse Expo, discuss what she most loves teaching and how it is our work has influenced us both personally and professionally. I hope you enjoy it! xx Jane You can get in touch with Barb on her website here. You can contact me or find out more about my online program, JoyRide, here.

Based on a blog that I wrote this morning,  that I share out loud with you now. xx Jane  www.confidentrider.online 

Modern understandings of anatomy and physiology have allowed us to know our body and mind in ways that have not understood previously. Whilst this is a blessing that sees both horses and humans able to function in a way that maximizes health and wellness, we have to take care that the same information that seeks to liberate does not become reductive. Where we are reduced to a body mobilized by a nervous system and brain and forget that we are so much more beyond that.  Our creativity, our intuition, the imaginative and the symbolic are, equal to the touchable and the visceral, a huge part of what makes up the magic and mystery of being human. A huge part of what allows us to make sense of the world, our place in it, and to both open and close loops of experience that may be swimming in the pool of our unconscious. When we approach or seek out work that allows us to lead full and vital lives, to reconcile upsetting or traumatic experience, or to find a way through a real and present challenge, what we are looking for is safe passage; ways to be moved from the point that we find ourselves in now to a different space—a space that allows us more choices and gives us back our agency and voice. Creative expression offers this, both as an organizing, physical movement and an internal movement. It allows us to leave a different person from how we came.  In this episode, we discuss: A personal experience I had this week with writing that I found transformative on every level How creative expression can allow us to close open loops of experiences that are keeping us stuck The need for creative expression as part of a full and vital life  I hope you enjoy it! Happy listening, xx Jane Links referenced: To join the journalling workshop, or to read my poetry & writing: https://janepike.substack.com/ Confident Rider Website: www.confidentrider.online

I found out recently that the phrase “heart on your sleeve” is, in part, from Shakespeare's play Othello-- we have just conveniently lopped off the other half of the sentence which goes on to say “…for the daws to peck at”.  These words are uttered by one of the most villainous characters in the play, who, in the process of confessing to treacherous acts, remarks that by wearing his heart upon his sleeve, which he says to mean the act of truly exposing himself or opening himself up, he would be inviting crows to peck away at him. As a consequence, he opts to keep his true emotions and intentions hidden. While the treachery might not be entirely relatable, the idea of opening yourself up to the crows by speaking the truth of your insides might hit closer to home. In JoyRide this morning, I asked if anyone had anything they would like me to speak to on the podcast, and Leana posted: Ways to feel safe within vulnerability I love this as a conversation launch point because there is so much to be said for safeguarding practices around vulnerable experiences and the process of ‘opening up', the depth of which I only skim the surface of in this episode. Vulnerability has become somewhat of a cultural catchphrase, but the reality of what it takes to be vulnerable- and for that to be truly held- is much more complex and nuanced than perhaps we consider or allow for. The world is hungry for vulnerability- on social media, in the arts (music, writing, music) etc, in life- but in the midst of the desire for its production and consumption, there is sometimes little to hold it at the other end. In some instances, vulnerability has become yet another commodity, another product ready for consumption without wider conversations around what our collective and community responsibility might be if we find ourselves on the receiving end of vulnerable expression. On a personal level, vulnerability needs to be shared with discernment. Our energy is precious and to be vulnerable is another level of energy cultivation that can be depleting if not experienced in a context where that same energy is contained, and then beyond that offered back. In this episode we touch on this in conversation. What does it mean to be vulnerable? How do we share our vulnerability with discernment? And what is our collective and community responsible for both the vulnerable and vulnerability both? I hope you enjoy it! ❤️ Jane Links referred to in this conversation JoyRide: www.confidentrider.online/joyride Substack & Interwoven: janepike.substack.com   

Lovely people, I'm back-- Both on the airways with the Confident Rider Podcast more generally speaking, and with two of my favourites, the incredible Tania Kindersley and Kathy Price. If you are familiar with our catch ups from the past you will know that the usual format runs to something like the following:  What do you think we should talk about? I'm not sure, what do you think? I'm not sure either? Shall we just hit record and see what happens? Yes, let's.  So here we are, hitting record and seeing what happens!  Given the nature of good friends, similar interests and desires for conversations that do more than skim across the surface level, we inevitably find things get interesting quite quickly.  Over the course of our meandering conversations, we discuss: What is it we mean when we say that we are always learning from our horses? What does it mean to live a live that feels spacious? What is your relationship to time? How does it differ between horses and humans? How might the creative process apply to our relationship with our horses?  I hope you enjoy it!  ❤️ Jane 

