Canter Therapy
Episodes
Episode 97. A Controversial Conversation: Freedom To or Freedom From?
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 97 of the Canter Therapy Podcast, Shelley and Kat walk straight into controversy and unpack one of the horse world's most heated topics...
EPISODE 96. Inside the Horse: Dissection Lessons, Digital Pulses & the Whole-Horse Reality
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kat has just come back from a three-day equine dissection in Wagga hosted by Dr Heidi McGraw and led by Dr Raquel Butler (with nods to pioneer Sharon ...
95. The Vibe You Bring: Energy, Intention & Learning (for Humans and Horses)
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After a little hiatus (and 100,000+ listens—thank you!) Shelley and Kat are back. Inspired by an episode of The Canine Paradigm, they explore “vi...
94. Interview with Steve Halfpenny
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Horseman and educator Steve Halfpenny (Light Hands Equitation, SA) joins Canter Therapy to talk being a “horse’s lawyer,” why the mind comes bef...
93. Seeing the Whole Horse - Especially Mares!
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kat and Shelley are joined by Tami Elkayam to share highlights from her Canberra workshops on keeping horses sound. They talk about moving beyond just...
92: 2024 Wrap Up & Book Recommendations
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we wrap up 2024 with a look back at the highlights of the year, including our experiences at Equitana and the incredible visit from Ta...
91. Interview with Daniel Dauphin Horsemanship
02 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel Dauphin Horsemanship is someone you need to know. He should be on your radar—not only because he is an exceptional horseman who has started t...
90: Equine Nutrition with Carol Layton
22 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we talk to the lovely Carol Layton from Balanced Equine. Carol had brought mineral supplementation into the everyday horse owners repe...
89: Questions for the Dentist
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Anna Minogue is back!In this episode we talk about everything dentistry and bit fitting from the differences in mouth shape between breeds to the diff...
88: What is "New Home Syndrome"?
20 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Shelley explains two terms she wishes to bring into the vehicular of the equestrian world. "New Home Syndrome" to bring attention to w...
87: Finding Motivation
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Kat and Shelley talk about finding motivation to ride when there are so many things that make it hard. Things such as the weather to a...
86: Hoof Care In Winter
06 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Kat gives some great tips about hoof care in winter. We go over ways to look after your farrier during the wet weather as well as how ...
85: Why Have a Training Process?
29 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Shelley and Kat talk about "cookie cutter" training approaches for horses. They discuss why they are criticised but also about why the...
84: Understanding Mental Health with Mel Stewart
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mel Stewart has over 30 years of experience working in psychology and she brings a wealth of knowledge to this episode. We delve deep into the human m...
83: Endurance Riding & Breeding with Jodie Luck
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We are joined in this episode by the gorgeous Jodie Luck from Almarzan Stud in Birdwood, South Australia. Jodie is an experienced and successful endur...
82: Dr Raquel Butler from Integrated Veterinary Therapeutics
25 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We had the privilege of talking to Dr. Raquel Butler from Integrative Veterinary Therapeutics. Raquel is an absolute wealth of knowledge in the indust...
81: Learning to Ride as an Adult
18 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Learning to ride as an adult is harder than you think! This episode delves into the unique challenges faced by adults learning to ride horses. In this...
80: Dr. Lizzie McCready & Empowering Horse Owners
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we have the privilege of chatting with Dr. Lizzie McCready, a dedicated veterinarian on a mission to enhance the lives of animals eve...
79: The Lessons from 2023
30 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Kat and Shelley reflect on what their highlights and learnings from 2023 were. 2023 was full of lots of insightful conversations and c...
78: Horse Lameness & Poor Performance with Dr. Sue Dyson
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Sue Dyson is a well-known veterinarian and researcher in the field of equine health and welfare, particularly in the area of lameness and poor per...
77: You Can Learn Many Things from Kate Nipperess
25 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We could say that this is an inspirational story of how Kate Nipperess, former jockey, returned to riding after a track work fall left her a paraplegi...
76: How to Help a Horse be Confident to Float or Trailer
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we delve into the world of float loading, training, and safe driving with horses on board. Float loading is something that should be ...
