Dear Horse World

NF+ is proud to present our exclusive new Masterclass, The Millar Method Complete Training System, where Ian & Amy Millar introduce their system for building winning horses.
Olympian Ian Millar returns on NF+ with Amy Millar to introduce the first of 16 episodes of the Millar Method, a consistent, repeatable system designed to develop horses that stay sound, confident, and ready to win.
They share their backgrounds—Ian's record 10 Olympic Games, role with the Canadian show jumping team, and scholarship work in Ontario; Amy's two Olympic appearances, Canadian championship, team ambitions, and efforts to improve accessibility through Can Jump. The episode explains how their method applies from trail riding to top sport, grounded in understanding the horse's nature and using tools like lunging, round penning, gymnastics, grids, and courses.
They emphasize principles that stay consistent while adapting teaching to how each horse and rider learns.
A Program Responsible for nine Olympic Horses across two Generations.
The Millar Method | Complete Training System -  Save 25% on annual memberships with code DHW25
Learn the system that has developed top-level horses for Olympians lan and Amy Millar.
Chapters:
00:00 Meet the Millar Method
01:12 Ian and Amy Introductions
02:26 Why Teaching Matters
04:44 Sharing the Method
05:28 What the Method Covers
06:47 Tools and Foundations
07:45 Principles and Adaptation
08:19 How Horses and Riders Learn
08:55 Teaching Wins
The Millar Method | Complete Training System -  Save 25% on annual memberships with code DHW25
Exclusively available on NF+, the equestrian masterclass platform for riders of all levels and disciplines.
This episode is brought to you by:
Connaway & Associates Equine Insurance Services, Inc.

The friendly and knowledgeable team at Connaway & Associates brings together more than 30 years of experience to offer a wide range of insurance services, including horse insurance, farm insurance, and liability insurance.

Visit www.connaway.net | @connawayassociates | facebook.com/connawayassociatesequine

Peter Charles on Starting from Nothing, Building Champions, and Giving Horses Time Peter Charles joins the Dear Horse World Podcast for his first podcast and recounts leaving Liverpool at 15 after his parents died, starting as a groom in Ireland, getting limited early riding opportunities, and working up through top European yards before winning the Brussels World Cup at 24 on the 7-year-old April Son. 
 
He contrasts his non-equestrian start with raising and training his children—Harry, Scarlett, and Sienna—emphasizing basics, hard work, confidence, and separating father from trainer; Harry learned on modest horses, was encouraged to choose riding himself, and later achieved multiple major medals and wins. Charles critiques the American hunter pathway versus Europe's pony system for developing competitive reactions, argues modern sport's nonstop schedule reduces time for partnerships, and stresses patience in producing horses, later starting ages, breeding selection via strong mare lines, and managing soundness by learning, asking questions, and knowing each horse's movement.
This conversation explores:
What starting from nothing actually teaches you (and what money can't replace)
Why the European pony-riding system produces more instinctive, competitive riders
The difference between giving your kids opportunity and making it too easy
How to build a genuine partnership with a horse — and why rushing it will cost you later
What to do when your string of top horses disappears overnight
How confidence is built, not born — and why Peter never once doubted himself
Why the mare matters more than the stallion in any breeding program
How to become your own horse's best advocate when the vet doesn't have all the answers

You can learn more about Peter Charles here:
 
Intagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathcroft_farm/
Website: https://heathcroftfarm.com
 
This episode is brought to you by:
Connaway & Associates Equine Insurance Services, Inc.

The friendly and knowledgeable team at Connaway & Associates brings together more than 30 years of experience to offer a wide range of insurance services, including horse insurance, farm insurance, and liability insurance.

Visit www.connaway.net | @connawayassociates | facebook.com/connawayassociatesequine 

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Podcast 
01:25 From Liverpool to Horses 
02:43 First Rides and First Win 
03:47 Training the Charles Kids
07:52 Keeping Them Hungry 
08:59 Europe vs America Systems 
10:37 Letting Kids Choose
13:39 Learning From Mistakes 
14:56 Giving Horses Time 
20:08 Talent Versus Work Ethic 
23:42 Modern Showjumping Chess 
27:35 Building Confidence Today 
29:27 Rotating Horses On Tour 
29:49 Confidence Through Preparation 
30:20 Show Circuit Eats Time 
31:57 Basics Beat Money 
33:29 Nations Cup Glory Days 
37:18 Mentors And Giving Back 
45:19 Breeding Starts With Mares 
47:15 Soundness And Vet Wisdom 
52:55 Rapid Fire And Farewell

