Have Grand Prix Dressage on international level been reduced to a culture dominated by silence, greed and money? A culture where good people are reluctant to speak their minds when they should be advocating for the welfare of horses? Former FEI Judge Hege Trulsen, talks about some of challenges we are facing at the moment, and how we can solve them. This is a translated and updated version of the original Norwegian interview published in December 2023. www.clanofthehorses.com. Hosted on...

In this episode, I revisit Sue Dyson, one of the initiators Horse and Hound referred to as top equestrians when we launched our petition campaign New Era for Equestrian Sports #LetHorsesSpeak in December 2023. Sue Dyson is a specialist in veterinary medicine and rehabilitation, a surgeon specialist in Equine orthopedics and I've come to know her as a professional who has dedicated her life to improve horse welfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A horse can certainly be forced to do whatever we want it to do because they are sensitive flight animals seeking safety and survival. And if events organised by the FEI do not crack down on ugly riding on warm-up arenas, or displayed conflict behaviour in horses and fail to set a proper ethical and welfare standard for the sport, what do you think happens at events further down the food chain? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

- Sometimes the horse exhibits behaviour that we mistakenly interpret as disobedience, but it's actually a cry for help. In such cases, it's not effective to ride for a trainer who instructs you to look straight ahead, keep your hands still, and use your legs, says Elaine Butler, who was forced to change her approach when she bought a horse that wouldn't yield. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

- I really call this disruptive technology because from this point on there is no excuse anymore not to measure lameness objectively. It's practical, it's scientifically proven and it's validated, says doctor in veterinary medicine Filipe Bragança, who holds a PhD in biomechanics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

- Good ridning means that you stop disturbing the horse, and that is one thing I find it important to tell everybody; get out of the way, cause you are the problem, says Arne Koets, who during his five years as a rider and curator at the Fürstliche Hofreitschule in Bückeburg truly started to master the art of riding and the High School movements. He is a very versatile trainer and a full-time professional instructor in HEMA (Historical European Martial Art). Photo: Matilde Brandt Hosted on...

- Rather than focussing on the footfall of your horse, feel the rhythm in the movement of his spine. It is like the rhythm of a song, and you can move with it, says Jeff Sanders. Photo: Amanda Melchior. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

- We have a running joke in the US about how California and Texas got into a fight about horsemanship and Texas won, says trainer Jeff Sanders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

- Offering our horses scentwork and exploration exercises not only reduces stress and make them more confident. It can also be a brilliant tool when horses struggle with what we often refer to as behaviour problems, says the Dutch trainer Rachaël Draaisma. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

- We’ve been conditioned that many behaviours exhibited by the ridden horse are normal, when they are in fact often a reflection of underlying musculoskeletal pain. And if we resolve the pain, the behaviours will disappear, says veterinarian and Equine Orthopeadic Specialist Sue Dyson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

- What I teach can be tricky to teach people because they often expect a series of steps, but what I try to teach them is how to be more aware, more intuitive and more creative, says horse trainer Amy Skinner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I today's episode you'll meet Turid Rugaas and Rachaël Draaisma who will shed some light on equine calming signals. Photo: Anne Lill Kvam. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

- Being the leader is not being the boss. A true leader is the servant of the follower. You serve everyone and everything but yourself. That's when riding is fun. When you do it as a service to everything around you - including your horse, says Arne Koets, who teach and practice historical dressage and mounted combat. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

- This dynamic riding style is very seat-orientated and advocates a light hand. Much like guiding your partner through the steps of a tango, it is all about directing energy into harmonic motions, a dance of horse and rider. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

- I prefer liberty work with wild horses because the conversation is more honest and more direct. You can not afford to make mistakes with horses that are not domesticated. You only get one chance, says horse trainer Kelly Wilson from New Zealand, who specialises in taming and training wild kaimanawa horses. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

- A short update regarding delayed podcast episodes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

- When you reach a new level with your horse, spend some time there before you advance the training. It will make your horse strong, confident and proud, says master trainer Benedikt Líndal. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

- We are never allowed to surprise the horse, but the horse is always allowed to surprise us - with how good he can be, says master trainer Benedikt "Benni" Líndal. Illustration: Sigga Ævars. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

- On my Norwegian podcast I have several short episodes that I refer to as moments of zen. They are apt to be moments I have experienced with horses that has taught me something important about horses apt to change the way I understand or relate to them. This is one of those moments See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

- I thought I was a soft and supportive rider, but the Mongolian horses disagreed, says Cathrine Fodstad, who realised that our need for control is a bad deal for horses after participating in the world's longest and toughest horse race. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

- If you ride well, you don't need draw reins, and if you use them because you think need them, you jeopardise the welfare of your horse, says veterinarian, rider and author Gerd Heuschmann. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

- The horse has only one safety net on set and that is me, says animal trainer Sofie Polmar. Todays episode is a summary from this weeks Norwegian interview where we talked about training horses for the film industry. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In today's episode, I thought I’d say something about danger of being a rider. And I will illustrate it with a handful of accidents I have experienced first-hand and survived. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.