"When the old patterns arise, I will dissent. When life convinces me, it is something to be endured rather than enjoyed, I will dissent. And I will show up here, and I will write about it, as a reminder to those wanting to hold hands and do the same." ❤️ Jane www.confidentrider.online

A gentle reminder to let yourself be new. ❤️ Jane https://confidentrider.online/

There's a beautiful phrase that I hold gently in my hands, that I've adopted as one of my mottos for living. "Birds coast when they can". Every time I say it out loud to myself, I'm met with the glorious vision of a bird in flight, that proves these words to be true. Birds coast where they can is a reminder to let yourself be supported. A reminder to look for opportunities for ease, and where you, yourself, may be complicating things in a way that isn't necessary. Doing too much for what is required. Where are the opportunities for you to coast? How can you allow yourself to be carried? And what are all the ways you argue against allowing this to be the case? xx Jane  www.confidentrider.online

Peeps, I'm back with one of my favourite humans, the most loveliest Kathy Price! Kathy and I are teaching a workshop together this weekend, and in our pre-workshop prep decided we could scoop the cream off the top of our conversation and sit down and chatter with you on the podcast.  Over the course of our meandering conversation, we talk about: The evolution of our work and business The principles that we follow that inform our life and work The application of energy and intention to our decision making processes We hope you enjoy it! If you want to join us for our workshop, you can sign up here: https://confidentrider.online/stepping-into-lightness/ And if you want to get in touch with Kathy, you can find her here: https://kathyprice.co.uk/ Happy listening! ❤️ Jane (and Kathy!)

The possibilities for your horse to move functionally and in a way that promotes health and wellness exist only within the range that he is balanced; our job as riders, then, is not only to facilitate balance in them in order that they can carry us without compromising themselves, and to ensure that our balance point matches theirs. The area of study that I've involved myself in is really interested in the movement of the fascial trains and the path of movement that the body follows when it is in the parasympathetic, or not in fight flight. The key element that we pay attention to is the movement of the centreline and the arc that the centreline follows to produce healthy movement patterns. In this episode, we discuss movement patterns and their relationship to the nervous system: how your nervous system manifests in movement, why understanding movement pathways is important and how we can use that knowledge to create ways of moving and riding that optimise harmony and health. I hope you enjoy it! If you want to learn and explore more, we expand on these understandings in my membership program JoyRide. You can learn more by visiting www.confidentrider.online/joyride. Enjoy! ❤️ Jane 

The interwoven thoughts of a New Year. Happy New Year, ❤️ Jane 

Beautiful people, it's been a hot minute since we were last on the podcast airwaves. I'm super excited to be back for Season 3, and to share with you all the thoughts, musings and conversations that are swirling round my brainspace. Before we get into that though... At this time of year, it can be really easy to fall into "achievement energy"; the feeling that we have to set our resolutions, refine our goals and have things sorted out for the new year. The conversation I want to have with you today is an invitation to, well, not do that. And the framework I want to offer in its place is one I stumbled upon recently and have been practicing in the moments since.  Omen Days are an ancient Celtic tradition that were practiced in the 12 days from the 26th December to the 6th January. They rest on the foundation of bearing witness, and of deep noticing. Of the land, the animals we share it with and the greater world around us. In this podcast, we discuss the nature of Omen Days and how we can use it as a reminder to slow down, observe and begin the new year from a place of enoughness. I hope you enjoy it! Much love, ❤️ Jane 

Kate Sandel is back on the podcast! In less than a week's time, Kate and I are co-teaching at a three-day clinic called Camp of the South, in Devon, UK. Initially we had the idea to record a conversation together to send to participants of the camp as a “here's some helpful information” type spiel but it quickly became obvious that our chattering extended far beyond the limits of those three days to encompass the broader expectations we might have in learning environments, what it takes to be open to learning and what we consider to be “the best way to show up” as a student. In this episode, we discuss:

