The Thinking Horse and Rider: Helping Riders Understand Their Horses | Anna Fox

Equus Enlightened
  • 5.0 (7)
  • Pets & Animals
  • Updated Semiweekly

Helping riders understand their horses through horse training, behavior, and connection. This equestrian podcast explores horse psychology, rider mindset, and practical horsemanship to solve common training problems like tension, miscommunication, and lack of trust. Learn how to build a calm, willing partnership using groundwork, riding, and awareness—so your horse isn’t something to control, but something to connect with.

  1. 1d ago

    80. What’s the Mission? Adam Trenk on Horses, Leadership & Rebuilding Genuine Billy Cook Saddles

    What happens when the plan falls apart? In this episode of The Thinking Horse and Rider, Anna Fox talks with Adam Trenk, CEO of Genuine Billy Cook Saddles, about horses, leadership, pressure, resilience, and rebuilding an iconic Western brand. Adam shares the story of acquiring Genuine Billy Cook after years of decline, slowing production down to restore craftsmanship and quality, and then rebuilding the company again after a devastating tornado destroyed the factory in Sulphur, Oklahoma. But this conversation goes far beyond saddles. Anna and Adam explore the parallels between horsemanship and entrepreneurship: taking small wins, rebuilding trust, staying patient under pressure, learning from failure, and knowing when to adapt instead of forcing the original plan. They also talk about saddle fit, Western versus English riding, leadership, nervousness, and one of the most important questions we can ask before working with a horse: What’s the mission? Because the right tool, the right amount of pressure, and even the right plan depend on the horse, the situation, and what you’re actually trying to accomplish. In this episode: • The rebirth of Genuine Billy Cook Saddles• Rebuilding after the 2024 Sulphur tornado• Why patience and small wins matter in horses and business• Using the least amount of pressure possible• Saddle fit and choosing the right tool for the job• What horses teach us about leadership• Failure, resilience, and getting back on• Situational awareness and knowing when to change the plan Whether you ride Western, English, dressage, hunters, jumpers, or just want to become a more thoughtful partner for your horse, there’s plenty here to take back to the barn. 🎧 Listen now and ask yourself: What’s today’s mission? Learn more about Genuine Billy Cook Saddles at genuinebillycook.com. Want to go deeper into awareness, trust, timing, and communication with your horse? Find Reconnect, Rebuild & Ride with Heart in the show notes. Find Genuine Billy Cook Saddles @https://genuinebillycook.com/collections/saddles or on Instagram @genuinebillycook Get the FREE Awareness workshop www.equusenlightened.com Find me on social media as @equusenlightened.   Join the Horse and Rider Lab on Skool. It’s free!  https://www.skool.com/equus-enlightened-8966/about Find out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart in the Skool Classroom   You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube under Come Ride with Me Riding Videos. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightened Read blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened   Email me at Anna@equusenlightened.com Happy Riding!

    80. What’s the Mission? Adam Trenk on Horses, Leadership & Rebuilding Genuine Billy Cook Saddles

  2. Sep 29

    79. Ride Easier, Help Your Horse Move Better with Mary Debono

    Can changing the way you move help your horse move with greater ease? Feldenkrais Method practitioner and Debono Moves creator Mary Debono joins us to explore how a rider’s balance, breathing, tension, and movement habits shape the horse–human conversation. We discuss why familiar patterns aren’t always comfortable, how curiosity can be more effective than correction, and why trying harder can sometimes make movement more difficult. Mary shares a gentler approach to rider pain, horse stiffness, compensatory movement, and nervous-system learning. She also guides us through a short seated movement experience designed to increase awareness, ease, and choice. Please wait until you are seated somewhere safe—and not driving, riding, or operating equipment—to try it. Learn more about Mary at marydebono.com. Get your free videos here: https://www.marydebono.com/rider   Get the FREE Awareness workshop www.equusenlightened.com Find me on social media as @equusenlightened.   Join the Horse and Rider Lab on Skool. It’s free!  https://www.skool.com/equus-enlightened-8966/about Find out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart in the Skool Classroom You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube under Come Ride with Me Riding Videos. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightened Read blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened Email me at Anna@equusenlightened.com Happy Riding!

