Horse Training in Harmony

In this episode I am joined by the USPC Equine Welfare Task Force, made up of: Dr Stacy Anderson, Heather Bell, Dr Laura Thompson, Christina Keim. In creating this, they are leading the way for education on equine wellness and will have a huge influence on a new generation of horsemen. This is so important and I’m excited to have these wonderful women on the pod. I think you’ll love hearing about what they’ve created and will be left feeling optimistic. About the Guests:Christina Keim, M.Ed., M.F.A. is an award-winning equestrian journalist and professional horsewoman with over 25 years experience in the industry. Her written work has appeared extensively in top equestrian publications, and she is the author of the new book, Unwanted: the Causes and Effects of America's Horse Population Crisis. For nearly twenty years a top intercollegiate hunter seat coach, Ms. Keim now teaches compassionate horsemanship and offers Equestrian Yoga and Mounted Mindfulness sessions both on the road and out of her Cold Moon Farm in Rochester, New Hampshire (christinakeim.com). Heather Bell: Life member of USPC. Graduate A. Career as a Wildlife biologist specializing in endangered species recovery, and leading agencies through contentious decisions and change.  Dr. Stacy Anderson DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS-LA is an equine surgeon who serves as Dean of the Richard A. Gillespie College of Veterinary Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University. A Pony Club Graduate ‘A,’ she has served as a USPC National Examiner, national committee member, and contributor to the USPC Equine Welfare Taskforce. Dr. Anderson has trained and competed horses and riders through Preliminary level eventing and Prix St. George level dressage. She is a USDF Bronze and Silver medalist, and is currently working toward her Gold medal with her12 year old Swedish warmblood gelding. Dr Laura Thompson has been an ambulatory equine vet in northern Colorado for almost 25 years. She teaches part time at Front Range Community college for the last 20+ years. She has her USPC H-A rating and still rides and competes. Her daughter competes at the FEI level in vaulting and they trained their own horse from scratch to FEI. About the Host:Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and levels from around the world in her clinics and the Dressage Naturally virtual programs. Karen is well known for training horses with a priority on partnership, a student-empowering approach to teaching, and a positive and balanced point of view. She believes in getting to the heart of our mental, emotional, and physical partnership with our horses by bringing together the best of the worlds of dressage and partnership-based training.  Karen’s passion for teaching extends beyond horse training. Her For The Love Of The Horse: Transform Your Business program is a result of her commitment to helping heart-centered equine professionals thrive so that horses may have a happier life in this industry. Resource Links:Article about USPC Equine Welfare Task Force: https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/uspc-brings-equine-welfare-to-the-forefront-with-happyhealthyhorse-initiative/ Pony Club Vision & Values:

