All episodes

What truly makes a horse a horse – and what does that mean for how we interact with them? In this podcast episode, I spoke with Zefanja Vermeulen about exactly that.

We take a look back at the beginnings of domestication and explore which characteristics are still deeply rooted in the horse’s nature – the so-called primitive traits. Traits that are often overlooked.
Yet they explain so much: from behavioral issues to physical stress.

This episode is a heartfelt invitation to stop merely “training” horses
– and to truly understand them instead.

You’ll learn:
▶️ Why primitive traits still matter...

What if a Grand Prix test looks softer – but the horse still shows stress?
What if a rider’s hands are kind – but the body says: “This is too much?”

In this episode, I talk about:
🔹 The performance of Justin Verboom & Zonik Plus
🔹 Biomechanical overload and hypermobility
🔹 Jessica von Bredow-Werndl’s public reaction to criticism
🔹 Why equipment matters more than image

✨ Bottom line: Not being brutal isn’t the same as being ethical.
We need new standards – for the horse, the sport, and ourselves.

After a truly inspiring weekend in Oslo, I recently had the chance to reconnect with Karoline Kjesrud, head of the interdisciplinary research group The Horse, artist and independent researcher Søssa Jørgensen, and of course Bent Branderup, to reflect on our workshop at the Archaeological Museum.

In this episode, we talk about our insights from testing historical artefacts in practice, explore the deep connection between humans and horses in Viking times, and take a glimpse into what’s to come.

Horse training is like an iceberg. We only see the top 2%, but the real work happens beneath the surface. In this solo episode, Celina takes you into the 98%: the neurological, emotional, and biomechanical layers that shape everything.

With clarity, scientific depth, and ethical grounding, she explains why experience isn't enough, how anthropomorphism leads us astray, and why modern training must be built on interdisciplinary knowledge.

Topics in this episode:

When experience becomes confirmation bias

The problem with humanizing horses

Why dorsal stability changes everything

How neuroscience, ethology & pain science inform training

What ethical horse training really means...

This episode doesn’t sugar-coat:
We discuss the new FEI-backed research video on bits – and why "working" often means "hurting."
With insights from Christina Wilkins and photographer Crispin Parellius.

👉 A call to rethink control, ethics, and equestrian culture.

In this episode, we take a unique look at the horse-human relationship through the lens of archaeology, history, and art.
Our guests, Karoline Kjesrud and Søssa Jørgensen, are part of the interdisciplinary research group The Horse, recently established at the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo. Their aim: to explore the cultural, historical, and ethical significance of horses in Norway – past, present, and future.
Why you should tune in:
This episode offers a rare combination of cultural history and horsemanship. Whether you're into Viking archaeology, ethical equestrianism, or artistic interpretations of the horse-human bond – this dialogue will...

Horses using tools? Yes – and it's groundbreaking. In this episode, Kate Farmer joins us, co-author of the study on tool use in horses conducted with Prof. Konstanze Krüger. What does it mean when horses deliberately use objects to achieve goals? What cognitive abilities are required – and how does this reshape our understanding of horses? Celina Skogan speaks with Kate Farmer about research, training, ethics – and why it’s time to rethink what we believe we know.

Groundwork has many variations.
While most people relate groundwork to horsemanship, academic groundwork enhances the gymnastically perspective of groundwork.
In this podcast, I am discussing the possiblilities and limitations of the different groundwork perspectives.

When Cathrine went to Mongolia to participate in the famous 1000 Km race with semi-wild horses,
It became a transformational experience for her that changed her persepctive on horses, riding and life. Listen to her story!

Links Cathrine

Internet: https://www.ridelikeaviking.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ridelikeaviking
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridelikeaviking/

Links Equidemia

Equidemia Online Summit: https://equidemia.com/de/summit/
Link zur Internetseite: www.equidemia.com
Membership Bereich: https://academy.equidemia.com/wp-login.php
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/equidemia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equidemia.celina.skogan/

Mary Debono is a Feldenkrais Practitioner from the US. She started her journey 30 years ago, and broke the ground for applying Feldenkrais also to horses, dogs and cats. Today Celina and Mary are talking about curious competence, compassion and kindness in the work with horses and humans, and why they don’t like the expression
“No pain, no gain” at all. For our listeners, Mary has put together a free 3-video-series on her http://marydebono.com/rider

If you would like to dive in deeper, also listen to Mary’s talk during the Equidemia Online Summit in February.

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