Horse Separation anxiety is something most horse owners will face at some point.
Sometimes it shows up as calling when a buddy leaves.
 Sometimes it's a refusal to leave the barn.
 Sometimes it escalates into behavior that feels dangerous, overwhelming, or emotionally exhausting.
And despite how common it is, it can feel isolating — especially when even experienced professionals don't always have a clear roadmap.
In this episode, we sit down with clinician and author Kathy Baar to unpack herd-bound behavior through the lens of psychology and biology. Kathy has spent decades studying how horses bond, how they regulate, and how easily their instincts can be misunderstood.
This conversation explores:
What separation anxiety is (and what it isn't)
Why horses bond so deeply — especially when traveling or stabled together
The difference between connection and codependency
How to expand your horse's comfort zone safely
What to do in show situations when you don't have weeks to rebuild patterns
How your own personality type impacts how your horse learns
Why safety and comfort must come before food or reward
This episode is for you if:
Your horse struggles leaving the barn or their buddy
Show warm-ups feel unpredictable
You feel embarrassed or alone in this challenge
You want to understand herd-bound behavior at its root
You're ready to build confidence in your horse without escalating intensity
Kathy's book that she would read to the horse world - Natural Horse-Man-Ship: Six Keys to a Natural Horse-Human Relationship (A Western Horseman Book) by Pat Perelli
Kathy offers understanding — when you understand what your horse is truly seeking, your approach begins to change.
Kathy Baar is a clinician, trainer, and author known for her thoughtful, psychology-based approach to horsemanship. Drawing influence from the lineage of Tom and Bill Dorrance and Ray Hunt, Kathy focuses on developing both connection with the human and internal confidence within the horse. Recently, Kathy was a judge at Road to the Horse and enjoyed the opportunity to experience the event from a judges perspective.
Her book, Solving Separation Anxiety: Over 77 Savvy Solutions for Herd Bound Behavior, is a practical guide for riders navigating barn sour and buddy sour behavior.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
3:00 How Motherhood Sparked a Book About Horse Separation Anxiety
7:00 What Is Herd Bound Behavior and Why Does It Happen
11:00 Building the Kind of Relationship That Replaces the Herd
17:00 How Common Is Separation Anxiety — and Is It Ever Solved?
22:00 Why Horses Bond So Deeply When They Travel Together
23:00 Horses in Pastures and Herds: Strategies That Work
28:00 Noelle's Feral Mare and Learning to Slow Down
36:00 Horses in Stalls: Training From the Comfort Zone
40:00 Nature vs Nurture — Is Your Horse Born Anxious?
45:00 Horses Kept in Pairs: The Hardest Scenario
51:00 Groundwork That Actually Transfers to the Saddle
58:00 Pressure, Yielding, and the Man's Horse Myth
1:00:00 Riding With a Buddy Horse — and Staying Present
1:06:00 Emergency Strategies at Horse Shows
1:08:00 Extroverted vs Introverted Horse Learners
1:14:00 Key Takeaways Before You Go
1:15:00 Barn Sour vs Buddy Sour: What the Terms Really Mean
1:17:00 Rapid Fire Questions with Kathy Barr
Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Dear Horse World wherever you listen, leave us a review — it genuinely helps more people find these conversations — and share this episode with someone who needs to hear how to support their horses.
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What does it really mean to commit to something that scares you?
In this episode, we sit down with Filipe Masetti Leite, a journalist, filmmaker, and long rider who traveled more than 27,000 kilometers on horseback from the Canadian Rockies to the southern tip of Argentina. Over eight years, he crossed 12 countries, navigated remote terrain, built partnerships with 11 horses, and lived at the speed of a walk.
But this conversation goes far beyond the mileage.
We talk about what happens when you slow life down to three kilometers an hour. What leadership looks like when your team has four legs. The bond of a heart horse. The tension between loving horses and using them. The identity crisis that can follow achievement. And why having an "X" on your map might matter more than the destination itself.
This is a conversation about fear, resilience, ego, spirituality, and the responsibility that comes with living a dream out loud.
You can find The Long Rider - Filipe's award-winning film documenting his ride across the Americas here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7hudXw67yw
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Filipe's memoir detailing the journey, the borders, the horses, and what it changed in him - Long Ride Home: Guts, Guns and Grizzlies
Tschiffely's Ride by Aimé Tschiffely - The 1925 account of a Swiss schoolteacher who rode from Buenos Aires to New York on two Criollo horses — the book that inspired Filipe's dream as a child. 
The Long Riders' Guild - An organization preserving the history and stories of modern long-distance equestrian explorers.
Children's Cancer Hospital in Brazil - The ride to Ushuaia helped raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer support.
Follow Filipe on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/filipemasetti/
Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Dear Horse World wherever you listen, leave us a review — it genuinely helps more people find these conversations — and share this episode with someone who needs to hear more adventure horse stories.
This episode is brought to you by:
 Total Feeds
Our mission to provide quality nutrition to people and animals puts us in contact with all manner of interesting folks. Whether you're interested in our animal feed, or the people involved in the animal industry: you'll find it at Total Feeds!
Check out our line of Quality Animal Feeds here: https://totalfeeds.com
Chapters:
00:00 Inro
02:06 NFR Host Origins
02:57 Writing the Dream
05:19 War Room Planning
05:37 Finding the First Horses
08:13 Bruiser Heart Horse
09:57 Living Like a Herd
14:19 Presence at Three KPH
17:59 Lessons on Fear
20:47 Defining Resilience
22:06 Finding Your Purpose
25:21 Grounded by Walking
29:18 Loving vs Objectifying
34:46 Intent Over Outcome
35:39 Natural vs Forced Riding
39:01 Trail Riders Matter
40:14 Judgment and Humility
44:55 Bruiser the Heart Horse
48:32 Cowboy Life and Meaning
50:54 Leadership Lessons from Horses
53:20 Wild Horses and Border Chaos
55:13 PTSD Depression and Recovery
01:00:01 Staying Whole with Horses
01:03:14 No Excuses Mindset
01:04:45 Rapid Fire