74: The Places Horses Take You with Dr Heidi McGrath
30 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After many years of nagging Kat & Shelley finally managed to get Dr Heidi McGrath on the podcast. Heidi is an incredible asset to the equine industry....
73: Hooves with Lisa Agius-Gilibert
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lisa Agius-Gilibert from The Glorious Hoof provides hoof care services in the Hawkesbury region of New South Wales. In this episode Kat and Lisa comb...
72: Gut Health with Linda Goldspink-Lord
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We want you to meet someone pretty amazing - Linda Goldspink-Lord. Linda is the director of Poseidon Animal Health the manufacturers of well known equ...
71: What To Do With A Young Horse
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
So you have bred a foal or maybe purchased a young horse that is not yet under saddle... what do you do now to ensure things don't go pearshaped? In ...
70. Herd Dynamics with Kerry M Thomas Part 9
13 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Guess who’s back?! Back again! Join us for another fun and educational conversation with Kerry Thomas. We dive into his latest creation: a comprehen...
68: Equine Nutrition with Bec Ham
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A special episode with Bec Ham who is an equine nutritionist at Kentucky Equine Research. We delve into equine nutrition and managing fat ponies, expl...
67: Combating Misinformation with Tami Elkayam
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Canter Therapy, we explore polyvagal theory with one of our favourite experts, Tami Elkayam. Discover how our muscular skeletal...
66: Good Horsemanship with Ian Leighton Part 2
15 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join us as Ian Leighton from Ian Leighton Horsemanship explores the captivating topic of 'Things That Aren't as They Seem.' We dive into hard-mouthed ...
65: The Cycle of Success with Lisa Agius-Gilibert
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dive into the world of running a successful equine business with Lisa Agius-Gilibert from The Glorious Hoof in Sydney. With a unique background in the...
64: Sam - The Horse That Fractured His Hip
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Kat and Shelley talk to Kat Charlton about her incredible journey helping her young horse Sam rehabilitate about breaking his hip and ...
63: Relationship Check-Ins with Your Horse
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Kat and Shelley talk about living consciously through daily, weekly, quarterly and yearly check-ins with your horse. Having awareness ...
62: Feet and Unsoundness AGAIN
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Shelley picks Kat's brains about one of her biggest frustrations when helping people with their horse - horses that are sore in their ...
61: Training Tools & Controversy
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we talk about training tools! Rope halters, bits, hobbles, side reins and more! We give our experience and opinions about all the cont...
60: Learning About Sensory Soundness
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kat and Shelley discuss what they discovered at Herd Dynamics Seminar presented by Kerry Thomas From THT Bloodstock. They report what happened, what t...
59: Teeth, Bits and Contact with Anna Minogue
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Anna Minogue has a love of learning and has followed her curiosity for learning through a career in vet nursing before she studied as an equine dentis...
58: Embracing Who You Are with Melinda Macaulay
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Melinda Macaulay provides us with an insight into posture and position while riding. She has a background in Sports and Exercise Science and helps bre...
57: Good Horsemanship with Ian Leighton
18 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Kathryn & Shelley have the pleasure of chatting with Ian Leighton. They get to discuss all the important aspects of ‘good old horsem...
56: Mastering Horsemanship
22 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The internet and social media has had a big impact on the equestrian world. It has allowed ideas to be spread and made experts more accessible. Howeve...
55: Rehabbing the Mind & Body with Nahshon Cook
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nahshon Cook is a insightful horseman and has an incredible vocabulary. His unique way of saying describing things help people to better understand th...
54: Interview with Lysette Smith
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Lysette Smith from Candid Equitation. Lysette has such an incredible amount of experience trav...
53: Goal Setting & Living with Purpose
31 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
2022 is coming to an end and it’s time to reflect on the year we have had! It’s a great opportunity to set our intentions for 2023 and goal settin...
52: Herd Dynamics with Kerry M Thomas Part 8
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Kerry talks about his visit to Australia and the Herd Dynamics Seminar he will be appearing at on the 25-26 March 2023 at Sutton Forre...
51: Choosing Your Path
26 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Shelley and Kat discuss the needed stepping stones along the way of choosing your horsewomanship path. How to choose a mentor, how to ...
50: Herd Dynamics with Kerry M Thomas Part 7
19 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our herd dynamic conversations continue with Kerry M Thomas. In this episode we delve into what it is Kerry is evaluating when he goes to yearli...
