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 Welcome to Easier Movement, Happier Horses. I'm Mary Debono, your movement and mindset coach. If you'd like to have flexible, balanced movement or relaxed, confident mindset, and a joyful connection with your horse, you're in the right place. I can't wait to share what I've learned over the past 30 years of helping improve the performance and partnership of horses and their humans.

Thank you so much for being here. Now. Let's dive in Hello and welcome to easier movement, happier horses. I'm Mary Debono and I'm so glad you're here. My goal in this podcast is to help you discover how you and your horse could have balanced fluid movement or relaxed mind, and a joyful connection with each other. And one of the ways that I do that I help people get there is to take every day routine things that they do,

like leading their horse, grooming their horse, tacking up their horse, and do them in such a way that it actually stimulates...

I stared at the phone in my hand.

Did I hear that right?

"Excuse me, did you say, 'yogurt?' You can't come to your brother's memorial service because you have YOGURT?"

"Yeah, I did. You know how some people have animals? And some people have plants? Well, I have yogurt.

"And I can't leave it unattended. It's a starter culture."

This was either the lamest or the very BEST excuse I'd ever heard.

I was glad that Keith, the guy on the other end of the phone, couldn't see my expression.

I had called to invite him to his only sibling's memorial service.

But he wasn't coming. Apparently, he couldn't leave his yogurt.

Money wasn't the issue. I already told him I'd take care of his airfare and hotel.

The truth is, Keith had never really liked his brother.

They hadn't gotten along since they were teenagers.

Knowing all that, I still wanted them to reconcile.

Even though one had died.

I wanted Keith to think fondly of his deceased brother. To have some...

Want to know how the Airedale recovered so quickly from carpal arthritis?

Curious how a yellow Lab returned to soundness after a devastating knee ligament injury?

Wondering how a 70-pound dog with debilitating spinal arthritis started running and playing again?   

They all had one thing in common.

I didn’t focus on their problems.

I left the problems to the veterinarians and other medical personnel.

Instead, I helped these dogs find new possibilities for easier movement.

They learned to use their bodies in new, more comfortable ways.

And they developed better body awareness and coordination.

And guess what happened…

The dogs’ problems went away!

When faced with a doggie dilemma, people often get stuck in a problem state.  

They’re so focused on the problem that it obscures their ability to see anything else.

Maybe you’ve done it too.

It’s perfectly understandable.

But focusing too...

“I wish I had more confidence when I ride.”

I hear that over and over.

Riders constantly wish they had more confidence in the saddle.

As if confidence were a trait that some people were born with, like green eyes.

Or something you could order on Amazon.

Want confidence? It’s available with Prime shipping. Get it by tomorrow evening!

Well, I have good news.

You don’t need confidence to ride well. 

 You need to feel resourceful.

Feeling resourceful means that you have the *skills* to handle whatever challenges come up.

And those are skills you can learn.

So, let’s stop wishing for confidence.

Instead, focus on developing the movement and mindset skills to help you feel RESOURCEFUL with your horse.

For example…

When you have a balanced, secure seat on your horse, your feelings of safety will increase.

And you’ll be more likely to stay with your horse if he...

The chestnut horse’s life changed so drastically, so wonderfully, that having the ability to pick up both leads easily is hardly worth mentioning.

Except that the story starts with a problem at the canter. And an upcoming horse show. A big one.

I was teaching a two-week Debono Moves equine workshop at a large, picturesque facility. Green lawns studded with shady pepper trees surrounded the large barns, and riders had access to trainers of various riding disciplines.

Horses enjoyed the ample turnout paddocks and many happily lived outside year-round. All in all, it seemed like a lovely place to be a horse.

Except if you happened to be a horse in Barn A, Section 2.

That part of the barn was leased by a trainer who kept his charges locked up in dark stalls, the windows clamped shut to keep out light and to prevent the horses from experiencing the outside world. The equines were always outfitted with blankets and tail sets, and sometimes wore...

Have you ever wondered if your horse is happy in his work?

Does responding to your cues make your horse feel good? Or is he simply conditioned to respond to your aids?

In other words, what’s your horse’s motivation for working with you?

Many equestrians never ask these questions. And that makes me wonder if they’ve ever questioned how they motivate themselves.

But you’re different.

You know that asking the right questions can transform your riding.

And your life.

And ensure that your horse has a happy life too.

So, let’s ask a few helpful questions.

Imagine that your garage is a mess. It’s completely disorganized. There are piles of dusty stuff EVERYWHERE.

 There are things in there that you haven’t look at in YEARS.

 You know you’d feel better if you swept and organized it, but it seems like So. Much. Work. 

How do you convince yourself to clean out your garage?

...