The Thinking Horse and Rider: Unlocking Magnetic Equestrian Partnerships with Anna Fox

Equus Enlightened
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Hey horse fiend. What if your rides were more magic than mystery? What if your relationship with your horse was more magnetic than electric? This podcast isn't about training harder, riding better, or drilling more. Here, we explore what happens when you choose allowing over controlling. It’s about what unfolds when you soften, listen, and let your horse want you back. Between power and patience lies a place your horse is waiting to meet you. This is where your story begins and your partnership grows.

  1. 5D AGO

    54. What Riding Lessons Don’t Teach You (But Your Horse Needs Most)

    What are the most important horsemanship skills that riding lessons never teach you? In this powerful conversation, Anna Fox of Equus Enlightened is joined by lifelong friend and former professional groom Ellen Peebles to explore the seven missing pieces in traditional riding instruction. From awareness and energy to relational consistency, autonomy, and leadership in flow, they unpack what truly shapes horse behavior and partnership—beyond technique, ribbons, and perfect distances. Ellen shares her experience working in high-level competition barns, internationally as an exercise rider, and behind the scenes as a groom—where she witnessed firsthand how pressure, ego, and performance culture impact horses’ nervous systems. Together, they discuss horse communication, emotional regulation, energy awareness, and why slowing down can actually accelerate learning. If you’ve ever felt like something was missing in your riding lessons, or you want to build a deeper, more ethical partnership with your horse, this episode will open your eyes. Plus: a simple experiment you can try this week to develop awareness and autonomy with your horse. Perfect for riders interested in: • Horse behavior and nervous system regulation • Ethical horse training and horsemanship • Improving riding through feel and energy awareness • Developing true horse–human partnership Find me on social media as @equusenlightened.   Join our Facebook group titled Horse-First Dressage: Compassionate Training and Connection or join the community and the Dressage Naturally Video Classroom at www.patreon.com/equusenlightened. You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightened Read blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened Find out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart https://equusenlightened.com/reconnect-rebuild Find more about Tad Coffin's work at https://www.tadcoffinsaddles.com Email me at anna@equusenlightened.com Happy Riding!

    34 min

  2. 12/26/2025

    7. Why Horses Don’t Compete: Rethinking Leadership in Horse Training

    Do horses understand competition—or is “don’t let them win” a human projection? In this episode of The Thinking Horse and Rider, Anna explores Leadership in Flow and why dominance-based ideas about leadership don’t align with how horses actually think and learn. Drawing from equine behavior science and real-world riding examples, this conversation challenges the myth that horses are trying to win or take control. Instead, horses respond to safety, comfort, clarity, and emotional steadiness—not power struggles. Inspired by Seed 7 of Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart, this episode invites riders to rethink leadership as shared direction rather than control, and to explore what becomes possible when leadership feels like. Take the Are You a Perfectionist Quiz? at www.equusenlightened.com Find me on social media as @equusenlightened.  Join our Facebook group titled Horse-First Dressage: Compassionate Training and Connection or join the community and the Dressage Naturally Video Classroom at www.patreon.com/equusenlightened. You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightened Read blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened Find out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart https://equusenlightened.com/reconnect-rebuild Email me at anna@equusenlightened.net Happy Riding!

    23 min

  3. 12/16/2025

    6. How Autonomy Builds Self-Carriage, Confidence, and Safer Horses

    What if autonomy is the very thing that makes horses safer, more confident, and more capable of true self-carriage? In this episode, we dive into the concept of autonomy through both lived experience and research—specifically a study exploring the relationship between horse welfare, rider safety, and rider satisfaction. What surprised me most was discovering that what researchers often call “control” actually aligns closely with what I teach as supported autonomy: clarity, predictability, choice, and mutual influence. We’ll unpack: What autonomy really means for horses (and riders) Why mammals thrive when they feel they have influence over their environment How clear communication increases safety without domination How to build autonomy step-by-step from the ground into the saddle Why “advanced” movements are simply the basics, taught in thoughtful pieces and then brought together like a puzzle If you’ve ever felt stuck, over-controlling, or confused about how to progress without shutting your horse down, this episode offers a different lens—one rooted in understanding, empathy, and leadership as a flow state. Take the Are You a Perfectionist Quiz? at www.equusenlightened.com Find me on social media as @equusenlightened.  Join our Facebook group titled Horse-First Dressage: Compassionate Training and Connection or join the community and the Dressage Naturally Video Classroom at www.patreon.com/equusenlightened. You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightened Read blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened Find out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart https://equusenlightened.com/reconnect-rebuild Email me at anna@equusenlightened.net Happy Riding!

    40 min

  4. 11/25/2025

    5. Creating Thinking Horses and Riders with Teresa Pilegaard

    In this episode, Anna sits down with biomechanics and adaptive riding instructor Teresa Pilegaard to explore how riders can move beyond the old obedience-based training model and build true partnership with their horses. Teresa shares insights on rider biomechanics, nervous system regulation, groundwork, and why so many riders get pushed past their experience level. Together, they break down how to create safer, more confident, and more connected rides by focusing on awareness, observation, and communication — not force. If you’ve ever struggled with fear, tension, or feeling “stuck” in your riding, this conversation will help you rethink your approach and reconnect with your horse on a deeper level. Take the Are You a Perfectionist Quiz? at www.equusenlightened.com Find me on social media as @equusenlightened.  Join our Facebook group titled Horse-First Dressage: Compassionate Training and Connection or join the community and the Dressage Naturally Video Classroom at www.patreon.com/equusenlightened. You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightened Read blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened Find out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart https://equusenlightened.com/reconnect-rebuild Find Teresa Pilegaard, Dorato Performance Horse, and North Star Stables NOVA https://doratoperformancehorses.com/ Join the Everyday Equestrian https://doratoperformancehorses.com/everyday-equestrian Email me at anna@equusenlightened.net Happy Riding!