    79. Ride Easier, Help Your Horse Move Better with Mary Debono

  3. Sep 24

    78. Does Your Horse Owe You Obedience? | Trust, Control & True Partnership

    We pay the bills. We buy the feed. We schedule the vet. We rearrange our lives around our horses. It’s easy to start feeling like the horse should give us something back. A good ride. Good behavior. Effort. Compliance. But horses don’t think about relationships that way. In this episode of The Thinking Horse & Rider, we’re talking about relational tension—the tension that develops when expectations, control, trust, communication, and partnership all collide. We’ll explore why “my horse should do this for me” can quietly change the way we ride, why compliance is not the same as partnership, and what happens when we stop asking whether the horse was “good” and start asking how the horse actually felt that day. We’ll also talk about: • Why caring for your horse does not purchase obedience • The difference between compliance and true partnership • Why horses need clear communication, not constant management • How predictability builds relational trust • Why agency, choice, and control matter to horses • How entitlement can creep into horse training without us realizing it • Why a “good horse” is not always a happy horse • How to redefine trust so it doesn’t mean “my horse will never surprise me” • What it means to listen without immediately trying to control the outcome One of the biggest questions in this episode is: Can you allow your horse to make a small choice without treating that choice as a threat to your authority? Get the FREE Awareness workshop www.equusenlightened.com Find me on social media as @equusenlightened.   Join the Horse and Rider Lab on Skool. It’s free!  https://www.skool.com/equus-enlightened-8966/about Find out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart in the Skool Classroom You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube under Come Ride with Me Riding Videos. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightened Read blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened  Walk to Partnership Meditation https://assets.cdn.filesafe.space/9ckgbm3alzfPQK2HDqho/media/6aac819d867721cb57117360.mp4 Reference Articles https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/6/1798 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/10/2782 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/animal-welfare/article/opportunities-for-agency-in-domestic-horses-applying-the-behavioural-domain-to-increase-equine-welfare/B79F7F53E2E15FE65DF4EEC3D078C58D  Email me at Anna@equusenlightened.com Happy Riding!

    78. Does Your Horse Owe You Obedience? | Trust, Control & True Partnership

  4. Sep 18

    77. Why Trying Harder Makes Riding Harder | Emotional Tension & Better Feel

    What happens when trying harder actually makes riding harder? In this episode of The Thinking Horse & Rider, we’re digging into emotional tension—the pressure riders put on themselves to do everything correctly, remember every instruction, fix every mistake, and manage every part of the horse at once. That tension doesn’t just make riding feel harder. It can also make your cues less clear, your body less sensitive, and your horse less certain about what you’re actually asking. We’ll talk about: Why emotional tension often looks like overthinking instead of obvious fearHow too many simultaneous cues can confuse the horseWhy rewarding the right answer matters just as much as asking the questionHow pressure, release, repetition, and pauses affect learningWhy “more” is not always betterHow tension narrows attention and reduces your ability to feel subtle informationWhy curiosity is more useful than immediately labeling something right or wrongHow to stop correcting every little thing before your horse has a chance to respondYou’ll also get this week’s 10-Minute Experiment: a simple walking exercise where you count the horse’s footfalls, quiet the noise, and start developing better feel. The goal isn’t to ride perfectly. It’s to become quiet enough—physically, mentally, and emotionally—to actually hear what your horse is already telling you. Sometimes your horse isn’t ignoring you. Sometimes they just can’t find the question in all of your noise. Get the FREE Awareness workshop www.equusenlightened.com Find me on social media as @equusenlightened.   Join the Horse and Rider Lab on Skool. It’s free!  https://www.skool.com/equus-enlightened-8966/about Find out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart in the Skool Classroom You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube under Come Ride with Me Riding Videos. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightened Read blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened   Articles:  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787807001359 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787810000626 https://www.equitationscience.com/ises-training-principles?utm_source=chatgpt.com   Walk to Partnership Meditation https://assets.cdn.filesafe.space/9ckgbm3alzfPQK2HDqho/media/6aac819d867721cb57117360.mp4   Email me at Anna@equusenlightened.com Happy Riding!

