The Holistic Horsemanship and Husbandry Podcast

In our last episode, we talked about understanding behavior as information. But understanding is just the first step. What do we do once we know what's going on? How do we move forward with a horse that's saying no? What do we do when our feelings enter the space and muddy the waters?

We answer all these questions and more in this episode. If you want to better understand how to help your horse when their behavior isn't perfect, hit play now.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

In this episode, we chat about life at Heart Soul Ranch. We catch up on everything going on since the move, and Cindy discusses the foundation of the new direction she is taking her business... learning to see behavior as information.

Whenever our horses act out or behave oddly, it's because they are trying to tell us something.

We dive deep into this subject in this episode.

If you've ever wondered, "Why does he do that?" hit play now.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

In this episode, we talk about how to be an awesome client for your farrier or barefoot trimmer. It's not about having a horse that stands perfectly every time. It's about being honest, present, and willing to work with the horse that shows up that day.

We talk about the responsibilities of the hoof care pro, the responsibilities of the client, and how we can best support any horse as we work together to create a safe, efficient trim.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

In this episode, we talk about how working with a mentor can help you reach the next level with your horse.

We talk about finding a good training program, what it looks like to put in that time, and why sending your horse off to a trainer rarely results in long-term results.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

SIM Website: https://simsessions.org/
SIM Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61585615844073
Text Jamie: 805-363-9686

In this episode, we sat down with Jamie Watkins, the co-founder of Symbiotic Integrated Mirroring. She led us in an incredible discussion about cranial sacral therapy and the power it can have when we allow the horse to lead the session.

Jamie and her fellow practitioners travel the United States (and soon will travel the world) helping horses and humans find deeper connection, ease, and regulated nervous systems.

If you have ever wondered what healing alongside your horse could look like, this episode is for you. Hit play now!

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

In this episode, we discuss what it truly looks like to become the number one expert on your horse.

In an industry where tradition is followed blindly, and years of experience often trump science, this is a must-listen-to episode for any horse owner.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

Connect With Adam: https://www.bayareahorsearchers.com/

Adam Sewell is an impressive rider and horseman. But above all, he puts the horse first. Join us in tuning into this awesome conversation where Adam talks about riding horses and competing in mounted archery all over the world.

He shares stories of partnering with horses in tons of different scenarios, all of which he put the horse before his desired outcome.

If you are looking for a horse sport that isn't harmful to the horse, you want to listen to this episode. Plus, Adam is coming to Cindy's Cottonwood, CA in September 2026.

Check out the clinic here: https://docs.google.com/forms/u/1/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMLM2H3-LPOBGRYW9QUXt3LeCSo0mWB-FyXn7a6Wd2jHapJA/viewform?usp=send_form

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

Order Cindy's Book

In this episode, we celebrate Cindy's entrance into her new life. The launch of her new book, paired with her move to the new home of Heart Soul Confidence Based Horsemanship in Cottonwood, California.

Cindy shares her new book, then discusses her plans for her beautiful new horse property and her dreams of hosting women's retreats with her horses.

Hit play now and get excited to join us in Cottonwood soon!

Check out the Starvation Syndrome Course

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

As summer weather heads our way, many of us are dusting off saddles and hitting the trails. But are our horses ready? Are we? What about tack, trucks, and trailers?

Hit play now to learn how to assess if you’re ready to go, and what to do if you aren’t. Trail riding is one of the very best parts of summer, but so many accidents happen because people go out unprepared. Just because your horse was bombproof last year doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ready to ride this year.

Mental, emotional, and physical fitness play a huge role in your readiness. This episode covers a simple way to bring your horse back into work that will help you avoid tons of trouble.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

Find a Barefoot Specialist Near You

Join the Community of Owner Trimmers

Hoof problems are widespread, and many horse owners are forced to trust their professionals because they lack the knowledge to make informed decisions on their own.

This becomes a challenge when professionals are limited in an area, and you can't find the help you truly need for your horse.

A horse can grow an entirely new hoof capsule in a year. Yet many horse owners struggle with the same issues year after year after year. This is not normal. If you are wondering if something different could be done for your horse's hooves, this episode is for you.

Hit play now.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

Connect With Kim

Visit the Print Shop

Kim's Oracle Cards & Fire Horse Journal

In this conversation, we connect with Kim McElroy, a talented artist and deeply spiritual horse woman. She discusses the evolution of her career as an artist and how the spirit of the horse has always been at the center.

If you value equine artwork that truly captures the soul of its subjects, this episode is for you. Hit play now.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

In this episode, we dive into nervous system regulation and what that looks like for you and your horse.

As we come into spring, we often want to do more and get out and push ourselves and our horses out of our comfort zones.

Doing this safely and successfully requires tools for nervous system regulation. Hit play now to hear this powerful conversation.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

In this episode, we sit down with horseman Don Jessup to talk about the hard truths that can change everything. Don shares how his early years with Monty Roberts, John Lyons, and Pat Parelli shaped him. He talks about a scary season of burnout, questions, and real soul searching. This is a conversation about what horses teach us when we slow down enough to see them.