Not every rider has access to the perfectly bred, professionally produced sport horse. Many are figuring things out with the horse they could afford, learning as they go, and trying to build a partnership along the way.
In this episode, 5★ event rider and trainer Elisa Wallace shares what she has learned from producing horses many others overlook, including Mustangs and off-the-track Thoroughbreds. Alongside competing at the highest levels of eventing, Elisa has built a career developing unconventional horses into dream ones.
In this episode of "No Stupid Questions," we discuss:
How to evaluate a horse when shopping on a budget
The red flags riders should pay attention to early on
The first steps to building trust with a new horse
How to rebuild confidence after setbacks
Signs your horse is progressing, even when improvement feels slow
What unconventional horses can teach riders that highly produced horses cannot
The book Elisa would read to the horse world - Four Square by Lucinda Green
For riders navigating the journey with one horse, modest resources, and a lot of determination, this episode is a reminder that your dreams are possible with the horse you have.
Resources:
https://wallaceeventing.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/WallaceEventing
https://roadtothehorse.com/elisa-wallace-usa/
This epidsode is generously sponsored by:
StableFeed - What You Feed Your Horse Matters
StableFeed is redefining equine nutrition with all natural horse feed and supplements made from real, whole foods. Using a unique forage, Sainfoin, as the base of their forage prodcuts and clean plant ingredients, never chemicals, fillers , or by products. StableFeed helps horses thrive with nutrition designed the way nature intended. Real food with real results.
Explore more at stablefeed.com | @StableFeed
 
Chapters:
00:00 Ocala Week Announcement 
00:39 Meet Elisa Wallace 
01:57 Road to the Horse Nerves 
04:46 Mustangs to Eventing Path 
06:30 Fledge and Mustang Magic 
14:03 Mustang Sensitivity Explained 
19:59 Pressure and Communication 
23:53 No Stupid Questions Begins 
26:29 Underdog Success Story 
28:49 Permission to Be Unorthodox 
35:41 Producing Horses and Fear 
40:57 Mentors and Asking for Help 
44:40 Choosing Horses by Intuition 
45:32 Overthinking Choices 
46:32 Colts Versus Fillies 
48:32 Mare Mindset Lessons 
52:16 Format Change Gameplan 
56:55 Learning From Past Rides 
59:23 Green Horse Basics 
01:05:43 Pressure Off Progress 
01:10:50 Play Builds Partnership 
01:13:29 Fun Groundwork Ideas 
01:15:42 Gratitude And Perspective 
01:16:47 Rapid Fire Wrap
 
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