49: The Art of Doing What is Best with Tami Elkayam
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone is wanting to do the best for their horse. But how do you do that in a world full of polarised advice. How do you sort out the trends fro...
48: Herd Dynamics with Kerry M Thomas Part 6
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Training Using Herd Dynamics: Another great episode with Kerry Thomas. In this episode we talk about the practical application of training horses base...
47: Bringing Awareness to Soundness
01 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are some common things that we see again and again in horses. Often these horses are struggling with their current training and when you take a ...
46: Herd Dynamics with Kerry M Thomas Part 5
18 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
PTSD in Horses: And we are back for Part 5 of our Herd Dynamics Series. In this episode we dive into the idea of PTSD in our horses and what it looks ...
44: Herd Dynamics with Kerry Thomas Part 4
12 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Breed Traits: We are so excited to have Kerry back for Part 4 of our Herd Dynamics Series. This week we got to delve into a conversation about breedin...
43: Horsemanship Insights with Amy Skinner
31 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Amy Skinner is an incredible influence in the equestrian world. She writes amazingly and manages to merge the ideas of horsemanship and classical dres...
42: The Art of Seeing the Horse with Tami Elkayam
16 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tami Elkayam is an equine bodyworker based in San Jose, USA. She is an incredible equine body worker, writer, artist and educator that can change the ...
41: Herd Dynamics with Kerry Thomas Part 3
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Understanding Outsourcing: We are joined again by Kerry Thomas for Part 3 of this fantastic conversation about Herd Dynamics. In this episode we talk ...
40: The Importance of the Autonomic Nervous System
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Recently there has been lots of discussion about the autonomic nervous system. Shelley and I discuss the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous syste...
39: Foal Handling & Training with Luke Thomas
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Thomas is the absolute master of handling foals. Over the last few years he’s handled thousands (literally) of foals and learnt how to ‘hack’...
38: Lessons from Mustangs
12 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A fascinating interview with Amber Espinoza from Isidro Espinoza Horsemanship (Arizona, USA). Amber and Isidro train horses for the public and have ...
37: Herd Dynamics with Kerry Thomas Part 2
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Inherent Tendencies Verses Learned Behaviour In this second brilliant conversation with Kerry Thomas we delve into more insights into herd dynamics an...
36: Struggling with Your Horse's Contact
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you are struggling with your horse's frame, steering or posture because your horse is pulling your arms out of their sockets, won't settle into the...
35: Herd Dynamics with Kerry Thomas
13 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you have listened to a few of our episodes you will have probably heard Shelley mention Kerry Thomas. Shelley initially found him when she went dow...
34: From Racehorse to Riding Horse
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When we take on an Off the Tracker we sometimes forget or underestimate the rehabilitation that needs to be done. They require a lot of time and a tea...
33: All Aspects of Getting Out of the Arena
23 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There is so much more to 'trail riding' than just getting on your horse and going. It is imperative that our horses have a good foundation in order to...
32: People Pleasing
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The influence our core beliefs have on our horse training can be astounding. Horses bring so much awareness to the things we need to work on. Shelley ...
31: Case Study of a Pony Called Roger
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Roger is a red headed pony, owned by Kathryn, and the reason that Kathryn and Shelley met. He was a worried, sensitive and reactive horse who tested K...
30: How to Create a Naughty Horse
04 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
‘The horse does one of two things. He does what he thinks he’s supposed to do, or He does what he thinks he needs to do to survive.’ -Ray Hunt ...
29: Reducing Liability
25 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Shelley went to renew her insurance policy she found some of the paperwork to not only be entertaining but quite concerning and a reflection on t...
28: Influencing a Horses' Thought with Ross Jacobs
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ross Jacobs is an Australian Horseman who has a way of working with a horse that benefits both the horse and rider. He focuses on what a horses though...
27: Life Lessons and Horses with Brendan O'Reilly
04 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Brendan O'Reilly has many talents both with horses and completely separate. He fought professionally as a mixed martial art fighter and now spends his...
26: Horsemanship Journeys with Lindsay Finan
07 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Lindsay is a super interesting and incredible woman from New Zealand. She is such a supportive, knowledgeable and thoughtful horsewoman and it was suc...
