Podcasts about horsekeeping

We are back with our regular Triple Crown Nutrition Spotlight, answering listener questions with Triple Crown Feed specialist, Stacy Andersen. This month features the answer to a query submitted by Shannon, who had a follow-up question to our discussion about feeding the insulin resistant horse. There is a lot to keep track of when you're keeping a horse with a chronic health condition. Your veterinarian should always be the first place you go for advice, but with some insight from the folks at Triple Crown Nutrition, you'll have more information to work with as you partner with your vet on a plan to keep your horse healthy. Listen in!   

Are you interested in ways to keep your horse mentally and emotionally healthy? If your horse spends more than an hour or two in a stall, you will be interested in learning about today's guest: Marlow Morrison, inventor of the Snuffle Pasture, a unique product for stabled horses that creates relaxation and supports emotional wellness in equines of all kinds. Listen in!   This episode is brought to you by: AMERICAN STALLS, makers of luxury stall components and accessories. From beautiful European stallfronts, to brick paver, brass bridle hooks, and much more.

We have a powerhouse episode this week, featuring our monthly Triple Crown Nutrition Spotlight, where we answer questions submitted by listeners about how to best feed their horses. Plus, an exclusive audio excerpt from the life-changing book, HORSE BRAIN, HUMAN BRAIN-The Neuroscience of Horsemanship, by Janet Jones, PhD.  Yes, listeners, feeding your horse can be fun! And, if you have ever asked yourself, "Why does my horse do that?", you will be so relieved to know that science has some very helpful answers for you... so listen in!  This episode is possible with the support of AMERICAN STALLS, makers of premium quality stall accessories and components. 

Deciding what to feed our horses can be daunting. Some horse owners rely on their trainers for guidance, others rely on the barn manager, or even random tidbits from the Internet. Thankfully, there are people and companies for whom equine nutrition is a speciality. In this first episode of our new Triple Crown Nutrition Series, Helena is joined by Stacy Andersen, Nutrition Consultant with Triple Crown, to answer some key questions about feeding forage. It's a Q&A session that can help make those feed decisions a lot easier for everyone, so listen in!

In this episode, brought to you by our friends at American Stalls, Helena chats with Hannah Ely, proprietor of the Cornish Ranch Track Livery in Cornwall, England. The Cornish Ranch has an interesting track system that includes lots and lots of hay, water buckets that are full of delightful suprises, and an approach to horsekeeping that honors the horses's freedom of choice, as well as their deep-seated nomadic tendencies. This is one conversation that may open your mind and inspire you to try something new for your herd. Listen in! 

This episode is brought to you by: AMERICAN STALLS, makers of premium quality stall components and barn accessories. Do you know how much water your horse drinks each day? Can you be sure they are getting enough? One of the primary causes of equine colic is an insufficiently hydrated digestive system. What if we could monitor exactly how much water our horses drink and ensure they always have fresh water when they need it most? Well, apparently now we can. My guests today are Kelly and Dan Munro, the brilliant duo behind the popular Lighthoof Mud Management Panels. The Munros have a new solution to the old problem of too much time and stress around making sure horses have adequate water. Kelly, Dan, and Helena discuss their new high-tech product, the Cascada Automatic Waterer, and how it's different than any other automatic waterer brought to market thus far. If your horses eat or sleep indoors, this is an episode you won't want to miss, so listen in!