    1h 16m

  5. 11/13/2025

    4. Your goal is to make your basics better and better.

    What if the simplest thing your horse can do—stand still—was actually the foundation of everything you’ll ever teach them? In this episode, Anna dives into how true self-carriage begins with the simplest asks and why the classical masters (and the best modern trainers) all agree: advanced work is just the basics, done better. You’ll learn why returning to fundamentals isn’t regression, it’s refinement—and how every new level of dressage is just a deeper version of the same conversation. Anna also introduces the next Seed of Partnership: Relational Consistency—and how it bridges the gap between your horse’s physical balance and emotional trust. Stay tuned to the end for this week’s Ten Minute Tuesday experiment—your invitation to rediscover precision, presence, and partnership in the simplest moments. Take the Are You a Perfectionist Quiz? at www.equusenlightened.com Find me on social media as @equusenlightened.  Join our Facebook group titled Horse-First Dressage: Compassionate Training and Connection or join the community and the Dressage Naturally Video Classroom at www.patreon.com/equusenlightened. You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightened Read blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened Find out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart https://equusenlightened.com/reconnect-rebuild   Email me at anna@equusenlightened.net Happy Riding

    43 min
  6. 3. Empathic Discipline: Holding Space Without Losing Yourself

    10/30/2025

    3. Empathic Discipline: Holding Space Without Losing Yourself

    What if your horse doesn’t need a boss — but a calm, clear partner? In this episode, Anna explores Seed Two: Empathic Discipline and why real leadership isn’t about control. Drawing from her time as a 911 dispatcher and lessons inside her RRR cohort, she shares how to stay present with your horse without losing yourself in guilt, fear, or perfectionism. For riders ready to lead with clarity instead of pressure — this one’s for you. Take the Are You a Perfectionist Quiz? at www.equusenlightened.com Find me on social media as @equusenlightened.  Join our Facebook group titled Horse-First Dressage: Compassionate Training and Connection or join the community and the Dressage Naturally Video Classroom at www.patreon.com/equusenlightened. You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightened Read blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened Find out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart https://equusenlightened.com/reconnect-rebuild Weekly challenge video: https://youtube.com/shorts/XcHtSc6VSig   Email me at anna@equusenlightened.net Happy Riding!

    18 min

  7. 10/06/2025

    2. The Quiet Sins of Good Riders: Awareness, Fear, and Forgiveness in the Saddle

    In this episode of The Thinking Horse & Rider Podcast, Anna Fox of Equus Enlightened explores the deeper layers of rider awareness — beyond reading your horse’s body language and into recognizing how our own fears, habits, and control patterns shape every ride. We talk about the quiet “sins” of good riders: the ways we unintentionally limit our horses’ freedom, the contradiction between our love of liberty and our need for control, and how to release judgment so true connection can grow. You’ll learn why awareness without judgment is the missing ingredient in modern horsemanship, how fear disguises itself as discipline, and why forgiveness — both for ourselves and our horses — is the foundation of trust. If you’ve ever felt like the joy that drew you to horses has been replaced by pressure or perfectionism, this conversation will remind you what’s been missing — and how to find it again. ✨ Mentioned in this episode: The psychology of control vs. freedom in riding How fear quietly shapes horse-human relationships Awareness as an act of love, not guilt Why judgment blocks learning and limits connection The Reconnect, Rebuild & Ride with Heart program — for riders ready to rediscover peace, presence, and partnership 💫 Ready to rebuild your connection? Join the next Reconnect, Rebuild & Ride with Heart cohort: https://equusenlightened.com/reconnect-rebuild-ride Take the Are You a Perfectionist Quiz? at www.equusenlightened.com Find me on social media as @equusenlightened.  Join our Facebook group titled Horse-First Dressage: Compassionate Training and Connection or join the community and the Dressage Naturally Video Classroom at www.patreon.com/equusenlightened. You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightened Read blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened Find out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart https://equusenlightened.com/reconnect-rebuild   Email me at anna@equusenlightened.net Happy Riding!

    18 min

  8. 09/23/2025

    1. Discover how awareness transforms the horse-rider partnership.

    Most horse-and-rider problems don’t begin in the arena — they begin the moment we overlook the subtle ways our horses are already communicating with us. In this episode, Anna Fox of Equus Enlightened introduces The Thinking Horse & Rider Podcast and explores how small shifts in awareness can transform your partnership. We’ll also talk about why boundaries matter, how to avoid both extremes (too soft vs. too rigid), and why true partnership lives in the middle space of communication and clarity. You’ll leave this episode with a simple awareness exercise you can try today — and an invitation to go deeper in the Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart cohort, where we’ll explore the 7 Seeds of Partnership together. Because being a thinking rider isn’t about over-analyzing — it’s about noticing what’s real in the moment, and meeting your horse there. Take the Are You a Perfectionist Quiz? at www.equusenlightened.com Find me on social media as @equusenlightened.  Join our Facebook group titled Horse-First Dressage: Compassionate Training and Connection or join the community and the Dressage Naturally Video Classroom at www.patreon.com/equusenlightened. You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightened Read blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened Find out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart https://equusenlightened.com/reconnect-rebuild Email me at anna@equusenlightened.net Happy Riding!

    24 min
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Hey horse fiend. What if your rides were more magic than mystery? What if your relationship with your horse was more magnetic than electric? This podcast isn't about training harder, riding better, or drilling more. Here, we explore what happens when you choose allowing over controlling. It’s about what unfolds when you soften, listen, and let your horse want you back. Between power and patience lies a place your horse is waiting to meet you. This is where your story begins and your partnership grows.

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