    77. Why Trying Harder Makes Riding Harder | Emotional Tension & Better Feel

  5. Sep 3

    76. Your Horse Can Feel Your Anxiety | Here’s What to Do Before You Ride

    If your brain is already rehearsing everything that could go wrong before you ever reach the mounting block, this episode is for you. This week on The Thinking Horse & Rider, we’re continuing the conversation from Episode 75 and digging into mental tension and anticipatory anxiety—the fear of what might happen before anything has actually gone wrong. You’ll learn why your thoughts and body can start rehearsing fear before you ride, how that changes the way you show up around your horse, and why your horse may notice those changes even though they have no idea what story is running through your head. We’ll also talk about how to separate what’s actually happening from what you’re predicting, why present-moment narration can help interrupt anxious thought patterns, and how to start practicing the mental patterns you actually want to keep. In this episode: Why your thoughts are always practicing somethingHow anticipatory anxiety affects your brain and bodyWhat your horse may be picking up from your fearWhy “don’t be afraid” usually isn’t useful adviceHow to name anxiety without letting it run the rideA practical 10-minute experiment to bring yourself back to the presentHow to tell the difference between a real warning sign and a fearful predictionThe goal isn’t to convince yourself that nothing bad could ever happen. It’s to become more aware, more present, and better able to respond to the horse you actually have—not the horse you’re afraid you might have. And remember: Your thoughts are always practicing something. The question is whether they’re practicing the pattern you want to keep. Get the FREE Awareness workshop www.equusenlightened.com Find me on social media as @equusenlightened.   Join the Horse and Rider Lab on Skool. It’s free!  https://www.skool.com/equus-enlightened-8966/about Find out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart in the Skool Classroom Walk to Partnership Meditation https://assets.cdn.filesafe.space/9ckgbm3alzfPQK2HDqho/media/6aac819d867721cb57117360.mp4   You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube under Come Ride with Me Riding Videos. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightened Read blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened Email me at Anna@equusenlightened.com Happy Riding!

    76. Your Horse Can Feel Your Anxiety | Here’s What to Do Before You Ride

  6. Aug 25

    75. The Hardest Part of Riding | How to Stay Relaxed on Your Horse

    In this episode of The Thinking Horse and Rider, we're talking about something almost every rider experiences but few people know how to work through: fear and tension in the saddle. After an unexpected run-in with a wasp (and a horse standing nearby), I realized just how quickly our brains jump into survival mode—and how similar that feels to what many riders experience before they even get on their horse. We'll explore: Why staying relaxed is the hardest part of riding The difference between physical and mental relaxation The four types of tension that affect riders and horses Why "just be confident" and "push through it" often make fear worse Simple exercises to build real balance, body awareness, and confidence How breathing, visualization, and nervous system regulation can improve your riding Why confidence is built through successful experiences—not by ignoring fear Whether you're nervous about cantering, worried about your horse spooking, struggling with self-doubt, or simply want to become a calmer, more connected rider, this episode will give you practical tools to help both you and your horse stay in a learning mindset instead of a survival mindset. Practice the standing exercise at the halt to improve your balance, body awareness, and confidence. Start with a helper if needed, focus on slow, controlled movement, and notice how learning to recover can change the way you ride. 💛 Join The Happy Horse & Rider Lab for more conversations, experiments, and support from riders learning to think differently about their horses. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the podcast, leave a rating or review, and share it with another horse person. It helps these conversations reach more riders who want a calmer, more connected partnership with their horses. This Week's 10-Minute Experiment