We offer these shows for free. If you think it's worthy of a small contribution, we sure would appreciate it. This is Episode 9 of Season 4 and in it, Jec welcomes back Lee McLean to our show. It's a great interview in which the two horsewomen discuss observations around domestic versus wild horse lives and the possible management practices around them. They get into their observations, which are insightful, as well as weighing in on the sometimes problematic online side-taking around this issue. This is a compelling topic. At the Best Horse Practices Summit, the board and I talked a lot about how best to cultivate best practices – and by that we mean practices that are in the best interest of the horse -- through Summit presentations. Horsekeeping involves making decisions around space, diet, hoof care, your horse's socialization, riding. As Jec and Lee mention, we can get pretty tribal about what we think is best – that's a shame because in my observation, the tribalism is often distinct from horses' actual experiences. After listening to Jec and Lee, maybe you can take a critical look at how you keep your horses and what improvements might be made for their sake. We'd love to hear from you.    Thanks to our title sponsor, Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds, extremely handy and healthy bales of alfalfa, timothy, and grass blends. A great addition or substitute for your hay or grass and way better than grain.   Also, thanks to Chill Angel, a Colorado company that makes luxurious superfine merino wool sleepwear, perfect for these cooler nights.  It's true – horses in the wild can appear to be doing just fine and we should remember that humans have done a great job of wrecking horses' feet, nervous systems, temperments and confirmation as we have domesticated them for our purposes. Of course, we have elevated their lives, too. As Lee mentions, wild horses have tough lives and a lot of the not-so-pretty events are never witnessed. Also, the various governments and agencies charged with managing wild horses have not done a stellar job here, nor have they used science to roll out optimal policy. It's a political mess, also known as, yep, tribalism. If we zoom out, we see that the swing from wild to domestic can be smooth or startling, depending on what lens we look through, what year, what culture, what eduation, what motivation folks have. A lot of people, especially on properties with more acreage (especially, on acreage with diverse topography), keep their horses naturally (air quotes here) with great success. People with less space have gotten creative with hacks to improve their horses' mental  and physical well-being – I'm thinking of pasture design and footing as well as group housing. Here are articles: Wild Horse topics Dr. King: Horses want fewer gifts, better care Care  Ownership Last week, after 15 years and 700 newsletters, I suspended the Cayuse Communications newsletter. It was a good stretch and thanks to all those who subscribed. While a page has turned, you can still find great articles on the Cayuse Communications sites, which include HorseHead, NickerNews, BestHorsePractices, and HighCountryOutsider. And, as ever, we have great books available at the Cayuse Communications library. We thank Sampson Moss and his business, Prairie Wind Hat Works, for the generous sponsorship. Sampson makes custom hats from his place in Pincher Creek, Alberta. You can order one today and have it by the holidays.  Thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our podcast. Check out Pharm Aloe's aloe pellets which you can simply sprinkle on your horse's feed and Redmond's Rock on a Rope which you can simply hang on a fence. We think you'll love ‘em. Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you'll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items that we give away every month. Don't forget that Redmond Equine is sending a complimentary syringe of Daily Gold Stress Relief to everyone who drops a tip in our donation jar. Pretty cool and a $15 value. If you get something of value from our podcast, please consider making a donation. We sure would appreciate it.  That's it. Another episode in the can and out of the barn. Thanks for listening, y'all!  

In search of something that can help keep your horses cool during extreme heat events, but that isn't quite as dramatic as installing an A/C unit in your barn? Consider a mist cooling system! This episode's guest is Bashil Patel with Mistcooling, Inc., a Texas-based manufacturer of a product that can drop the ambient air temperature by 10-20 degrees - in or out of your barn. This is a system that leverages a simple physical process... evaporation. Bashil explains how mist cooling works, and how you can use it in your barn. Listen in! If your barn is your Happy Place, make it even happier with American Stalls!

In this special episode hosted by Horse Husband Extraordinaire, Buck Harris, you'll learn about Helena's history with horses and how it all lead to an exciting new chapter in her horsekeeping life. Where did the Harrises settle for a winter retreat? Is there room for all three horses? What does the barn look like? Is it really necessary to leave Hoo Hollow behind for a few months every year? Gah! So many questions... Listen in! This episode is brought to you with the support of American Stalls, makers of premium quality barn components and accessories. 

