Send us a text

In this week’s episode of Everything Horses & More! I will be talking about horse training topics - my experiences, and thoughts about some of the different messages from equine professionals that are being promoted out there on Facebook and YouTube.

Topics, areas of interest, will include:

- Pressure and release – do we still need it?

- My 1% rule for escalating horses

- Is behavioral science the answer?

- The #1 missing link in horse training

- Why 98% are damaged

- How you can help/fix/heal 98% of the horses

- Leadership vs Partnership – which is better?

- Natural Horsemanship – the good, bad, and the ugly side

- Why a horse’s “one and done” works so well in training effectively and without fear

“You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.” - Swami Vivekananda

May you always be one with your horse,
Caroline

Send us a text

🌿 In this week’s episode of Everything Horses & More!, I am thrilled to feature a Student Spotlight on Nina—an Israeli equestrian whose journey has taken her from early riding lessons to instructor certification, ultimately achieving a true partnership through the Tao of Horsemanship method.

Along the way, Nina shares how she discovered the magic 💫 and mindfulness 🌿 that come from slowing down and truly listening to horses.

Her story is one of transformation, moving from doubt to confidence through holistic horsemanship, all while learning the delicate balance of tough love, trust, and connection.

Please tune in to hear Nina’s inspiring experience and the life-changing lessons she learned during her three-week immersion.

In this podcast, we will talk about:
✅Nina’s training background and certifications.
✅Why she felt the need to study in person, and what that experience has given her.
✅Self-regulation, leadership, and the power of holistic horsemanship and horse care.
✅Her transformative experiences working with Lovey, Bandit, Blue, and Zor—learning the fine line between compassion and tough love, as well as the magical moments of true connection.
✅How slowing down, listening, and embodying empathy changes everything—not only for the horse but for the human as well.

From self-development to building confidence as a leader, Nina’s story highlights the essence of the Tao of Horsemanship: creating a relationship where horses choose to be and work with you.

👉 Tune in to hear Nina’s inspiring journey and discover how this holistic approach is reshaping her life with horses—and beyond.

📅 When: Wednesday, September 24, 12pm/EST/USA.

🎧 Click here to listen LIVE: https://www.youtube.com/@TaoofHorsemanship/streams.

“You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.” - Swami Vivekananda

May you always be one with your horse, 🐎💫
Caroline

Send us a text

Horses are incredibly intuitive, emotional beings—and when they live in a healthy herd, the bonds they form run deep. They rely on one another for safety, companionship, comfort, and connection. So when a change is coming—especially one involving separation—they feel it. Often before we’ve even said a word.

Recently, we began preparing for two of our horses to leave the herd. And before any changes in their routine were made, the herd knew. Their energy shifted. We noticed anxiety, restlessness, and even sadness. They were picking up not only on the subtle signs around them, but on us. Our own internal stress was being mirrored back through their behavior.

That’s the power of connection—heart coherence and nervous system connection.
Our horses are so bonded to us that they feel what we feel. They sense our thoughts, emotions, and expectations—even before we act on them.

But when we consciously shifted our emotional state—letting go of worry and stepping into peace, presence, and support—they responded in kind. The anxiety settled. Their curiosity returned. They became more relaxed. It was a powerful reminder that how we show up for them during change can either increase their stress or support their healing.

We’ve also taken steps to help them prepare practically and emotionally. Rather than suddenly removing two horses from the herd, we’re making gradual turnout changes and shifting stalls. This helps reduce the dependency on current relationships and gives time for change to be accepted and space for new bonds to form. We’re also spending more time communicating with each horse individually—strengthening the human-horse connection through presence and trust.

The two horses who are leaving have been together before—they once lived away from the herd for a year and returned as a bonded pair. Reuniting them now helps them remember that partnership, so they feel supported as they transition again.

Meanwhile, the remaining herd is already beginning to reshape. Horses like Lovey and Leeta, Lovey and Blue, Callen and Joey—all have unique relationships. And as the dynamic changes, we see new bonds forming, new leadership roles emerging, and a quiet reweaving of the herd’s emotional fabric.

This is the emotional side of horsemanship we don’t often talk about—but it matters. Horses don’t just “adjust.” They feel. And when we slow down, listen, and lead from a place of compassion, we help them move through transition with confidence and connection.

“You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.” - Swami Vivekananda

May you always be one with your horse,
Caroline

Send us a text

As a Horse Advocate and High-Performance Wellness Coach, Lidia is thrilled to be featured in the inspiring new movie Zero Limits: The Real Secret To Attracting Miracles, created by motivational legend Dr. Joe Vitale.

In this film, Lidia discusses how she healed her "incurable" chronic illnesses and how, through equine therapy, the unconditional love of horses can empower you to heal yourself.

[IN THE MOVIE] She also shares a brief equine-assisted therapy session with one of her clients, illustrating that standing in silence, stillness, and presence with horses can change lives in a moment and create a lasting connection of inner strength and peace.

This film takes you on a beautiful journey that inspires and empowers you to pursue your dreams. Already receiving acclaim at various film festivals, it's making waves globally! Join the Zero Limits Community Facebook Group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/zerolimitscommunitygroup, to connect with others on this growth journey and learn how to manifest miracles in your life.

In addition to learning about Zero Limits, Lidia will share the divine secrets of equine therapy and healing through her 12 Ancient Universal Principles.

