The Pony Girls Podcast

Christa and Taylor Culbert

Making sense of the horse world through science, literature, the arts, and more. We are Taylor and Christa Culbert, sisters working with horses on opposite coasts of the United States and having interesting conversations about horses on a near-daily basis! Through this podcast, we explore what critical thinking looks like in the horse world. Where do we get our information? How do we interpret it? How do other disciplines contribute to our understanding of horses? As we explore these concepts and more, our focus is always on listening and compassion toward humans and horses.

  1. May 21

    Milly Paton Horsecraft: Kindness to Ourselves, Our Horses, and Each Other

    Milly is a horse trainer, equine sports massage therapist, and registered Mental Health Nurse. In this conversation, we discuss how she combines her areas of expertise to foster joyful partnerships and agency for humans and horses. To learn more about Milly's amazing work, visit her website, https://millypatonhorsecraft.com/.

    1h 6m

  2. Mar 10

    In Conversation with Dr. Kelsey Dale John (Diné)

    Kelsey Dayle John (Diné) is an enrolled citizen of the Navajo Nation and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her research is on interspecies learning in Indigenous communities, Native American & Indigenous studies, and equine-assisted services. In this conversation, Kelsey shares with us her personal experience and relationship with horses, and shares her research. We discuss Indigenous vs. Western worldviews, where non-Indigenous people fit into the relationship with Native knowledge and worldviews, horses as part of the colonial narrative, and how history and cultural belief systems shape our interactions with humans, land, animals, and horses. To learn more about Kelsey's work, visit Kelsey John | Ethnic Studies | University of Colorado Boulder https://www.colorado.edu/ethnicstudies/kelsey-john The horse is Indigenous to North America: Why silencing the horse is so important to the settler project https://www.academia.edu/101835784/The_horse_is_Indigenous_to_North_America_Why_silencing_the_horse_is_so_important_to_the_settler_project Anthropomorphizing with Critical Reflexivity: The Danger and Potential of Anthropomorphizing in Equine-Facilitated Learning and Psychotherapy https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11851769/

    1h 4m

  3. Jan 28

    Sam Collier: Co-Creating with Other Species

    In this episode, we learn about Sam Collier's work in theatre as a playwright and director. In particular, we learn about her interdisciplinary, interspecies production, Canine Capture: a performance in which her dog, Auberon, is one of the authors. Through this discussion, we explore what it means to collaborate with other species, both in our personal lives and in the arts. We investigate the role of listening, shifting perspectives, and the arts in bringing empathy to our interactions. To learn more about Sam's amazing work, visit her website, samcollierplays.com and Canine Capture at colorado.edu/atlas/canine-capture

    48 min

  4. 11/03/2025

    Working from Challenging Histories Part 2

    How do we respond when we are working from a history that contains challenging ethics and grief? How do we responsibly use the knowledge for good, without erasing the violence of the past? Taylor and Christa delve into these questions in relation to Behavior Science, Shakespeare, and Classical Dressage. In part 2 of this conversation, we focus on Classical dressage and romanticizing the past. References: Beran, A.(2017). Classical Dressage with Anja Beran (2nd ed.). Cadmos Publishing. Horowitz, A. (2019). Our Dogs, Ourselves. Scribner. Loch, S. (1997). The Classical Rider. Trafalgar Square Publishing.

    36 min

  5. 10/21/2025

    Working from Challenging Histories: Pavlov, Shakespeare, and Classical Dressage

    How do we respond when we are working from a history that contains challenging ethics and grief? How do we responsibly use the knowledge for good, without erasing the violence of the past? Taylor and Christa delve into these questions in relation to Behavior Science, Shakespeare, and Classical Dressage. References: Horowitz, A. (2019). Our Dogs, Ourselves. Scribner.

    34 min

  6. 09/22/2025

    Witchcraft and Horses with Jacquelyn Marie Shannon Part 2

    In the second half of our conversation with Jacquelyn, we dive into the relationship between rituals, training environments, body language, communication, and much more. To learn more about Jacquelyn's work, visit her website, Jacquelyn Marie Shannon

    31 min

  7. 09/08/2025

    Witchcraft and Horses with Jacquelyn Marie Shannon Part 1

    In this episode, we explore the connection between witchcraft and horses with Jacquelyn Marie Shannon, a witch, artist, and scholar. Maybe you are thinking- is there a connection between witchcraft and horses? The answer is YES! Listen to learn more about what witchcraft can teach us about the way we view and interact with women and horses historically and in present-day. To learn more about Jacquelyn's work, visit her website, Jacquelyn Marie Shannon

    32 min

  8. 08/20/2025

    Ethical Frameworks with Trudi Dempsey - Part 2

    In this episode we continue our conversation with Trudi Dempsey, a clicker trainer and equine behavior consultant, about what ethical frameworks are and why they are important in the horse world. You can learn more about Trudi's work on her website https://www.equine.training/ or you can find her on Facebook or Instagram under her name, Trudi Dempsey.

    27 min
See All (13)

About

Making sense of the horse world through science, literature, the arts, and more. We are Taylor and Christa Culbert, sisters working with horses on opposite coasts of the United States and having interesting conversations about horses on a near-daily basis! Through this podcast, we explore what critical thinking looks like in the horse world. Where do we get our information? How do we interpret it? How do other disciplines contribute to our understanding of horses? As we explore these concepts and more, our focus is always on listening and compassion toward humans and horses.

Information

  • Creator
    Christa and Taylor Culbert
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Christa and Taylor Culbert
  • Show Website
    The Pony Girls Podcast