This is Episode 11 of Season three and in it, Jec interviews Dr. Sheryl King, this year's keynote speaker at the Best Horse Practices Summit in Kentucky. In this conversation, Jec and Dr. King discuss a few myth-busting ideas around horse management. It's a good segue from last week's introduction to the anti-warm and fuzzies campaign-- maybe we should call it the cool and clear-zies dialogue? Cool and clear are what nights are like lately, here in Colorado. Maybe not just cool. Downright cold. Single digits. My guess is that a lot of folks want to put their horses in when it's cold like this. I don't know if this makes sense to me. For starters, stalls aren't that much warmer than run-in shelters. Secondly, horses need to move and be with buddies. They need to move to help their digestion. Moving helps keep them warm. Moving is what prey animals like to do. In my observation, moving helps lower their stress. Years ago, when my horses and I were living in Maine, we had a hurricane come through. I had big stalls without doors and watched them choose to be out in that weather, rather than in. During a hurricane.  Jec and Dr. King talk a lot about the need to check ourselves when we consider horse habits versus human inclinations. “Tucking in for the night” is not a thing for horses. I mean, it IS a thing because some of us make it so, but it's not a thing for horses left to their own devices. Also, blankets. Putting blankets on horses takes away horses' natural ability to thermoregulate. Except in very few specific cases, horses are decidedly not better off with blankets. Save your money, listeners. Yes, they will benefit from extra hay in the winter. But spare them the “storm shield” or “viking extreme weather” garments. Please. Our title sponsor is Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds.  Lucerne is a small company in Aroostock County in northern Maine. They make forage, from timothy and alfalfa, a great option if you are looking to add calories to your horses' diet this winter. Check them out at lucerne farms.com or at your local feed story. For links to King's research and other myth-busting articles, head to this Best Horse Practices page.  We thank Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – two sponsors with no-nonsense products for your horses.  Don't forget to check out the great selection of books at Cayuse Communications and on Jec's store page. There is still time to order books for Christmas and Cayuse has a Buy one get one free offer going on.

Brought to you by: Barn ProsIn this second episode of Stall and Stable West, guest host Tara Tibbets shares the details of her farm in North Texas, and how her barn setup works for her three horses and her lifestyle. Combining a long family history in ranch-style horsekeeping with a modern take on life with horses in a suburban area, you'll understand why Tara is perfectly suited for sharing her ideas for happy horsekeeping. Listen in!Support the show

Brought to you by In this second episode of Stall and Stable West, guest host Tara Tibbets shares the details of her farm in North Texas, and how her barn setup works for her three horses and her lifestyle. Combining a long family history in ranch-style horsekeeping with a modern take on life with horses in a suburban area, you'll understand why Tara is perfectly suited for sharing her ideas for happy horsekeeping. Listen in!   

How can we keep horses in an eco-friendly way and reduce their and our ecological footprint? This is the question I want to talk about in today's podcast episode. Horse are big animals, they eat and poop a lot and need space. But did you know that horses are also carbon sequesters and can help saving the planet? Like everything, the question whether horses are good or bad for the climate, is a complicated one and it depends on our horse keeping.Show Notes:https://equestrianadventuresses.com/2022/07/06/horse-podcast-ep-264-eco-friendly-horsekeeping/Support the show

How can we keep horses in an eco-friendly way and reduce their and our ecological footprint? This is the question I want to talk about in today's podcast episode. Horse are big animals, they eat and poop a lot and need space. But did you know that horses are also carbon sequesters and can help saving the planet? Like everything, the question whether horses are good or bad for the climate, is a complicated one and it depends on our horse keeping. Show Notes: https://equestrianadventuresses.com/2022/07/06/horse-podcast-ep-264-eco-friendly-horsekeeping/

Brought to you by American Stalls. Spring is here and the grass is green! Ish. If, like me, you're gearing up to do all the things you've been waiting two years and all winter to do, I have some tips to help ensure you're on the right path to achieving your goals. Whether you own or manage a commercial barn or keep horses at home, these tips are good reminders for getting things in order so you save precious time that you can otherwise spend riding and playing with your ponies. Listen in!