It's a party people! A few weeks back, I had the hankering to have a pod conversation talking about energy, the mystical and the magical, and the two people who immediately sprang to mind were Denise Elizabeth Byron and Kathy Price. Denise I have known for a few years now, meeting her for the first time when I went to stay with Robyn Schiller and skipping along to an astrology session that blew my mind. After that, we all convened at the chocolate shop in town and well… if there's a better way to cement a friendship, I'm not sure I've found it yet.  If you are yet to be introduced, Denise is a psychic, visionary guide, and mentor with over 30 years' experience, using astrological patterns to illuminate each client's unique pathway to embody the magic of their life purpose more confidently. And if you've been around the tracks on my podcast for any amount of time, you will already be acquainted with the fabulousness that is Kathy Price- what would this conversation be without her! Kathy's business is called Point of Balance, and she has been studying and researching the world of energetic modalities for a number of years now. The aim of Kathy's work is to help human and animal systems that she's working with, whichever of those applies to find its own unique point of balance and to help itself come back into health and vitality on every level, be that physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Over the course of our conversation we cover: -       - Their different approaches to working with people, the tangible aspects of energetic connection and how information “shows up” -       - Parsing apart “what is mine and what is yours” when working with energy -       - Allowing time for creative expression, rest and rejuvenation I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! You can find Denise here: www.deniseelizabethbyron.com You can find Kathy here: www.kathyprice.co.uk  ❤️ Jane  

There are so many ways to introduce Barbra Schulte. You could start with the incredible work she does coaching riders, helping them develop mental strategies to get the best out of themselves and their horses. Or you could talk about her many outstanding accolades in the cutting horse arena, including her induction in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 2012. But what I love most about Barbra is the warmth, love and kindness she exudes and the way she's shows up in the world. Beyond everything, that is what impresses me the most. I was fortunate to meet Barbra relatively recently, at the Journey On Podcast Summit in November of 2022. Listening to her talk, and then later having conversations with her, I instantly fell in love. I was so thrilled to have her agree to come on the podcast because there were things I wanted to talk about with her that extended beyond her work, her horses and what she teaches. I wanted to hear more about the behind the scenes of her life, about her beautiful son Zane and their story, and what made her tick. Over the course of our conversation we discuss:          Her life growing up with horses, her discovery of the Human Performance Institute and the impact that had on her life and work          Her son Zane, the impact of his life and death, and her journey with the experience of grief          Navigating life with trust and love I hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. ❤️ Jane

In March of this year, I ventured over to the UK for a series of retreats and workshops that I held together with Rupert Isaacson. Having had a few weeks off from the pod, it made sense to kick back off with a catch-up conversation with Ru so we could effectively pick up where we left off and fill you in on the latest of our adventures.  In this episode, we talk about:    Popping the cherry on our first Longing and Belonging Retreat on the Welsh Borders (and our lead up extravaganza in ASDA) Vitality and community; ideas of shared responsibility of health, well-being, and healing Working together in Ireland on our collaborative clinic.  Rupert and I are also excited to be holding the next workshop in our three-part series that spans the course of this year called Friendship. This two-part workshop explores the nature of friendship, how we go about cultivating it and the broad spectrum of understanding (friendship with self, each other, and the landscape) that the topic of friendship can encompass. You can learn more about that or sign up for the workshop here: https://confidentrider.online/friendship-online-workshop/ Happy listening! ❤️ Jane       

As many of you who follow along with my adventures will already know, at the start of this year I lost my beautiful Irish horse, Bear. Following on from that day, I shared my experiences and thoughts in series of Facebook live sessions that spanned the course of a couple of weeks, which led me to conversations, understandings, and a level of awareness that I would never have gained if I had chosen to keep my feelings to myself. This experience was overwhelming in the best possible way. People shared with me their stories of loss and their personal experiences of grief. But was I felt most acutely was the love. Love not only sent to me and my little Irish pony, but a love that was unifying, gratifying and uplifting.  I guess death is funny like that. It brings into sharp focus everything that's important and allows the superfluous to simply drop away.  I thought to record a separate episode on grief and I'm sure I will still do this. But the live session captures an “in the moment” experience that is impossible to emulate from a different vantage point. So, in an effort to continue to send conversations on grief, loss and death out into the ether- conversations we are intrinsically terrible at in western society- I offer them to you now in the hope that they will land where they are supposed to, with whoever it is that needs to hear them.  The nature of the live recordings means that the audio is imperfect at times, but hopefully their value extends beyond that. Amongst other things we discuss: -       - The duality of experience: how grief and loss can co-exist with happiness and joy (and why it's important to understand this) -       - The invitation of loss and hardship -       - Dealing with guilt within the loss -       - My personal experiences with loss and death Much love to you all,  xx Jane

