The Elevated Equestrian

Giving Horses Agency in Their Own Lives - Emmie Speckens

In this conversation, Samantha Baer and Emmie Speckens, co-founder of Equithink dig into learning theory and positive reinforcement training, puzzle design and environmental enrichment, and why agency and choice are quietly some of the most important pieces of equine welfare. They talk through the difference between compliance and a true yes, how curiosity transforms not just enrichment time but ridden work and confidence under saddle, why mares absolutely do play (despite what you've been told), and what it looks like to build a "smart stable" where horses can turn on their own lights or even their own nebulizer when they need it. They also get into the bigger question underneath it all: what happens to a thinking, problem-solving animal when we make every decision for them — and what becomes possible when we stop. Whether you're a competitive rider, a positive reinforcement curious horse owner, or someone rethinking traditional stable management and horse keeping, this episode will give you a new lens on the horses in your life. If this conversation resonates, follow The Elevated Equestrian Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen — new episodes drop weekly, and your follow helps more horse people find the show.

Why Do the Same Issue Keep Coming Back? - Elisse Miki

If your horse's back pain, lameness, or behavior issues keep coming back no matter what you try, this conversation is for you. Equine and human osteopath Elisse Miki of Equilibria Therapeutics joins Sam to unpack what osteopathy actually is — and why it's so much more than massage or fascial work. Elise breaks down why structure governs function, the science of spinal facilitation and how gut inflammation drives chronic back pain, why "tight" doesn't always mean "short," and why fluid flow is the foundation of healing. We also get into when to call an osteopath and the environmental shifts — track systems, free-flow hay, herd turnout — that can resolve issues no bodywork ever will. Follow The Elevated Equestrian so you never miss a conversation that helps you ride and train with more clarity, curiosity, and care.

Rethinking Balance, Function, and the Thoracic Sling - Tara Osborne

What if the way your horse stands in the cross-ties is telling you everything? What if the "good" horse in the show ring is actually the most dysfunctional one? Sam sits down with Tara Osborne of Long Drove Holistic Horse Training for a conversation that will change how you watch horses move. They cover Tara's assessment process for spotting compensation, the seesaw of front-to-back balance and why every horse she assesses has a balance problem, and why the thoracic sling is the linchpin connecting the back end to the front end. The conversation goes deep on hypermobility — the explosion of hyper-loose horses in modern sport, why they need Pilates-style stability work instead of more mobility, and how that instability is reshaping how riders are forced to ride. Tara also shares her go-to groundwork exercises (thoracic sling lifts, pole work, podiums, balance pads, incline work), how to recover a horse after a competition weekend, and what she'd push for if she could change one thing about how sport horses are produced today. If this episode hits, follow The Elevated Equestrian Podcast wherever you listen so you never miss a conversation — and share it with the rider in your life who's ready to start looking closer.

Rethinking Everything We Know About Feeding Horses - Stephanie Carter FNTP

Is your horse's feed doing more harm than good? In this episode, functional nutrition therapy practitioner and veteran vet tech Stephanie Carter of Indigo Ancestral Health joins Sam to break down why so many performance horses — not just ponies and draft crosses — are being diagnosed with metabolic issues like elevated insulin, EMS, and Cushing's. Stephanie explains her Won't Thrive 25 list of common feed ingredients that contribute to inflammation, why a "perfect" guaranteed analysis can still promote sickness, and how 150 years of modern feeding has imposed more change on horses than 22 million years of evolution. We get into the HPA axis and how chronic stress — from stall confinement, restricted forage, and training pressure — can drive elevated cortisol, spike insulin, and fatigue the adrenal glands, mimicking a Cushing's diagnosis in horses as young as four. Stephanie shares why restricting hay for easy keepers often backfires by triggering a survival response that slows metabolism and promotes weight gain, and how a forage-first, species-appropriate approach with real-food ingredients and quality minerals can reverse insulin resistance and restore long-term health. We also talk about the microbiome's role in bioavailability, why collaboration between vets, nutritionists, farriers, and bodyworkers matters more than ever, and how horse owners can take ownership of their horse's health in the middle of a growing vet shortage. Follow The Elevated Equestrian Podcast so you never miss an episode, and find all the ways to connect, listen, and follow along at https://www.samanthabaer.com/links [https://www.samanthabaer.com/links]

What's Hiding in Your Horse's Saliva? - Dr. Kimberley Mackenzie

What if a simple cotton swab could tell you more about your horse's health than a blood draw? In this episode, molecular biologist and cancer researcher Dr. Kimberley Mackenzie breaks down her groundbreaking work at For Martin Bio, where she's developing a saliva-based test that analyzes the sugar molecules — called glycans — attached to your horse's antibodies to reveal what's really going on inside their body. We get into how glycan research in humans has been able to predict type 2 diabetes up to seven years before traditional testing catches it, and why Dr. Mackenzie believes the same science could be a game-changer for conditions like EMS, Cushing's, and laminitis in horses. She explains how truncated glycans change the shape of antibodies and weaken the immune system, what the collection process actually looks like (spoiler: it takes about five minutes and a cotton swab), and why removing the stress of repeated blood draws matters more than most people realize. We also talk about the performance side — how this testing could help fine-tune training programs for sport horses by catching overtraining before injuries happen, the fascinating differences between how male and female glycans age in humans and what that might mean for mares versus geldings, and where AI fits into making all of this data actually usable for the everyday horse owner. Plus, I share a wild story about a client whose horse was treated for Cushing's for a full year before a second test revealed it didn't have it at all. Whether you're managing a competition horse or keeping your backyard pony healthy, this conversation will change how you think about preventative care. 🎧 Follow The Elevated Equestrian Podcast so you never miss an episode and check out all the links → https://www.samanthabaer.com/links [https://linktr.ee/theelevatedequestrian]