We are back this week with another episode in my HRN Host Series on Happy Horsekeeping. This time, I have a long chat with FEI dressage rider, trainer, and business owner, Reese Koffler-Stanfield. Reese is the co-host of the Dressage Radio Show, the official podcast of the United States Dressage Federation. Reese tells us all about her wonderful farm Kentucky, her business model, and how she defines success, so listen in!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=87421)

We are back this week with another episode in my HRN Host Series on Happy Horsekeeping. This time, I have a long chat with FEI dressage rider, trainer, and business owner, Reese Koffler-Stanfield. Reese is the co-host of the Dressage Radio Show, the official podcast of the United States Dressage Federation. Reese tells us all about her wonderful farm Kentucky, her business model, and how she defines success, so listen in!

We cover a different part of the United States in this episode, as Helena talks with Tara Tibbetts, host of the Foxhunting series on the Horse Radio Network. Tara originally hails from Montana, but has been keeping horses at home in Texas for many years. With a background in quarter horses, a serious side hustle as hunt staff, and some prowess in the show ring, Tara's horsekeeping practices are as well-rounded as her riding. This is one of those episodes where the listener gets to eavesdrop on a conversation between two friends talking horse care. So listen in for some interesting information and ideas!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=87421)

We cover a different part of the United States in this episode, as Helena talks with Tara Tibbetts, host of the Foxhunting series on the Horse Radio Network. Tara originally hails from Montana, but has been keeping horses at home in Texas for many years. With a background in quarter horses, a serious side hustle as hunt staff, and some prowess in the show ring, Tara's horsekeeping practices are as well-rounded as her riding. This is one of those episodes where the listener gets to eavesdrop on a conversation between two friends talking horse care. So listen in for some interesting information and ideas!

Every cold season the same question pops up: To rug or not to rug? In many stables riders rug their horses because everyone does it, without ever questioning if their horse really requires a blanket or not. We still believe that when we feel cold, so does our horse. Today I want to talk about the pros and cons of rugging, which horses need blankets and which can do without and the science behind it. Show Notes: https://equestrianadventuresses.com/2022/01/11/horse-podcast-ep-218-to-rug-or-not-to-rug/

In today's episode Ute talks with Nina Sepp, bare-hoof trimmer and hoof technician from Germany. Nina tells us how to keep the hooves of our horses healthy and sound and what kind of alternatives are there to iron horse shoes which are better and more efficient for trail horses. Because at the end of the day, a horse is only as good as its hooves! Show Notes: https://equestrianadventuresses.com/2022/01/04/horse-podcast-ep-216-hoof-protection-for-trail-horses/

This episode was made possible by our podcast partners: Lucas Equine Equipment, Tangent Materials, and listeners like you!This is the fifth in a series of conversations Helena has with the Horse Radio Network show hosts on what they believe are best practices in happy horsekeeping. In this episode, she talks with Alicia Harlov, hoofcare specialist and host of the Humble Hoof Podcast.And yes... they dig in a bit to the ever-hot topic of metal shoes versus barefoot trimming, so listen in!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=87421)

This episode is brought to you by Load Trailer trailers.We're back with another episode in the HRN Host Series on Happy Horsekeeping. This time Helena is joined by endurance pro, and host of Endurance Day on Horses in the Morning, Karen Chaton, from Nevada.  The saying goes: “If you ask ten different horse people how to do something, you will get 10 different answers.” Helena puts that old adage to the test and asks ten different horse people their opinions about what qualifies for happy horsekeeping. Those ten people happen to be her Horse Radio Network colleagues - all horse professionals of some sort, and all with a similar horse-first philosophy when it comes to keeping, training, and competing their horses. In this episode, you'll hear how Endurance champ, Karen Chaton, keeps her horses happy and healthy. Listen in!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=87421)

This episode was made possible by our podcast partners: Lucas Equine Equipment, Tangent Materials, and listeners like you! This is the fifth in a series of conversations Helena has with the Horse Radio Network show hosts on what they believe are best practices in happy horsekeeping. In this episode, she talks with Alicia Harlov, hoofcare specialist and host of the Humble Hoof Podcast.  And yes... they dig in a bit to the ever-hot topic of metal shoes versus barefoot trimming, so listen in! 