In this episode I speak with high performance expert Dr Jenny Susser, a self described athlete, scientist, horse lover and people expert. She helps people with high performance, but today I’m going to ask her about embracing contentedness with “low performance”… and what that even means. This talk will get personal as I share some challenges I’ve been having at this point in my life & career. About the Guest:Dr. Jenny has a doctoral degree in Clinical Health Psychology, specializing in Sport & Performance Psychology, Dr. Jenny is a New York State licensed psychologist, a Certified Mental Performance Consultant with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, and a member of the USOC Olympic Registry, the highest distinction a Sport Psychologist can obtain in the United States.A former high performing athlete, Dr. Jenny was a four-year All-American swimmer and then assistant coach at UCLA, Pac-10 Champion, swam on two national teams, and competed at the 1988 Olympic Trials. Dr. Jenny has worked with Division I collegiate teams from UCLA, USC, and Hofstra University, individual high school athletes of all levels, and athletes of all sports and ages, professional, international, Olympic, and amateur. Dr. Jenny was the 2012 USET Olympic Team Sport Psychologist for the United States Olympic Dressage Team in London. After working for a decade with high performing athletes, Dr. Jenny took her experience to the corporate world, applying the tools of high performance to the pressures of the business world. As a keynote speaker and corporate trainer.With a philosophy of blending of science/research, education, experience, and intuition, her ability to flex and draw from multi-dimensional resources creates a powerful experience and remarkable results. Dr. Jenny successfully applies her years of experience promoting health, wellness, and performance to sport and corporate teams and individuals looking to make a lasting, positive difference in their professional and personal lives. I’ve known Dr Jenny from my days living on Long Island… Now we are both here in Ocala. About the Host:Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and levels from around the world in her clinics and the Dressage Naturally virtual programs. Karen is well known for training horses with a priority on partnership, a student-empowering approach to teaching, and a positive and balanced point of view. She believes in getting to the heart of our mental, emotional, and physical partnership with our horses by bringing together the best of the worlds of dressage and partnership-based training.  Karen’s passion for teaching extends beyond horse training. Her For The Love Of The Horse: Transform Your Business program is a result of her commitment to helping heart-centered equine professionals thrive so that horses may have a happier life in this industry. Resource Links:FREE Postural Rehabilitation Webinar with Dr Gellman: https://dnkarenr.krtra.com/t/xY1hza5wq0rK AUDIOBOOK Dressage Naturally: https://go.dressagenaturally.net/book-audio-573092 Naturally VIDEO CLASSROOM: https://dnc.dressagenaturally.net/ Ask a question or leave a message for the pod:

In this episode I am joined by Dr Judith Shoemaker and Dr Karen Gellman. They talk about Postural Rehabilitation and why horses may not respond to treatment. It is often due to underlying imbalances and they discuss different areas you’ll want to look at. Free webinar about Postural Rehabilitation.About the Guests: Judith M. Shoemaker, DVM, is well known practitioner and educator in integrative veterinary medicine and therapy. A 1980 graduate of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Shoemaker's 32 year experience in clinical practice focuses on holistic medicine and therapy, utilizing chiropractic, acupuncture, state of the art dentistry and farriery, and multiple other complementary modalities. Licensed in 16 states, she provides comprehensive maintenance, therapeutic management and consultation for top competitors, and companion animals, in the US and internationally. Dr. Karen Gellman holds DVM and PhD degrees from Cornell University in animal locomotion biomechanics. She has advanced training and certification in veterinary acupuncture and veterinary chiropractic, and has practiced these and other holistic modalities since 1995. She teaches about posture, biomechanics and holistic therapies to veterinarians world wide, is research director of Maximum Horsepower Research and practices holistic veterinary medicine in New York State, and on a consulting basis. In 2024, Dr. Gellman revived the popular Postural Rehabilitation program, with co-teachers Dr. Judith Shoemaker and Alexander Teacher Elizabeth Reese, offering Postural Rehabilitation Professional training online for equine professionals and Postural Rehabilitation for Horses for riders and horse enthusiasts. About the Host:Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and levels from around the world in her clinics and the Dressage Naturally virtual programs. Karen is well known for training horses with a priority on partnership, a student-empowering approach to teaching, and a positive and balanced point of view. She believes in getting to the heart of our mental, emotional, and physical partnership with our horses by bringing together the best of the worlds of dressage and partnership-based training.  Karen’s passion for teaching extends beyond horse training. Her For The Love Of The Horse: Transform Your Business program is a result of her commitment to helping heart-centered equine professionals thrive so that horses may have a happier life in this industry. Resource Links: FREE Postural Rehabilitation Webinar with Dr Gellman: https://dnkarenr.krtra.com/t/xY1hza5wq0rK AUDIOBOOK Dressage Naturally: https://go.dressagenaturally.net/book-audio-573092 Naturally VIDEO CLASSROOM: https://dnc.dressagenaturally.net/ Ask a question or leave a message for the pod: https://www.speakpipe.com/AskKarenAnything How To Create A Happy Athlete course: https://go.dressagenaturally.net/hats...