Are you ready for us?! I'm joined back on the pod this week with two of my besties who you no doubt are well familiar with already- the most amazing Kathy Price and the infinitely regal Tania Kindersley.  Kathy, Tania and myself are regularly chattering about all things life, horses and the universe, and whenever one of us is stuck or needs an ear, the call goes out over the WhatsApp airwaves saying, I need a DollyLama conversation! And when one hears this cry, one knows that they need to pay attention. The Dolly Lama talks began a couple of years back when we were discussing what a superb human Dolly Parton is, and how the perfect cross between a human being would be Dolly and the Dalai Lama. Thus the phrase “Dolly Lama” was coined, and the Dolly Lama chats was basically us doing our best to make sense of this whole human-ing experience. On that thread, when we all got together for this podcast, I couldn't really do anything else other than to call it a Dolly Lama session. And with most of our conversations, we cover a lot of territory with much giggle snorting in between.  Amongst other things, we talk about:   The movement away from seeking outward validation and people pleasing patterns The liberation of living with authenticity and integrity How your perspective creates your reality I hope you enjoy it!  Happy listening! ❤️ Jane

When I first met Rupert Isaacson, one of the things the struck me most was his tremendous energy and zest. He has the capacity to infuse joy into a room with a combination of humour, wisdom and compassion that makes it easy to get caught up in his enthusiasm and keen to understand more about him and the things that he's passionate about. His life story is one that traverses a lot of territory. A journalist for the British and American press from the early 1990s, he has also published several guidebooks to Africa and India, and is the author of three non-fictional memoirs: The Healing Land (a New York Times Notable Book), which tells the story of his family in Africa, and of his own time spent living with the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert; The Horse Boy (a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller), which tells the story of his journey across Mongolia on horseback with his autistic son Rowan; and The Long Ride Home, which tells of the three subsequent healing journeys he and his son made to Africa, Australia and the Navajo Reservation, as well as his discovery of how horses can help autism and special needs in general. Rupert also runs the Horse Boy Foundation which offers services to autism families, Movement method education (a movement based learning methodology) and Helios Harmony (training to introduce riders to the higher levels of equitation). A career in human rights runs parallel to all this; In 2004 Rupert founded the Indigenous Land Rights Fund, which helps hunting and gathering tribes gain legal title to their ancestral land and which helped the Bushmen of Botswana win the largest land claim in African history in 2006.  In this episode, we discuss:  The concept of vitality and what it means to live a full and vital life How our history and mythology informs our current experience (and how we can use this knowledge to our benefit) Belonging, purpose and connection You can find out more or get in touch with Rupert via his website: https://ntls.co/ Happy listening! ❤️ Jane 

The subject of vitality is on my mind because in a couple of weeks' time, I'm teaching a workshop with Rupert Isaacson on that exact topic. It's a workshop that I'm really excited for because at the heart of my work lies the desire for the restoration of vitality. The pathway there might look different for everyone; the challenges each of us experience may hold their own unique flavor; but ultimately, we are all looking to feel the essence of our own aliveness and to be able to hold that energy without turning away from the conversations that are important to us. Horses provide us with a portal to have conversations that we would not be brave enough or supported enough to have without them. They free us to say, I am experiencing anxiety or I feel lost or I can't find my way or I'm struggling in my relationships, by allowing us to think that it's about them, just enough, that we can turn towards what it is that is happening and begin the conversation. They teach us different ways that we can save our own lives. Ways that ultimately become more graceful as we become more skilled at holding the energy that's required. In this episode, we discuss: What vitality is (and what it isn't) The many ways we seek to save our own lives How vitality allows us to face towards the conversation, instead of away from it I hope you enjoy it! You can learn more about the Vitality Workshop I'm teaching with Rupert Isaacson or sign up on this link: https://confidentrider.online/vitality-online-workshop/ Happy listening, ❤️ Jane  

Elsa Sinclair is a human that I have looked up to for a very long time. In the horse world, she is a rare light who explores a way of partnering together with horses that is seldom explored and practiced; one that is rooted entirely in freedom. When I consider my own life and horsing adventures, I know that I am traversing a time where our consciousness of our relationships with our horses is undergoing a seismic shift. Whilst the majority may still work and ride with the traditional methods we have always known, there is a groundswell of others who are seeking something more. And beyond that, are starting to ask themselves the question, is what we're doing here really ok? Is how we are approaching our horsemanship and riding of true benefit to our horses? Diving into Elsa's work gives you real possibilities when it comes to finding those answers. And as with any new learnings, it's a process that involves unpicking and discarding some of your current beliefs or ways of going about things in order to make room for some new, that is as much about the human as it is about the horse. In this episode we discuss: The different forms of leadership; what it means to be a passive and supportive leader and a dominant leader My takeways from my 4 day clinic with Elsa How we can work in a way where the horse trains themselves to be a better partner What's required for emotional stability in our horses  I hope you enjoy it! Let us know what you think! ❤️ Jane