Don't miss the World Premiere on June 26! Meet Lidia, Dr. Joe Vitale, and other inspiring visionary leaders. Get your tickets, follow updates, and learn more about the Zero Limits Movie at https://www.aponahealing.com/movies.

Let’s uplift humanity together and live a limitless life!✨

Lidia offers in-person and virtual coaching. Please visit her website for details https://www.aponahealing.com/.

There is so much great information these days about horses, from equine psychology, to individual nature, learned behaviors, science-based evidence, training styles, practices and methods. How do you know which one to follow and use on your horse?

I’m not only going to break the process down regarding who to follow, I’m going to give you real science to support your decision when selecting the right one, the best practice for your horse.

Doesn't matter what type of horse you have, young, old, traumatized or needing to be re-started. Doesn't matter what discipline you practice, age, breed or level of experience you and your horse have.

This information is for ALL horses and works for ALL horses because it is ABOUT the horse. How the horse feels, thinks, learns, heals and most of all what the horse needs and wants most as a family member (your family), partner and learner.

I always welcome questions so please email them to me at Caroline@taoofhorsemanship.com. You can ask during the live podcast and I might not be able to get to them. Questions are answered “first come, first served.”

Please check out my website to learn more about my training method https://www.taoofhorsemanship.com/ and proven system https://www.taoofhorsemanship.com/horse-riding-holistic-program.

“You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.” - Swami Vivekananda

May you always be one with your horse,
Caroline

Welcome to Everything Horses & More! Podcast and my guest, Sheri Scurr.

Sheri resides in Boulder, Montana, where she provides transformative equine-assisted experiential learning, equine-assisted therapy, and horsemanship coaching at her ranch, Heart Connections Horsemanship, LLC. www.hchorsemanship.com and https://www.facebook.com/heartconnectionshorsemanship.

This podcast will take you down the rabbit hole of enlightenment, personal discovery, transformation, and healing. We will discuss perfectionism and how it affects our personal lives and horsemanship goals.

This subject is near and dear to many of us and is a common problem with type A, highly motivated (driven) personalities. I am one of those type A personalities. I look forward to discussing how I manage my drive and the difference between drive and perfectionism.

Join us as we unravel perfectionistic paralysis and explore the real reasons we're afraid of making mistakes with our horses.

“You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.” - Swami Vivekananda

May you always be one with your horse,
Caroline

Send us a text

Thanks for joining me, your host, Caroline Beste, and my special guest Elisabeth Johansen.

Elisabeth operates a small farm in Vestfossen (near Oslo), Norway, called Meaning and Mastery Farm, where she engages troubled youth of all ages in hands-on, nature-based education.

Her farm experience encourages teamwork and respect, offering children values such as responsibility, self-confidence, and the satisfaction of facing and overcoming challenges.

In addition to her work with children and animals, Elisabeth has loved horses since the age of six and has been an ardent student of them for over thirty years.

Her studies led her to question traditional mindsets and horse training practices, prompting her to create Harmony Horse, www.harmoniskhest.com, and write her first book in hopes that people will open their eyes to a more harmonious way of being with their horses.

The book, “Don't lobotomize the horse! A simple guide to better understanding and communication with the horse,” will soon be available for purchase on her website, www.harmoniskhest.com.

I hope you listen in as we discuss what drove Elisabeth (and many of you) to a better, more heart-felt understanding of the horse. I promise there will be a lot of takeaways from this podcast as we share similar learning experiences, and I answer whatever questions Elisabeth throws my way!

“You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.” - Swami Vivekananda

May you always be one with your horse,
Caroline

Most training styles will NEVER completely FIX your horse and here’s why.

For starters, they focus on controlling the horse instead of teaching the horse self-control.

Traditional training teaches you how to control the horse through pain, force, excessive pressure, and mechanics. Don’t agree, get rid of all your aids and develop the horse from start to finish with just a rope halter, lead and lunge whip.

There’s nothing natural about Natural Horsemanship, not when it teaches you how to control the horse through operant conditioning (pressure and release) and repetitive mechanics they call “connection”.

Science-based training such as Positive Reinforcement (R+) is just as excessive in its level of control. The only difference is it uses food, a basic need of the horse, to control the horse’s behavior. Take the food away and what’s motivating the horse to participate?

R+/R- Reinforcement is just another name for operant conditioning and uses positive and negative reinforcement. And, finally, we have the gentle horse training methods. These methods emphasize the horse’s well-being yet, like the other’s fail in teaching people how to interact and work with horses the way the horse needs and respects.

After 20+ years of evidence-based research, with thousands of domestic and wild horses, Caroline Beste (founder of Tao of Horsemanship) developed a 100% PROVEN training style that does WORK FOR THE HORSE – all horses, any situation. It’s called HOLISTIC HORSEMANSHIP.

Join our FREE 7-Day Holistic Horsemanship Mastery Miniseries https://www.taoofhorsemanship.com/mmp-mini-series to learn why people are saying, "Tao is the way to all things possible with horses,” and the most holistic, empathetic, and effective path to training, re-training, and rehabilitating horses.

To learn more about me, Caroline Beste, and the Tao of Horsemanship Academy, please visit:

-Tao of Horsemanship Academy Website, https://www.taoofhorsemanship.com/

-Tao of Horsemanship Academy Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/TaoofHorsemanshipAcademy -Tao of Horsemanship Academy Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/taoofhorsemanshipacademy/

May you always be one with your horse,
Caroline