Whole Horse | De-bunking dominance theory + how research can inform best practices with our horses with Shelby Dennis of Milestone Equestrian
The Whole Horse Podcast with Alexa Linton
Release Date: 10/17/2023
WH136 | Contact nutrition for the horse-human relationship with Carmen Spagnola
The Whole Horse Podcast with Alexa Linton
As we continue this season's mentorship series, this conversation with one of my current mentors was as potent as I had imagined. Carmen Spagnola has been a support, guide, teacher and esteemed colleague for over 12 years, and I have benefitted greatly from her depth of presence, attunement, clarity and nuance. She has spent time with my mares Diva and Raven, and has recently, and excitingly, become the steward of two geldings. Her love and care for horses (and humans) spills forth in this conversation and in her many offerings. In this conversation, we unpacked the concept of attachment...
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WH135 | What flowers have taught me about horses and healing with Sabina Pettitt of Pacific Essences
The Whole Horse Podcast with Alexa Linton
Welcome to the first of my mentorship series. where I have conversations with some of my most important mentors, allowing you to access some of the goodness and wisdom that I was so supported by on my journey. The first in this series is my teacher and friend Sabina Pettitt, who is the founder of Pacific Essences, a company here on the west coast of Vancouver Island that makes vibrational remedies. Many of us have heard of Rescue Remedy, which is the most commonly used flower remedy, but have perhaps not looked too much further into what it is and how it works. If you are curious about what a...
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WH134 | A whole horse perspective on veterinary care with Dr. Tomas Teskey
The Whole Horse Podcast with Alexa Linton
This conversation with Dr. Tomas Teskey blew my mind in the best possible way, as he shared about what veterinary care looks like for him (and truly, what I would love to see much more of) - as he puts it, examining every square inch of a horse and what's impacting their health, including hooves, teeth, environment, feed, supplements and more. Tomas opens up about what a typical day looks like for him, why he started to focus on hoof care many years ago, and how shifting the environment has started to be one of the most important aspects of his care plan. Listen in to find out what simple...
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WH133 | Sacred contracts with horses and how to recognize them with Brittany Ashworth
The Whole Horse Podcast with Alexa Linton
Season 8 of the Whole Horse podcast is here! To start us off right, I chatted with my friend and colleague Brittany Ashworth of Sacred Echos and we headed right into some wild and wonderful territory. Rewinding back almost 12 years, Brittany shared about how she met her horse Duke, after never being a horse person, and how his presence and his story changed her path in a potent way. We reflected on their powerful and immediate connection starting her in the direction of her life's work, animal communication. Throughout our chat, Brittany shares in depth about the fascinating topic of soul...
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WH132 | Understanding equine postural mechanisms with Dr. Karen Gellman
The Whole Horse Podcast with Alexa Linton
In this episode, marking the end of season seven of the podcast, I spoke with Dr. Karen Gellman. What an incredible journey she has been on, culminating in her dedicating her life and veterinary practice to the study of equine health as it relates specifically to postural mechanisms, as well as sharing this body of knowledge with others. During our conversation she shares some of the keys to supports horses to live well in gravity, how to support your horse to be healthier and happier through simple changes to their inner and outer environments, what postural rehabiliation is all...
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WH131 | Shifting how we think about breathing with Holly Barnett
The Whole Horse Podcast with Alexa Linton
In this episode with Holly Barnett, I learned all about the new style of breathwork she created called InteroBreath, which is a way of working with the breath that focusses on our sixth sense, interoception. Holly walks us through the definition of this breathing practice, including what interoception is, how she developed it, why it's so powerful for our health and well-being, and the impact practicing it can have on our horses' well-being! We also discussed Holly's top not-so-secret secrets as a bodyworker and saddle fitter of over 20 years' experience, and what she's noticed as...