In this episode I talk about your horse’s M.O. Is there a quirk or behavior that continues through as you train? That even if you improve it, it comes back…  how do we feel about that and what do we do about it? About the Host:Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and levels from around the world in her clinics and the Dressage Naturally virtual programs. Karen is well known for training horses with a priority on partnership, a student-empowering approach to teaching, and a positive and balanced point of view. She believes in getting to the heart of our mental, emotional, and physical partnership with our horses by bringing together the best of the worlds of dressage and partnership-based training.  Karen’s passion for teaching extends beyond horse training. Her For The Love Of The Horse: Transform Your Business program is a result of her commitment to helping heart-centered equine professionals thrive so that horses may have a happier life in this industry. Resource Links:AUDIOBOOK Dressage Naturally: https://go.dressagenaturally.net/book-audio-573092 Naturally VIDEO CLASSROOM: https://dnc.dressagenaturally.net/ Ask a question or leave a message for the pod: https://www.speakpipe.com/AskKarenAnything How To Create A Happy Athlete course: https://go.dressagenaturally.net/hats Discount code: HATS100 to save $100 Private Consult: https://karenrohlf.as.me/schedule/d1232333/appointment/1513707/calendar/any?appointmentTypeIds[]=1513707 The Dressage Naturally Book+Video: https://shop.dressagenaturally.net/collections/home-page-featured/products/book-dvdKaren Rohlf’s Course: Sweet Spot of Healthy Biomechanics: https://go.dressagenaturally.net/sweet-spot-course Get 3 free training videos: https://dressagenaturally.net/free-dressage-training-videos/ Course: Habits For Excellent Horsemanship: https://dressagenaturally.net/habits. Program for Professionals: TYB Action & Support Group: https://dressagenatural.samcart.com/products/action-and-support-group-tyb/ Join the conversation in our Dressage Naturally Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DressageNaturallyLand Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please...

In this episode I muse about how my horses and I navigate our feelings of ‘wanting to’ do things together (or not). I’ll share some stories of my horses and hopefully leave you feeling a little more free. About the Host:Karen Rohlf, author and creator of Dressage Naturally, is an internationally recognized clinician who is changing the equestrian educational paradigm. She teaches students of all disciplines and levels from around the world in her clinics and the Dressage Naturally virtual programs. Karen is well known for training horses with a priority on partnership, a student-empowering approach to teaching, and a positive and balanced point of view. She believes in getting to the heart of our mental, emotional, and physical partnership with our horses by bringing together the best of the worlds of dressage and partnership-based training.  Karen’s passion for teaching extends beyond horse training. Her For The Love Of The Horse: Transform Your Business program is a result of her commitment to helping heart-centered equine professionals thrive so that horses may have a happier life in this industry. Resource Links:Video Of Teo at Liberty: November 2025: Your Horse Gets To Choose: Dressage Naturally VIDEO CLASSROOM: https://dnc.dressagenaturally.net/ Ask a question or leave a message for the pod: https://www.speakpipe.com/AskKarenAnything How To Create A Happy Athlete course: https://go.dressagenaturally.net/hats[Text Wrapping Break]Discount code: HATS100 to save $100 Private Consult: https://karenrohlf.as.me/schedule/d1232333/appointment/1513707/calendar/any?appointmentTypeIds[]=1513707 The Dressage Naturally Book+Video: https://shop.dressagenaturally.net/collections/home-page-featured/products/book-dvdKaren Rohlf’s Course: Sweet Spot of Healthy Biomechanics: https://go.dressagenaturally.net/sweet-spot-course Get 3 free training videos: https://dressagenaturally.net/free-dressage-training-videos/ Course: Habits For Excellent Horsemanship: https://dressagenaturally.net/habits. Program for Professionals: TYB Action & Support Group: https://dressagenatural.samcart.com/products/action-and-support-group-tyb/ Join the conversation in our Dressage Naturally Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DressageNaturallyLand Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it! Don’t forget to FOLLOW the...