Fabulous humans, it's a party of awesomeness on the podcast! I am joined today by the incredible Crissi McDonald and Mark Rashid who are not only incredible horsepeople, but beyond that have a collective list of skills and accomplishments that make them a unique force of goodness in the horse world. Crissi has spent over thirty years working with many different horses and people from all over the world, as well as learning herself from some of the horse industry's top leaders in our current understanding of humane horse practices.  She teaching at clinics with her husband Mark Rashid, is a certified Masterson Method® equine bodyworker, and an instructor for the Masterson two-day Beyond Horse Massage workshops. Crissi is the author of a number of books exploring the human/equine bond, as well as a fiction series that we discuss over the course of our conversation. Mark Rashid is an internationally known author and horseman, he has earned a third degree black belt in Yoshinkan aikido and now teaches the “way of harmony” in the local dojo as well as in his Aikido for Horseman workshops, which are known also by the name of “Aibado.” He is the author of fifteen books, is an accomplished musician  with three music cds, and his novel Out of the Wild is now featured on Amazon Prime. Before I release you to our conversation together, I wanted to let you know that all three of us- Crissi, Mark and I are teaming up to bring you a three part Zoom series called Come as you are, an exploration of mind, movement and the nervous system in horses + humans that we would love you to join us for! We will be discussing topics such as how to create a productive learning environment for horses and humans, how to create new learning patterns, how the mind and the nervous system shows up in movement and so much more. You can learn more about that here: https://confidentrider.online/come-as-you-are-sessions/ And you can get in touch with Mark and Crissi and find out more about what they do on www.markrashid.com We would love to have you be a part of it! Happy listening! ❤️ Jane  

If you listen to the podcast regularly, you'll know that I was recently in Texas as part of Warwick Schiller's Journey On Podcast Summit.  The summit itself was a mindblowing experience in every way, and I'm yet to adequately find the words for my experience there. I definitely didn't come out of it the same person I was going in. I wanted to chat about my time there from the position of a presenter, but it didn't feel right to do that alone... so I've brought in some of my favourite people to do it with me! Today I am joined by Robyn Schiller, Kathy Price and Christine Dickson, incredible individuals in their own right and each a key part of my own summit adventures.  We chatter about how the idea for the summit came about, our thoughts leading up to it, and of course, how things played out over the course of the actual summit. I hope you enjoy it! You can find out more or get in touch with Robyn here: www.warwickschiller.com To find Kathy, jump on www.kathyprice.co.uk And you can find Christine at www.onthepathcoaching.net Happy listening! ❤️ Jane 

Fabulous humans! Ready to riff with me on all things mind, movement, and the nervous system? This week's episode is a recording of a live Q&A I held yesterday to answer some questions and continue on discussing the topics I talked about in my presentation at the Journey On Podcast Summit. I've had a lot of emails come in post-summit that vary from general questions on movement and the nervous system to more specific questions on various challenges that people are currently facing and I thought what better way to talk about them than to jump on a call, share space, and get into it together! We cover a lot of territory ranging from the structural changes that occur in the different nervous system states, the effect of the nervous system on emotions and mindset and the relationship of the nervous system overall to riding biomechanics. So here it is for you… I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to share! ❤️ Jane Want to check out JoyRide? You can do so here: www.confidentrider.online/joyride

Last week, an email landed in my inbox that asked a very specific question. “I get much of what you talk about, this person told me, but I still can't make the connection between how the movement work you teach relates to mindset. Can you explain this to me please?” Now at this point there are two things you should know about me: I'm a self-professed movement and nervous system nerd. This question lights up my insides in a similar fashion to when I see dark chocolate, and I really like dark chocolate. I have trouble narrowing things down into short, bullet point form. I err on the side of big conversations rather than succinct snapshots … so, with those two things in mind, I've dedicated this week's podcast to answering that exact question. We all know that movement, exercise and being active generally is important for our emotional and mental well-being, but I want to dive beyond that more superficial understanding and consider movement from a nervous system perspective, and how we can use that knowledge to better understand ourselves both in daily life, in our riding, and when it comes to moving on from experiences we might label as upsetting, stressful or traumatic. In this episode we discuss: The connection between our nervous system and our movement patterns and habits Dominant Patterns of Use; what they are, how that affects us and why they hold the key to moving past trauma and upset The interconnection of thought, movement, and experience I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to share and review the podcast- I really appreciate you taking the time to listen. ❤️ Jane www.confidentrider.online

