Eventing is equal parts strategy, skill, and mental game, but for many riders it can feel like a constant battle to balance all three phases, keep their horse sound, and make real progress. How do you build a horse's confidence and physical strength without rushing them or burning them out?

In this episode, Olympian and 5 star eventer Will Coleman joins us to break down what truly drives elite performance. A lifelong student of the sport, Will shares the mentors who shaped him including David and Karen O'Connor and Anne Kursinski. He talks about his early exposure to natural horsemanship, the lessons he wishes he learned sooner, and the systems he and Katie use to develop sound confident horses who stay happy in their work.

We dig into how Will cross trains his horses, how he studies top riders across disciplines, and why rider fitness and honest feedback are essential for anyone who wants to improve. Will also opens up about the heartbreak of preparing two Olympic horses only to watch the Games from the sidelines and what that experience ultimately taught him.

This conversation will leave you with a clearer sense of how to build feel, develop your horse with integrity, and make better long term decisions in your training.

Tune in to learn
• How Will Coleman approaches training as a lifelong student
• What he learned from David and Karen O'Connor and Anne Kursinski
• Why cross training matters for building sound confident horses
• The role of rider fitness and body awareness
• How to know when to push and when to pause
• What Will learned from the disappointment of missing the Olympic start box

• Website: https://www.willcolemanequestrian.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willcolemanequestrian
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willcolemanequestrian

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We're back with Season 2 of Dear Horse World, premiering on December 2nd!

This season, we bring you some of the most iconic voices in the industry, featuring legends like Will Coleman, Lindy Birch, Rodrigo Pessoa, Laura Kraut, and the unforgettable Boots O'Neill.

Their wisdom and experiences reveal life-changing insights into the sport, horses, and horsemanship.

Additionally, don't miss our Black Friday sale starting November 28th for an exclusive 50% off annual NF plus membership.

Join us for another incredible season and elevate your riding to the next level!

Some horses come with a few challenges. This one came with a list. In this episode of Ground Work Guys, Nick and Tik meet a mare who pulls back when tied, rushes off the trailer, fidgets for the farrier, and gets jumpy around the saddle. Instead of diving straight into solutions, they do what they do best: take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

What unfolds is an honest, funny, and surprisingly tender conversation about trust, patience, and why most training problems are really just relationship problems in disguise. From clicker training to pressure and release, from soft timing to emotional awareness, Nick and Tik unpack how small wins build true confidence for both horse and rider.

Here's what you'll learn:
• How to rebuild trust with a horse that pulls back or panics when tied
• Ways to help a horse back quietly off a trailer
• How to turn foot handling from a struggle into a confidence builder
• Why rewarding relaxation matters more than rewarding obedience
• How clicker training and pressure and release can work together beautifully
• Why progress often looks more like a circle than a straight line

It is a thoughtful, down to earth episode that leaves you smiling, nodding, and maybe rethinking the way you handle the tricky moments with your own horse.

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Episode Sponsor: Jug Waterers

Thanks to the open bowl design and unique draw tube water supply system, animals can see and smell clean, fresh water. No learning how to lift flaps or push balls or float out of the way to get a drink. An animal simply places its mouth in the open pool of water in the drinking bowl and sucks up the water just as it would from a natural water hole.

Visit - bakkoindustries.com

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Groundwork Guys - Now streaming on NOËLLE FLOYD's new platform Camp HorseWorld" linked to https://camphorseworld.com/pages/groundwork-guys

Meg writes in about her daughter's experienced 1.25m jumper who's suddenly backing off liverpools (water jumps), and the Groundwork Guys, Tik Maynard and Nick Rivera, dig in to help rebuild his confidence from the ground up. They start where all good training starts: ruling out pain. From there, they look at what the horse is telling them through his reactions, his body, and the way he thinks about the task.

They unpack how fear can look like enthusiasm, why overjumping isn't confidence, and how the words we use, such as always, never, or tried everything can quietly shape the way we train. Then they shift gears to curiosity, showing how to help a horse investigate instead of react, using simple groundwork and obstacles to rebuild trust and calmness.

Here's what you'll learn:
• Why pain and tension need to be ruled out before training begins
• What overjumping really means and how it connects to anxiety
• How target training and draw build curiosity toward something new
• When to send instead of lead and why it is often the safer option
• Four ways to approach a Liverpool from the ground before ever riding it
• How to spot the moment curiosity replaces fear

It's a thoughtful, practical episode about turning pressure into partnership and helping a horse find the confidence to think his way through a question instead of just trying to survive it.

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Episode Sponsor: Jug Waterers

Thanks to the open bowl design and unique draw tube water supply system, animals can see and smell clean, fresh water. No learning how to lift flaps or push balls or float out of the way to get a drink. An animal simply places its mouth in the open pool of water in the drinking bowl and sucks up the water just as it would from a natural water hole.

Visit - bakkoindustries.com

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Groundwork Guys - Now streaming on NOËLLE FLOYD's new platform Camp HorseWorld" linked to https://camphorseworld.com/pages/groundwork-guys

Some horses just do not do spray bottles. One sound, one mist, and it is all over. In this episode of Ground Work Guys, Nick and Tik meet an 18-hand draft mare who panics at the very idea of being sprayed. Even hearing a bottle on the other side of the trailer is enough to send her sky-high.