Don talks about the hidden stress many horses live with, the subtle signals most people miss, and why that matters so much for safety, trust, and true connection.

If you've ever asked, "should I even be riding my horse?" this episode will give you much to think about. It is honest. It is nuanced. And it speaks to the heart of the paradigm shift happening in the horse world. Hit play now to tune in.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

This episode covers the husbandry basics people aren’t taught. We talk about the frustrations that so many horse owners have managing their horses’ care and what we do about them. We dig into manure management, fly control, and how to potty train your horse. 3

We also cover lots of hacks for dealing with wet conditions without breaking the bank. If you are struggling through winter and spring, wishing things could be easier, this episode is for you! Hit play now.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

Connect With Warwick Schiller

In this episode, we sit down with Warwick Schiller to explore what having a connection with horses really means. We dive into nervous system regulation, emotional awareness, mindset, and the powerful shift from correcting behavior to understanding why the behavior exists in the first place.

Warwick shares the honest story behind his transformation from performance-driven competition to presence-based horsemanship. He talks about how a “problem” horse changed the way he sees everything. We talk about connection as science and safety. About helping the horse regulate their nervous system so they can think, learn, and willingly partner with us.

If you want a calm, confident, emotionally regulated horse without force, dominance, or bigger bits, this episode will expand your thinking. Listen in and discover how changing yourself changes your horse.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

The other 23 hours... the ones you aren't there. What does that look like for your horse?

Our last few guests have all mentioned how your horse's management and lifestyle impact your training and performance.

In this episode, we dive into exactly what that looks like, hoping to inspire listeners to give their horses the best life possible.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

Check out Emotional Horsemanship with Lockie Phillips

This conversation isn’t about techniques or quick fixes. It’s about integrity, tradesmanship, doing the work to become an excellent horse person. We sit down with Lockie Phillips, who shares that Emotional Horsemanship was never meant to be a brand. It’s a way to find the people who are ready to be honest with themselves and do the work with their horses.

Together, we talk about what happens when horse people hit a pivot point. When what used to feel normal no longer does. When questions and thoughts stop being about what you do to the horse, and start being about who you have to become for the horse.

We cover:

• What “emotional horsemanship” actually means in practice
• The difference between transitional people and those who are off the fence
• How emotion, learning, memory, and movement are linked
• The quiet, normalized violence still present in the horse world

If you’ve been questioning the industry.
If you’ve felt out of place.
If you’re craving honesty over optics.

This episode is for you. Hit play now.

Photo by KAIKE TAPPE PHOTOGRAPHY

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

Find a more grounded way of being with Cindy

In this episode, we revisit last year’s “First of the Year” episode, reflect on the goals we set, and laugh at how little of it actually unfolded the way we expected.

What we thought would be a year focused on riding turned into a year of shedding, relocating, grieving, rebuilding, and making changes we never saw coming. And somehow, we both ended up feeling more grounded and centered than ever.

We talk honestly about the pressure of traditional New Year’s goal setting and how easily it sets us up to feel behind or disappointed, especially when our season of life doesn’t support rigid plans.

As we look toward the Year of the Fire Horse, we talk about choosing intention over urgency. Feelings over metrics. Presence over performance.

If you’re feeling ready to explore a new way of being in 2026, hit play now.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

Connect With Anna

Support Trainers Without Boarders

In this episode, we sit down with Anna Twinney to talk about a totally different approach to horse training.

We discuss how horses experience us. Anna shares journey through natural horsemanship, training mustangs, and using animal communication, to help horses and their people.

We talk about what many of us were taught in the early days of natural horsemanship, why some of those ideas stuck, and where they quietly missed the mark.

If you’ve ever felt uneasy about dominance, pressure, or the idea that a “good” horse is a compliant one, this episode will make you feel less alone.

We touch on many topics that people don’t slow down enough to question.

At the end, Anna also shares about her non-profit Trainers Without Borders. It's a project focused on education, alignment, and meaningful change for horses around the world.

If you care about partnership over control with your horse, hit play now.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura

In this episode, we talk about communication with horses. We explore how breaking things down into simple steps can change your entire relationship with your horse… and others in your life.

You’ll hear the stories, the struggles, and the breakthroughs we experience in our work with horses.

You’ll want to listen if you’ve ever felt:

• Lost in your horsemanship
• Unsure what your horse is trying to tell you
• Overwhelmed by the “right way” to do things
• Afraid of “ruining” your horse
• Disconnected from your own intuition

We share the four-step formula that will help overcome the struggles listed above. Using it will shift the way you see yourself and your horse.

Press play to get the formula.

Connect With Your Hosts:

• Join the Pod Community
• Dive Into Horsemanship With Cindy
• Uplevel Your Horse Care With Laura