This episode is brought to you by Load Trailer trailers. We're back with another episode in the HRN Host Series on Happy Horsekeeping. This time Helena is joined by endurance pro, and host of Endurance Day on Horses in the Morning, Karen Chaton, from Nevada.  The saying goes: “If you ask ten different horse people how to do something, you will get 10 different answers.” Helena puts that old adage to the test and asks ten different horse people their opinions about what qualifies for happy horsekeeping. Those ten people happen to be her Horse Radio Network colleagues - all horse professionals of some sort, and all with a similar horse-first philosophy when it comes to keeping, training, and competing their horses. In this episode, you'll hear how Endurance champ, Karen Chaton, keeps her horses happy and healthy. Listen in!

This is part 3 of the HRN Host Series, brought to you by Load Trail Trailers. The saying goes, “If you ask ten horse people how to do something, you'll get ten different answers.”   In this episode, Helena talks with Dr. Wendy Ying, owner of Five Elements for Animals, a private practice that specializes in Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. Wendy is also an accomplished FEI-level driving competitor and host of the Driving Radio Show. Wendy shares her best practices for keeping her horses healthy and happy in sunny Florida. Listen in!

"One thing I've learned in my time on this planet, is that change is constant. Whether we invite it in, or it arrives as an unexpected guest, our best strategy for dealing with it, is to learn how to be adaptable." In this episode, Helena is joined by her husband Buck to discuss not one, but several big changes happening at Hoo Hollow. In life, in business, and in horses, change is indeed constant, how we roll with it is the difference between struggle and success. Listen in!

Small farm or large, the essentials of horsekeeping are the same. Some methods we use to keep our horses happy and healthy will differ based on the way we use our horses, but the underlying principles are pretty firm, whether you have two acres or 20.In this episode, Helena shares some observations from her recent trip to several farms in the heart of horse country in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Listen in!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=87421)

In today's podcast episode I am talking basics. Every horse owner and rider know his or her tack, be it saddles, bridles, breastplates or martingales. Traditionally they all are made from leather but a couple of years ago, a new material made its appearance: Biothane. Its an artificial material but it has greatly changed the world of horse riding with more durable and colourful tack. Today we discuss the pros and cons of both leather and biothane and what you need to know before buying it. Show Notes: https://equestrianadventuresses.com/2021/08/16/horse-podcast-ep-171-leather-vs-biothane/

If you're one of the lucky horse people who finally get to bring their horses home or start that boarding business you've always dreamed about, you'll appreciate this episode. Tips and advice about horsekeeping are plentiful on the internet, but many of them are either unreliable, sketchy, or based on a situation that's very different than yours. Today's tips are generic enough to be used just about anywhere, they don't cost you a fortune to implement, and each one is backed up by credible research. Plus, get the scoop on Helena's new sand ring in the works. Listen in!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=87421)

Small farm or large, the essentials of horsekeeping are the same. Some methods we use to keep our horses happy and healthy will differ based on the way we use our horses, but the underlying principles are pretty firm, whether you have two acres or 20. In this episode, Helena shares some observations from her recent trip to several farms in the heart of horse country in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Listen in!

If you're one of the lucky horse people who finally get to bring their horses home or start that boarding business you've always dreamed about, you'll appreciate this episode. Tips and advice about horsekeeping are plentiful on the internet, but many of them are either unreliable, sketchy, or based on a situation that's very different than yours. Today's tips are generic enough to be used just about anywhere, they don't cost you a fortune to implement, and each one is backed up by credible research. Plus, get the scoop on Helena's new sand ring in the works. Listen in!