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WH130 | Horses as muses, teachers, and guides with artist Kim McElroy
The Whole Horse Podcast with Alexa Linton
As we wrap up season 7, I was honoured to sit down for a conversation with the artist Kim McElroy. As you'll hear in this episode, I met Kim in 2007 through a series of synchronistic events, and was struck by her presence even then. I then had the opportunity to be inspired by her art as I regularly pulled cards from the Way of the Horse, her collaborative deck with Linda Kohanov. In this episode, timed for the release of her newest collaboration with one of my mentors Sandra Wallin, the Council of Horses Oracle deck, you'll learn about the almost 20 year journey from first inspiration...
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WH129 | Unmasking sensitivity to be better (horse) people with Lori Halliday
The Whole Horse Podcast with Alexa Linton
This conversation with the wise and wonderful Lori Halliday certainly touched into some tender places! Lori offered her perspective on the fall from grace of a notable rider this past summer, which led us into a powerful discussion on the personal responsibility we all hold to be accountable for our history and allow it to inform our present-day actions. She shined a light on how trusting our intuition and exposing our sensitivities is how we get the good work done, while being mindful to remember the importance of not sacrificing our health in the process. Tune in for another fantastic...
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WH128 | Becoming nervous system navigators with Wired 4 Connection author Lucie Klaassen
The Whole Horse Podcast with Alexa Linton
Today on the podcast, I had Lucie Klaassen back on for the first time since Season 1 (!) and we had a chance to catch up on all the ways her work has evolved since that first conversation. Lucie’s new book, , just came out over the weekend, and I was excited to ask her about how this new body of work came to be. Throughout our conversation, Lucie and I discuss how invaluable it is to practice horsemanship through the lens of the nervous system, and she shares several tips on how to incorporate this important framework into your sessions with your horse. CW: brief mention of...
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WH127 | Speaking the language of horses with Belinda Bolsenbroek
The Whole Horse Podcast with Alexa Linton
In this episode I was joined by classical horse trainer Belinda Bolsenbroek for an amazing conversation about the way she merges scientific study with historical, artful ways of partnering with horses. I had the pleasure of auditing a clinic of Belinda’s awhile ago, and it was great to be able to sit down together to talk about her latest work doing equine dissections and the wealth of knowledge she has accrued over her years of being a rider, trainer and horsewoman. Much of our discussion centred around the many subtle ways in which horses communicate with us, and how by...
info_outlineHaving seen Shelby's recent social media post titled "Dominance theory is dead / Your horse does not view you as the alpha" circulating the internet, I knew I had to have her on the show for a conversation about this important, and often controversial, topic. After presenting the current research on dominance theory and de-bunking this long-standing perspective on horsemanship, we mused about why horse people are so committed to this alpha mindset despite what science has since proven on the social dynamics of horses. Shelby then offered her advice to folks who are on the path of overhauling their attitudes and actions when it comes to horsemanship and horse keeping, as someone who began that process herself almost 10 years ago. We rounded out the episode with a critical look at the typical weaning process, and how, ultimately, our practices surrounding this vulnerable time in our horses' lives mirrors the equestrian industry's grip on outdated, human-centric philosophies that do not place the horses welfare and wellness at the forefront of our decisions and activities. Oh, how we could go on!
It was such a pleasure to have this fellow Pacific Northwesterner on for a matter-of-fact chat on these subjects, and I hope our discussion helps you continue to advocate for positive change in our horse world!
Shelby Dennis is a 27 year old professional horse trainer and behaviour consultant based in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. Shelby has over 22 years of experience with horses. From the Arabian horse circuit to hunter/jumper to dressage and exercising race horses, Shelby’s practical experience with different kinds of horses has made her a well rounded horse person. On top of her practical experience, Shelby has also taken her post-secondary studies seriously, taking several Equine Science based courses through Guelph to work towards her Certificate of Equine Science, choosing to emphasize her studies and education on Equine Behaviour. In early 2021, Shelby received her Equine Behaviour Consultant certification from the International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants.
You can find out more about Shelby through her website https://milestoneequestrian.ca