25: Questions Answered -Part One
16 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, Shelley and I have been asking our guests questions from a list that we put together. We thought it was time that we started answering some ...
24: Horsemanship Journeys with Karen Rohlf
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We got brave and asked Karen Rohlf to come on our podcast! Karen has been mentioned by many of our guests as being pivotal in influencing their journe...
23: Horsemanship Journeys with Pauly Daniel
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When you listen to Pauly Daniel speak you can't help but notice his connection and affinity with horses. He has an incredible dedication to self impro...
22: Horsemanship Journeys with Lisa King
15 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this weeks podcast, Shelley and Kathryn had the pleasure of speaking with Lisa King. Lisa has found a way to apply horsemanship to dressage in her ...
21: Confidence and Trust
04 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to horses, there is a big group of people that struggle with their confidence in the everyday tasks with their horses. You are not alone...
20: Horsemanship Journeys with Amalia Dempsey
29 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Shelley, Kathryn and Amalia all discovered there was more to horses by first discovering horsemanship. Amalia focuses on helping riders achieve connec...
19: The Balance of Competing
16 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Can you choose the horse first and the sport second? Competition has a fantastic role in giving our training purpose and direction but it can be a har...
18: Pleasure and Relief
07 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Understanding reinforcement and punishment in horse training. We talk about the 4 quadrants of behaviour and how each is applicable to the work we do ...
17: Defining Groundwork
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is ‘groundwork’? When does it start? What does it look like and how do we do it?
16: Spring is Here
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Now that Spring is upon us it's a really important time to be hypervigilant about laminitis. Laminitis comes in many forms but feed-induced laminitis ...
15: The Truth of Partnership
09 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We all have a preconceived idea in our heads about this magical relationship we are going to have with our horses. Sometimes the reality of what actua...
14: Creating and Maintaining Riding Habits
02 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It can be really challenging to find the motivation to ride your horse each week. There are always 101 things to do before you ride or another excuse ...
13: Watching from the Wilderness
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Let's take a step back. Let us have a look at some of the ideas of the horse world, highlighted by the recent Olympics, and see where they come from. ...
Bonus Ep: With Katrin Kuenstler
20 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was recorded in early 2020 when Shelley was in Western Australia just after the horrific bush fires. Due to some technical difficulties, ...
12: Chestnut Mares and Magic Horses
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A discussion that was meant to be about the predisposition of chestnut horses and more specifically mares, to be a little spicy, ended up being a chat...
11: Part 2- Learning to Read Horses
13 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
‘The more you understand a horse, you an interpret it better, make better decisions and you can set that horse up to be calm and confident’ -Dr. S...
10: Part 1- Learning to Read Horses
06 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We often want horse training to be linear. Unfortunately, it is not. Every horse that we have the opportunity to work with is an individual and we hav...
9: Behind the Separation Anxiety
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Talking about the symptoms of separation anxiety and then delving deeper. What is your horse feeling and why do they feel like they have the need to b...
8: Part 2- Buying the RIGHT Horse
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Part 2 This is a two part series where Shelley and Kat share their wisdom about buying a new horse! In this episode they will look at how to approach ...
7: Part 1- Buying the RIGHT Horse
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Part 1 This is a two part series where Shelley and Kat share their wisdom about buying a new horse! In this episode they discuss what is an appropriat...
6: Feet, Farriers and Happy Horses
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Following on from the podcast last week on pain, this podcast talks about all things feet! We touch on a range of topics that relate to our horses fee...
5: Working Through Pain Issues with our Horses
01 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Talking about signs of pain in our horses, what to look for and some things to think about.
4: Tips for Building Riding Confidence
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Talking about the differences between ‘brave’ riders and those who struggle with confidence. The reasons people often struggle with confidence and...
3: Teaching People to Train Horses
30 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Shelley Appleton talks about her new course that provides all the theory you need to know before you work with horses. calmwillingandconfidenthors...
2: Discovering What Canter Therapy Is
24 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An explanation of what canter therapy is and how you can use it to balance your horse or rehab them.
1: Introducing Canter Therapy
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
An introduction to ‘Canter Therapy’, a little bit about ourselves and our plan for the podcast