Today, Jec interviews Jane Myers. Jane runs the educational website Equiculture with her husband, Stuart. The couple, based in England but also having spent many years in Australia, offer advice on everything from riding to getting along with your horse to horse keeping practices. As for the latter, we’re happy to report that Jane aligns quite well with Alayne Blickle, the Best Horse Practices Summit presenter and owner of Horses for Clean Water. At the last Summit, Alayne presented on horse keeping and climate change. In this interview, Jane talks about how change in horse keeping can have an enormously beneficial impact on horse welfare and behavior. So, here in Colorado, most of us keep horses on acreage and with buddies. There aren’t a lot of isolated or stalled horses. In much of the world, though, that’s not the case. Whether it’s a cultural thing or an urban or suburban space limitation thing, it’s a problem that has behavioral, physical, digestive, physiological and other fallouts. What’s to be done? Well, if you didn’t know already, you’re gonna learn. We thank Pharm Aloe Equine and Lucerne Farms for their continued support. . Pharm Aloe offers aloe pellets and gel and other products to support horses’ GI health, immune system, and other processes.  Lucerne Farms is a forage company based in Northern Maine. Lucerne has an array of products, with timothy or alfalfa or timothy and alfalfa, with a touch of molasses, or not, for feeding your horses.  Feeding forage is wwaayy better than feeding grain. That’s research based. But, of course, your horses will tell you, too. Also, check out Koop Clean for your chickens. Also, we thank Redmond Equine, Kate’s Real Food and Patagonia WorkWear for their continuing support. Please follow these brands and buy their stuff as they support us and what we’re doing. Don’t forget to check out details on the Yeti/Nomadix giveaways. Thanks for listening y’all!

Susan Kauffmann is the co-author with Christina Cline of The Essential Hoof Book: The Complete Modern Guide to Horse Feet - Anatomy, Care and Health, Disease Diagnosis and Treatment. Trust me – despite the mouthful of a title, this is a wonderfully accessible book. Kauffmann and Cline will present at the Best Horse Practices Summit in Lexington in October. That’s the super fun and enlightening conference that I direct and where Jec is also presenting. Anyway, here, Susan explains how tragically common hoof problems are and how unnecessary they are.  What develops in the feet has everything to do with how we keep our horses, what we feed them, how they are able (or not) to move freely. There is one helpful insight after another in this short interview and I was so happy to produce it. Oh, and how lucky are y’all -- We’re giving away copies of The Essential hoof book in the e-book version to two lucky listeners. Just visit here to learn more.   Super easy to enter.

On today's episode Ute talks with Daniela Vadehra, endurance rider, horse breeder and nutritionist about how you can get your horses into spring, helping them with the changing of coat and transitioning them from paddock and hay to pasture and grass. We also talk about what things we should keep in mind come spring, what kind of check-list it is worth having and how we can manage our horses when they get a little excitable once the sun is out and the temperatures rise, so you can start your training or hit the trail smoothly. Show Notes: https://equestrianadventuresses.com/2021/02/26/horse-podcast-ep-102-changing-of-coat-transition-to-spring-with-your-horse/

When you finally get your horses home, there is no other feeling like it. Looking out your window and seeing your favorite creatures enjoying life under your care is one of THE most gratifying experiences for a horse lover. But there’s a flip side. Happy Horsekeeping isn’t as easy as it sometimes seems. While we can design our barns, yards, and turnout to keep our horses safe, feed them the best hay and grains, and provide a low-stress environment for them, there are times when that’s still not enough. Listen in!For more information:Habronema and Summer SoresEncysted Redworms in HorsesUpward Fixation of the Patella (Sioux’s stifle issue)Changes in Hindgut Microbiota and Behavioral Indicators (article abstract)Controlling Hindgut Acidosis (PDF)Horse Personality Questionnaire (PDF)Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=87421)

In today's episode Adriana, a horse vet from Brazil, and Ute are talking about what every rider should know about horses. They swap stories about horse feeding, horse keeping and horse behaviour. Why horses develop stable vices or stomach ulcers or what horses cannot vomit. The discuss a lot of interesting facts about horses and Ute asks some questions she always wanted to have answered. Find our full show notes: https://equestrianadventuresses.com/2020/10/05/horse-podcast-ep-45-ask-your-vet-what-every-rider-should-know-about-horses/

When you finally get your horses home, there is no other feeling like it. Looking out your window and seeing your favorite creatures enjoying life under your care is one of THE most gratifying experiences for a horse lover.  But there’s a flip side. Happy Horsekeeping isn’t as easy as it sometimes seems. While we can design our barns, yards, and turnout to keep our horses safe, feed them the best hay and grains, and provide a low-stress environment for them, there are times when that’s still not enough. Listen in!