I first became aware of Kate Sandel after reading one of her most excellent blogs that she shared on her Facebook page ,Soft and Sound, and from there launched into “quiet stalker mode” to find out more about her on her website. I was fortunate enough to become one of the early members of her online membership program, and from there, she has become not only one of my go-to people for help and advice about my horses, but beyond that a much-cherished friend. If this is your first introduction to Kate, she runs a thriving equine business and teaches in the UK and internationally. She trained for several years with Philippe Karl, French classical master and founder of the Ecole de Légèreté, as well as honing her horsemanship skills with a variety of incredible teachers. She is also a qualified equine sports massage therapist and her background in mental health means she values the wellbeing of both the human and horse in a riding partnership.  She also recently released her book Riding In Release: A Practical Guide To French Classical Equitation & Horsemanship that is well worth having in your library! You can find out more about Kate via her website www.softandsound.org I hope you enjoy our conversation, happy listening! ❤️ Jane www.confidentrider.online

Finding the right environment and teacher to learn with can be really messy territory to step into. On the one hand, we want to open ourselves up to the learning experience and put ourselves out there for the betterment of both ourselves and our horses. On the other, the vulnerability that creates means we want to make sure that we are doing so with the right people and in the right situations. From the student perspective, we want to know that the ethos of any trainer or coach we work with aligns with what's important to us. We want to make sure that our voice is respected and considered, and that the learning container is one that allows us to navigate our comfort zone artfully, empathetically and skilfully. We also want to step into the mode of self-responsibility; to commit ourselves to the necessary level and to do the work required in order fully understand and embody what is being offered to us. From the coach perspective, we need to have done enough work ourselves to allows our students their own learning experience, without seeking to control or override it. We need to let go of the need for others to agree with us and our patterns of perfectionism and likeability in order that we can be honest and clear.   At the end of the day, truly being teachable, I believe, comes down to self-trust. The self-trust that allows you to open yourself up to new things whilst maintaining your voice and advocating for yourself and your horse whenever the situation requires it. In this episode we discuss: The difference between boundaries and barriers (and how they apply in learning situations) What to do when things go wonky and you realise you're not in the right place for you (I share my own clinic experiences to this effect!) What it means to be teachable and take responsibility for your own “stuff” (which applies to both coaches and students) How the different nervous system states affect our capacity to learn I really hope it's useful to you when it comes to navigating your own experiences in the arena and beyond!  Happy listening! ❤️ Jane To learn more about my work or find out how we can work together, visit www.confidentrider.online

In the last episode, we launched into the topic of biomechanics and how understanding the role of the conscious and unconscious brain in movement can empower us to find a different way of moving and being in the saddle that sits outside of the traditional riding lesson model. One of the things I find challenging about these conversations is that the work I practice is highly experiential and so explaining things from a purely cognitive or “thinking about it” perspective can make it difficult to appreciate what I'm going on about. With that in mind, when I recorded today's podcast I had it in mind that you could ride along with me- a ride along audio session- so if you want to do that, you'll need to grab a pair of blue tooth ear buds or a speaker, your phone with this podcast on it and set yourself up so you can listen to it while you ride. We cover some basic terms at the start and then launch into the practice together! Along with the ridden practice, in this session we also discuss: - Movement arcs and their role in movement in the parasympathetic system - The basic anatomy of your centreline, and how to use your centreline to match the balance point of your horse I hope you enjoy it! If you are interested to learn more or join me in my membership program JoyRide, you can do so here: www.confidentrider.online/joyride Happy Riding!  ❤️ Jane 

Those of us interested in the art of horsemanship and riding find ourselves on a constant quest for harmony; a way of being and moving with our horses that allows both of us to find an ease of movement not only in our bodies, but also in our minds. My adventures into the nervous system have led me to some specific understandings of how the nervous system impacts our movement, and how we can use this knowledge to not only move through the physical challenges that we experience as riders, but optimize our balance and effectiveness in the saddle. This involves letting go of models of control and embracing ways of working with the body that honour its inherent wisdom and capacity for ongoing adaptation. In this episode we discuss: The relationship of biomechanics to the nervous system The role of the unconscious and conscious brain in movement How we can use these understandings to work with the body rather than against it I hope you enjoy it! You can learn more about my work by visiting my website at www.confidentrider.online ❤️ Jane 