Instead of fighting through fear, they talk about how to rebuild trust one sense at a time. You will hear them unpack why spray bottles can feel like predators to horses, how to take the mystery out of the sound, and why relaxation beats tolerance every time. They explore ways to use rhythm, predictability, and even curiosity to help a horse think her way through fear rather than run from it.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:
• How to safely reintroduce scary objects using sight, sound, touch, and smell
• Why a horse's reaction to a spray bottle often has more to do with past restraint than the bottle itself
• How to replace panic with predictability through approach and retreat
• The difference between tolerance and true relaxation — and why it matters
• Why training in short, frequent sessions helps horses learn faster
• How to turn desensitizing into a conversation instead of a confrontation

This episode is full of insight, humor, and a few classic Nick and Tik moments that remind us training is as much about staying curious as it is about staying calm.

Watch the full video lessons on Camp HorseWorld, where every rider's journey finds its path.

----------

Episode Sponsor: Jug Waterers

Thanks to the open bowl design and unique draw tube water supply system, animals can see and smell clean, fresh water. No learning how to lift flaps or push balls or float out of the way to get a drink. An animal simply places its mouth in the open pool of water in the drinking bowl and sucks up the water just as it would from a natural water hole.

Visit - bakkoindustries.com

----------

Groundwork Guys - Now streaming on NOËLLE FLOYD's new platform Camp HorseWorld" linked to https://camphorseworld.com/pages/groundwork-guys

If your horse likes to stand a little too close for comfort, you know how fast "friendly" can turn into "please step back."

In this episode of Groundwork Guys, Tik Maynard and Nick Rivera unpack what's really going on when a horse ignores your space and why calling it bad manners might be missing the point.

They dig into the difference between respect and fear, and how to build a boundary that feels fair, not forceful. The conversation moves from the science of horse behavior to the art of staying calm when things get crowded.

Here's what they explore:

• Why "manners" are taught, not instinctive

• How to hold your ground without creating a standoff

• The importance of catching the first subtle "no" from your horse

• What it means to enter a horse's space politely

• How emotional neutrality becomes your most powerful training tool

Tik and Nick bring humor and honesty to a universal challenge, reminding us that groundwork is never about control. It's about communication, timing, and the kind of calm energy your horse can trust.

Listen to Groundwork Guys: The Pushy Horse Problem wherever you get your podcasts, and explore the full series for a limited time on NF+ or inside Camp Horse World, the new equestrian learning marketplace.

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Episode Sponsor: Jug Waterers

Thanks to the open bowl design and unique draw tube water supply system, animals can see and smell clean, fresh water. No learning how to lift flaps or push balls or float out of the way to get a drink. An animal simply places its mouth in the open pool of water in the drinking bowl and sucks up the water just as it would from a natural water hole.

Visit - bakkoindustries.com

----------

Groundwork Guys - Now streaming on NOËLLE FLOYD's new platform Camp HorseWorld" linked to https://camphorseworld.com/pages/groundwork-guys

If you've ever been late to a lesson because your horse suddenly decided the trailer is lava, welcome. Tik Maynard and Nick Rivera are here to help.

In this first episode of Groundwork Guys, the duo tackles listener Megan's question about her semi-feral mare who has made her feelings about trailer loading very clear. What follows is part training plan, part therapy session, and part two horsemen trying to out-joke each other.

Tik and Nick talk through why trailer loading usually isn't about the trailer at all, how to spot the moment your horse starts thinking instead of panicking, and why you should probably practice before show day. They cover everything from "sending vs. leading" to reading ear flicks like body language PhDs.

Along the way, you'll learn:

• The difference between a reward and a bribe (and why your horse totally knows the difference).

• How to help your horse find curiosity instead of chaos.

• Why calm energy gets you farther than fancy gear.

• And how Tik somehow turned a groundwork lesson into a plan to build a horse-sized suspension bridge.

Key takeaway:
Trailer loading is 20% technique, 80% emotional regulation (mostly yours).

Quote of the episode:

"If you go out two hours early, your horse walks right on. If you go out five minutes before, it takes two hours. Do the math." — Tik

So grab your coffee, your sense of humor, and maybe a cookie (for you and the horse). It's time to load up.

----------

Episode Sponsor: Jug Waterers

Thanks to the open bowl design and unique draw tube water supply system, animals can see and smell clean, fresh water. No learning how to lift flaps or push balls or float out of the way to get a drink. An animal simply places its mouth in the open pool of water in the drinking bowl and sucks up the water just as it would from a natural water hole.

Visit - bakkoindustries.com

----------

Groundwork Guys - Now streaming on NOËLLE FLOYD's new platform Camp HorseWorld" linked to https://camphorseworld.com/pages/groundwork-guys

This is an honest look at what it truly takes to grow with your horse, not just to train harder. We're talking about the uncomfortable but transformative shifts that distinguish simply "riding" from genuine partnership.

You'll hear:

• Josh Nichol on why leadership isn't control. It's learning to be calm when everything in you wants to tense.

• Animal communicator, Deleah, on vulnerability, surrender, and the purpose horses are quietly asking us to find.

• Dr. Jenny Susser on confidence, goal setting, and why every rider (yes, even you) deserves to own their space in the arena.

• Karl Cook on cutting through schemes and taking responsibility for the basics of great horse care.

• Dewey Freeman and Dr. Connie on looking deeper than "bad behavior" to what our horses are really experiencing.

• William Fox-Pitt on believing in the horse you have and adapting with humility when plans change.

These are the conversations that shift you from overthinking and reacting to leading with clarity, trust, and purpose. It is honest, it is challenging, and it might just change how you ride forever.

Want to be first to know when Season Two drops? Join the mailing list here and stay connected to a community of riders rethinking what great horsemanship can be.

If these conversations inspired you, you'll find even more at noellefloydplus.com—our learning community for riders who want to deepen their horsemanship, connect across disciplines, and grow alongside world-class trainers. Explore courses, resources, and tools designed to bring the wisdom of Dear Horse World into your everyday riding.