I'm discussing the ways we keep our horses, and how those practices can affect our horse's training and overall well being.

Dr. Karyn Malinowski, an accomplished equine scientist, is the Founding Director of the Rutgers Equine Science Center at the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES). She joins Helena in this episode to talk about current best practices in horsekeeping. Listen in to hear about how the experts at Rutgers manage things like the dietary requirements of their horses, turnout, herd dynamics, and more. Dr. Malinowski is such an enthusiastic leader in our industry, you're going to love this episode!

Sometimes we as horse people get stuck in our traditions and habits or are influenced by mythology and marketing. But is there a better way? Join our host, Michelle Anderson, as she interviews Dr. Camie Heleski of the University of Kentucky. You’ll learn about how equine welfare plays an important part in training and managing horses, how equine welfare is measured, improvements we can make to our horses’ housing and lifestyles in order to improve their wellbeing, and much more.Dr. Camie Heleski is an instructor and adviser in the University of Kentucky equine science and management program. Previously, she worked at Michigan State University, where she was the two-year horse management program coordinator for 25 years. Her applied research interests include equine behavior and welfare, horse-human interactions, and working equids in the world’s developing regions. She’s currently president of the International Society for Equitation Science and has served as scientific chair for the National Farm Animal Care Council’s Canadian equine welfare code committee. Her equine research and outreach efforts have taken her to Brazil, Mexico, Honduras, Egypt, and Mali. She enjoys dressage with her Arabian gelding, MSU Ducati.

Instructors at the Balance Point Learning Center discuss the many ways horses teach humans as well as precautions therapeutic instructors can take to ensure the horses in their programs are comfortable working with people.

Nikki Alvin-Smith is an international Grand Prix dressage trainer, competitor, and clinician. She also writes equestrian ‘How To’ articles for horse publications, like Chronicle of the Horse, The Horseman’s Yankee Pedlar, Equine Journal, and more. Together with her husband Paul, who is also a Grand Prix dressage clinician, Nikki imported and bred Hanoverians for twenty six years. This dynamic dressage duo currently live on the beautiful Willowview Hill Farm in upstate New York, where they still breed and train horses from start to Grand Prix. While both have worked with more than a few icons in the dressage world, the Alvin-Smith’s have been most influenced by their work with Olympic trainer, Raul de Leon, and Grand Master Herbert Rehbein, of Germany. In this episode, I chat with Nikki about Willowview Hill, and how their every day farm routine supports their dressage  athletes at the highest level.

The best way to be safe around horses is to become an educated horse person and follow good safety practices. This is especially important in the stable, where our horses spend a lot of their time. Today's guest is author, illustrator, and international clinician, Susan E. Harris. Susan wrote and illustrated all three U.S. Pony Club Manuals of Horsemanship - the closest thing the U.S. has to documented standards in care for horses. In this episode, Susan and Helena talk about, and expand upon, the essentials of horsekeeping that Susan wrote about that Horsemanship series. Join us!

Building a barn in the backyard for our beloved horses is a dream for many horse owners. Waking up to nickers and neighs, choosing your own hay, and relishing in the comfort of knowing your horses are perfectly blanketed can be more than just a dream if we play our cards right and start planning now. In this episode, Jill Siragusa, Chief Marketing Officer for modular barn-building company, Horizon Structures, joins Helena to chat about the process of building one of their barns and what kinds of features we really need. 

Audrey speaks with author Lucinda Dyer about the over 100 Budget-Friendly Ways You and Your Horse Can Save the Planet. You’ll get the advice you need to stop worrying about the environment and start doing something about saving it-- while at the same time saving money! And best of all, your green initiative can begin in the barn, alongside your horse. Who knew the cheapest, easiest planet-friendly practices could revolve around your equestrian passion? More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Eco-Horsekeeping with Audrey Pavia