It's one of my favouritist (yes, that is a word) humans ever joining me for the podcast this week. Kathy Price is in the house and we are talking about the… well, basically all. of. the. things. It's impossible when chattering to a person like Kathy to keep things at surface level, so we cover a lot of territory. Before we get into that however, let me introduce Kathy to you! Kathy comes from a scientific background gaining a BSc (Hons) degree in Zoology. Her mindset then was always based on the scientific paradigm of you had to be able to “measure it, replicate it and explain it” for it to be true. If those criteria where in place Kathy was happy. If they weren't she didn't want to know. That was until in 2003 when with her horse Midnight she went to a horsemanship clinic with clinician Len Judd. For her this clinic was the moment of transformation, a spiritual experience that changed her life. From that weekend forward as she stepped into and embraced the world of energy and connection, her need for scientific explanation fell away and her mind set became “My experience is my Truth.”   Now nearly 20 years on, after many years of studying energy, quantum physics, healing, spirituality and training in several energetic modalities, Kathy is well-established in her work which she calls Point of Balance. Through this purely energetic work her aim is to help the person or animal she is working with move back into balance at all levels - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. This move back to balance not only helps them to heal themselves, but also helps them realise their unique power and potential. In this episode we talk about: Kathy's personal journey that led her to the work that she's doing now The importance of movement to health and well being The beliefs that we have about our body and the nature of change Stories and experiences from working in the field of energy and movement I hope you enjoy it as much I did! You can find Kathy through all of the following channels: Website: https://kathyprice.co.uk/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pobwithkathyprice Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathypricepointofbalance/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KathyPrice333 ❤️ Jane  www.confidentrider.online 

Hands in the air if you feel like you never have enough time? This “time conundrum” is something that I've wrestled with for a long time and has created a lot of stress and struggle along the way. I recognize now that my own relationship with time has been caught up in a somewhat toxic relationship with people pleasing patterns, the need to get things right, and that somehow my self-worth was inextricably linked to how much I could get done in a day. What's more, the idea of being endlessly busy is something that is socially supported and as a result, normalized. But at some point, this no longer cut it for me. I was sick of juggling balls and feeling like more balls were being thrown my way. So instead, I threw all the balls on the ground so I could step back and ask myself, what's happening here? Do I really have no choice in my experience? How can I renegotiate my relationship with time so that I could release this feeling of being overwhelmed or flat out bonkers? In this episode we discuss: How your nervous system impacts your relationship with time How embracing your limitations is a liberation How the ability to make choices and be decisive impacts your experience of time I'd love to hear your thoughts! You can learn more about my work or get in touch via my website www.confidentrider.online ❤️ Jane   

How would things change if we looked at our horses and the first thing we thought was, you are brilliant? A Confident Rider Sound Bite on the place we begin from. www.confidentrider.online 

Do you know the difference between the action of fear and the emotion of fear? Because there is one. And being able to discern between them is vital when it comes to understanding not only how your nervous system works, but how your perception of different situations and experiences create sympathetic or fight flight responses. When the fight flight nervous system is working as it's designed to, it produces the action of fear in response to something it perceives in the environment to be threatening. In the wild- in their natural environment- this is what animals are experiencing. They are experiencing the action of fear, but not the emotion of fear. That's quite a different beast. The action of fear is unconsciously driven and kicks in as part of our survival reflexes. The emotion of fear is the conscious awareness of an experience and the labelling of the event, that is both subjective and perceptual. In other words, it's specific to us, our experiences, our nervous system and how we see the world. In this episode, we discuss the difference between the two as well as: - How the emotion of fear is not necessarily accurate nor responding to reality. But it can trigger the activation of our survival nervous system and send us on a reflexive loop that's not necessarily in our best interest. - How a  nervous system functioning in sympathetic dominance (where we are more often than not living from our survival nervous system) results in overthinking and recurring negative thoughts, and how they can leave us in a catch 22 cycle. - The relationship of trauma to both the emotion and action of fear The experience of the emotion of fear is real, but whether we are responding to something real is a very different thing altogether. It's our job to become curious about our own experiences and to begin to decouple emotional associations and labels from reflexive bodily experiences that don't actually match the moment. I hope you enjoy it! You can learn more by visiting my website at www.confidentrider.online Onwards, ❤️ Jane 

Fabulous humans! I'm baaaaaack! The Confident Rider Podcast is back on the airwaves for Season 2, and I have to say, I'm pretty excited about it! It seemed only fitting to give you a rundown of where I'm at work and life wise, but beyond that, to discuss some of the changes that have happened in my work over the past 18 months and how that has informed my own practices and understandings. So, let's take it from the top! In this episode, we go down the rabbit hole of the nervous system and discuss: The difference between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system function The motor reflex chain of the sympathetic nervous system, and its relationship to movement and emotion Understanding the relationship between trauma, motor patterns and dominant patterns of use I hope you enjoy it! If you love it, hit the subscribe button. Looking forward to continuing the adventure with you, ❤️ Jane

