Dear Horse World, It’s Mirjam Dunkel: Why Less Pressure Leads to More Progress in Horse Training
Release Date: 05/27/2025
Seeing Horses Differently: Lessons from an Equine Ophthalmologist Part 1 — Dear Horse World, it’s Dr. Dennis Brooks (Sponsor Total Feeds)
Dear Horse World
When you meet Dr. Dennis Brooks, you understand why horse people around the world talk about him with a kind of reverence. He is one of the most influential equine ophthalmologists of our time, the OG of horse eye care, yet what makes him unforgettable is not just the medicine. It is the heart behind it. In this episode, Dennis takes us inside the world of horse eyes with the clarity of a teacher, the soul of a storyteller, and the honesty of someone who has spent a lifetime caring deeply for horses and the people who love them. You will learn • Why Dennis became the original pioneer of...
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Dressage Naturally with Karen Rohlf: Choosing the Relationship Over the Result Part 2 | Sponsored By YETI
Dear Horse World
Part 2 continues the conversation by moving into the moments that test riders and trainers alike. This episode focuses on what happens when something doesn’t feel right, and the courage it can take to pause, question, or choose a different path in the middle of a lesson. Karen Rohlf is an FEI Grand Prix dressage rider, USDF Gold Medalist, internationally respected clinician, and the founder of Dressage Naturally. In this part of the conversation, Karen explores how easily context gets overlooked in training, and why protecting the relationship must come before any single exercise or result....
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Dressage Naturally with Karen Rohlf: Training Horses as Individuals, Not systems Part 1 | Sponsored By YETI
Dear Horse World
Have you ever questioned whether the way you’ve been taught to train truly fits the horse in front of you? Most people don’t. And when they do, they’re often reprimanded for it, which is usually enough to make them stop asking. We repeat the same exercises and routines because that’s how we were taught, rarely questioning the system even when our horses do. This conversation challenges that pattern and asks a harder question: what happens when the system stops working for the horse? Karen Rohlf is an FEI Grand Prix dressage rider, USDF Gold Medalist, internationally respected...
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The Hidden Forces That Shape a Rider’s Career with Rodrigo Pessoa | Sponsored by Connaway & Associates and Yeti
Dear Horse World
Have you ever felt your heart thumping and your palms sweating before a competition, only to realize it wasn’t just nerves but something deeper? Riders know what it means to carry pressure long before a round begins. It often starts early. Parents want so deeply for their children to thrive, yet the fear of falling behind can blur the line between supporting and pushing. Most riders have compared themselves to people who make the hardest moments look effortless. And when some young riders rise while others quietly disappear, it forces all of us to question what truly creates long term...
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Cutting Horse Lessons Every Rider Can Use with Lindy Burch | Sponsored by Yeti and Total Feeds
Dear Horse World
So many riders want their horses sharper, quicker, and more responsive, yet end up drilling, micromanaging, and unintentionally shutting their horses down. Hall of Fame cutting horse trainer Lindy Burch offers a wildly refreshing reframing: what if the sharpest horses are not the ones you control the most, but the ones you allow to think? In cutting, the horse has to make decisions in real time. They must read the cow, feel the moment, and respond faster than the rider ever could. In this episode, Lindy breaks down how she develops horses who stay mentally present, balanced, and tuned in, not...
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Laura Graves on Staying Curious When Dressage Gets Hard (NF+ Exclusive)
Dear Horse World
Frustration is a human emotion, and it almost inevitably shows up in every rider’s journey. The question is what you do when it does. In this episode, Olympic dressage medalist Laura Graves steps in as your coach and mentor, sharing the mindset that guides her when riding feels more hard than harmonious. This clip comes from her NF+ masterclass Laura Graves Troubleshoots Common Flatwork Woes and offers a rare look into how an elite rider thinks during the private moments of training, when there are no quick answers and no one else in the arena. Laura reflects on learning to pause instead of...
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Equine Digestion Explained: Sugar, Fiber, and Mineral Balance. — No Stupid Questions with Dr. Harry Anderson
Dear Horse World
Welcome back to No Stupid Questions, the nutrition edition with Dr. Harry Anderson. In part Part 2 we take deeper look at the physiology that drives your horse’s behavior, metabolism, and overall health. We explore the way sugar, minerals, and fiber interact inside the horse. We talk about why some horses puff up, why certain forage creates sharpness, and how small choices in the feed room can shift the entire internal environment. This is the kind of steady, clear education most of us never received but always needed. In this episode we cover: • The horse’s unique digestive design and...
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Horse Nutrition Explained: How Digestion Shapes Behaviour with Dr. Harry Anderson Part 1
Dear Horse World
Most horse owners are trying their best in the feed room while quietly wondering if they are getting it right. You want your horse to feel calm, healthy, and steady in their body, but the information out there is overwhelming and often contradictory. One person says alfalfa is dangerous. Another says your horse needs hay 24/7. Someone else blames ulcers, sugar, or stress. And in the middle of all of it, you are just trying to understand what your horse is telling you. Dr. Harry Anderson has spent more than fifty years studying animal physiology and nutrition, and he has an uncanny ability to...
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An Olympian’s Approach to Building Horses, Not Breaking Them: Dear Horse World, It’s Will Coleman - Sponsored by Yeti
Dear Horse World
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,...
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We are Back! Embrace Season 2 Premiere: Creole Cowboys, Cowgirl Spirit & Riding Adventures and more!
Dear Horse World
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! 00:00 Season Two...
info_outlineWhat if going slow wasn’t falling behind—but finally getting it right?
Horse trainer and quietly powerful human Mirjam Dunkel is here to remind us that taking your time isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom.
With a background in liberty work, classical dressage, and cowboy realness, Mirjam’s trained over 100 young horses and built a reputation on softness, clarity, and doing right by the horse (even when it’s hard, messy, or humbling).
In this episode, we chat about:
- Rebuilding trust with horses who’ve shut down
- Why skipping the “boring basics” backfires
- How slowing down builds connection—and confidence
- And what it means to chase big dreams, one tiny step at a time
Big dreams, quiet wins, and a whole new way of measuring progress—this one’s filled with the kind of wisdom that sticks with you, long after the ride is over.
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Learn more from Mirjam Dunkel and follow her story on social media:
📱www.instagram.com/mirjam_dunkel
Or train with Mirjam! https://www.mirjamdunkel.com/
And you can follow us on instagram too!
Click here 👉 instagram.com/dearhorseworld/
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