Clan of the Horses

- Offering our horses scentwork and exploration exercises not only reduces stress and make them more confident. It can also be a brilliant tool when horses struggle with what we often refer to as behaviour problems, says the Dutch trainer Rachaël Draaisma.

- We’ve been conditioned that many behaviours exhibited by the ridden horse are normal, when they are in fact often a reflection of underlying musculoskeletal pain. And if we resolve the pain, the behaviours will disappear, says veterinarian and Equine Orthopeadic Specialist Sue Dyson.

- What I teach can be tricky to teach people because they often expect a series of steps, but what I try to teach them is how to be more aware, more intuitive and more creative, says horse trainer Amy Skinner.

In today's episode you'll meet Turid Rugaas and Rachaël Draaisma who will shed some light on equine calming signals. Photo: Anne Lill Kvam.

- Being the leader is not being the boss. A true leader is the servant of the follower. You serve everyone and everything but yourself. That's when riding is fun. When you do it as a service to everything around you - including your horse, says Arne Koets, who teach and practice historical dressage and mounted combat.

- This dynamic riding style is very seat-orientated and advocates a light hand. Much like guiding your partner through the steps of a tango, it is all about directing energy into harmonic motions, a dance of horse and rider.

- I prefer liberty work with wild horses because the conversation is more honest and more direct. You can not afford to make mistakes with horses that are not domesticated. You only get one chance, says horse trainer Kelly Wilson from New Zealand, who specialises in taming and training wild kaimanawa horses.

- A short update regarding delayed podcast episodes.

- When you reach a new level with your horse, spend some time there before you advance the training. It will make your horse strong, confident and proud, says master trainer Benedikt Líndal.