A couple of weeks back, I got tagged in a post on Facebook where the person in question had been bucked off and now found herself in the midst of two different riding experiences; when she is in company or with her instructor, she is fine to get on and ride. When she is alone, it's a completely different story. Given I had quite a lot to say on this subject (more than I could include in a Facebook comment!) I asked if I could use the question for a podcast episode, and the answer was absolutely yes. Here is an edited version of the original post: “I bought my first horse last year. I had a few rides on her and everything was great-then one day she bucked me off.  It's the first time I've ever been bucked off and I'm pretty sure I gave her mixed signals and was the cause of it. I sent her to a trainer and she has been going beautifully. I also took some riding lessons with her and it seemed like we were doing ok again- until I get by myself with her. I can't seem to make myself step up on her when no one else is around. If someone is with me then I'm fine. She does great when I'm working her from the ground and responds to even just voice commands. But I can feel myself get nervous and tense when it's time to step up on her. I know she can feel my nervous energy and that makes her nervous and then she won't stand still and acts scared of me. Any ideas on what I can do to get my confidence back? And get her confidence back in me?” In this episode, we discuss the difference between these two scenarios- and what's changing at the level of the nervous system- and I share my thoughts on the approach I would take to move beyond the reflexive responses created in the aftermath of an accident and injury.  

So here's the current state of play. Over the last little while, all three of my horses have had some time off. This definitely wasn't in the game plan- they have all for different reasons had some physical niggles from unrelated incidents that made me think a few weeks of paddock rest was a good idea- and now I am finding myself in the position where we are needing to begin again. This transition space is one that I'm in conversation frequently with other riders. There are so many reasons why we might find ourselves in the position of having to regroup after an extended break. It can be weather or seasonally related; it can be due to injury; it could just be that turning your horse out at specific times of the year is something that you do. Whatever the reason, there are some pretty common stuck points that rise up when it comes to picking up from where you left off including: Overwhelm (and consequently procrastination) Anxiety Confusion about where to start and what to focus on In this episode, I share the process that I have been going through and talk in more detail about what's going on in your brain space when such happenings rise to the surface! Happy listening! ❤️ Jane

A little while back, a friend of mine sent me a video of a trainer working with a horse who was suffering from significant anxiety. I watched them work together and loved not only the principles he followed but his thoughts about what was happening, and his intentions for creating trust and connection. Josh Nichol was the horseman in that video, and I had the great pleasure of sitting down together and having a conversation about his work, and our shared passions and interests. Our time together covers a lot of ground; we discuss Josh's Relational Horsemanship approach, his definition and thoughts on leadership, and the body-mind connection. “I look at relational horsemanship and reactive or emotional horsemanship. To me, relational horsemanship means that when a horse's needs are unmet, they will demonstrate that through their physical being. It's our job then to exemplify what leadership feels like. So for any of us, when we feel when we have someone who we desire to be around or we look up to, it's generally not just because of the things they've done. That may be what draws us in at the beginning. But the people we see or feel a desire to be around the most are usually the ones that emanate something we desire to have within ourselves. So I look at leadership, at its essence as a sense and confidence, an awareness that we have within ourselves, a piece that the horse desires to have within themselves as well.” ~ Josh Nichol

In this episode, Anxiety has stepped forward as our volunteer to show us just how important context is! Case and point: Say I am a rider who has come to recognize anxiety as a fairly familiar part of my riding experience. In fact, I am so intimate with my particular brand of riding anxiety that I've started to view it as a part of my personality and identity. This presents a few different problems for me. First up, I've taken something that is intrinsically mercurial- an emotion- and given it a sense of “fixed-ness”. Owning it as a part of me creates a sense of permanency. Secondly, when I DO find myself in the midst of an anxious experience, I see it as a flaw or weakness on my part (enter the Itty Bitty Shitty Committee from Stage Left), rather than something I can learn to understand and work with. And thirdly, I cut myself off from developing true understandings as to the nature of emotions and what it is they are trying to tell me. In this episode, I provide three possible contexts for the experience of “free-floating anxiety” (you know, that anxiety that just “appears” in situations that seem to have no justifiable reason!) beginning with intuition, and ending with understanding the nature of traumatic stress and the formation of memory at both a conscious and unconscious level. I hope you enjoy it!