    75. The Hardest Part of Riding | How to Stay Relaxed on Your Horse

  7. Aug 18

    74. The Horse Training Mistake Almost Everyone Makes (Without Realizing It)

    The Horse Training Mistake Almost Everyone Makes (Without Realizing It) What if one of the biggest mistakes we make with our horses isn't what we teach...it's what we stop teaching? When a horse becomes buddy sour, pushy for treats, anxious at the mounting block, spooky on the trail, or difficult to canter, many of us instinctively remove the problem. We stop taking them to horse shows. We stop feeding treats. We stay in the arena. We avoid the situation altogether. Sometimes that's smart management. But management isn't the same thing as education. In this episode, Anna explores what she calls "The Keep Away Game"—our tendency to avoid the very situations that could help both horse and human learn and grow. Inspired by her recent conversation with animal communicator Ginny Horton, she challenges listeners to rethink whether they're solving the problem...or simply postponing it. You'll learn: Why avoidance is a management strategy—not a training method. The difference between stopping a behavior and teaching a new skill. How punishment and education create very different outcomes. Why well-taught boundaries actually create more freedom for horses. How to know whether your horse isn't ready—or you simply need a new way to teach. What to look for when choosing the right trainer or coach for a specific problem. Why the skills you build at home determine what happens under pressure at a horse show or on the trail. If you've ever found yourself avoiding a situation because it feels easier than working through it, this episode will give you a new way to think about training—and remind you that every challenge is also an opportunity to learn. Choose one thing you've been avoiding with your horse. Then ask yourself: Am I removing the opportunity because my horse isn't ready yet...or because I don't know how to help them become ready? Spend ten minutes researching a new approach. Talk to your trainer. Read a book. Watch a video. Explore a different training modality. Don't just keep the problem away. Start educating yourself—and your horse. If this episode resonated with you, follow The Thinking Horse & Rider Podcast, leave a review, and share it with another horse person who's ready to replace avoidance with education. This Week's 10-Minute Experiment Get the FREE Awareness workshop www.equusenlightened.com Find me on social media as @equusenlightened.   Join the Horse and Rider Lab on Skool. It’s free!  https://www.skool.com/equus-enlightened-8966/about Find out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart in the Skool Classroom   You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube under Come Ride with Me Riding Videos. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightened Read blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened   Email me at Anna@equusenlightened.com Happy Riding!

    74. The Horse Training Mistake Almost Everyone Makes (Without Realizing It)

  8. Aug 10

    73. How about Animal Communicator Ginny Horton: What Horses Really Need From Humans | Soul Sketches

    What do horses really need from humans? In this episode of The Thinking Horse & Rider, Anna talks with animal communicator Ginny Horton, author and illustrator of Soul Sketches, about what horses may be trying to tell us about community, choice, safety, connection, and belonging. Ginny shares how she became an animal communicator, how remote animal communication works, and some of the common themes she hears from horses during her sessions. The conversation explores why horses may struggle when their social needs are limited, whether humans can truly be part of a horse’s community, how horses experience our emotions and intentions, and why some behaviors we label as training problems may actually be relationship or environment problems. They also talk about horse welfare, independence, competition, listening to subtle signals, and the importance of asking “why” before trying to correct behavior. Plus, Ginny shares the story behind Soul Sketches and how the book brings together real animal communication stories and her illustrations of the emotional messages she receives from animals. If you’ve ever wondered what your horse might want you to understand, this conversation will give you plenty to think about. Find Soul Sketches: Sketches from the soul of real communications from real animals and their humans by  Ginny Horton on Amazon https://a.co/d/0gDOah5c Get the FREE Awareness workshop www.equusenlightened.com Find me on social media as @equusenlightened.   Join the Horse and Rider Lab on Skool. It’s free!  https://www.skool.com/equus-enlightened-8966/about Find out more about Reconnect, Rebuild, and Ride with Heart in the Skool Classroom   You can also view videos of the riding episodes or listen to all of them on YouTube under Come Ride with Me Riding Videos. My channel is https://www.youtube.com/@equusenlightened Read blogs or find more links @ https://linktr.ee/equusenlightened   Email me at Anna@equusenlightened.com Happy Riding!

    73. How about Animal Communicator Ginny Horton: What Horses Really Need From Humans | Soul Sketches
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Helping riders understand their horses through horse training, behavior, and connection. This equestrian podcast explores horse psychology, rider mindset, and practical horsemanship to solve common training problems like tension, miscommunication, and lack of trust. Learn how to build a calm, willing partnership using groundwork, riding, and awareness—so your horse isn’t something to control, but something to connect with.

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