Kate and Kathleen - A podcast about humans and horses

Season 2, Episode 9. With Lee Maclean of Keystone Equine. Humility or Hubris, finding the middle ground. In this episode we are delighted to welcome back the indomitable Lee Maclean of Keystone Equine. We discuss the challenge of openly sharing your own learning journey, the vulnerablities and insecurities as a trainer and profesisonal, and how on the flipside that can expose you to criticism. How do we open ourselves up the the reality of a life with horses, where mistakes are made, lessons are learned and humlity must constantly be welcomed - in a social media world which wants to see perfection and glitter at all costs? We hope you enjoy this conversation and may get something useful from it regarding your own life with horses. You can find us at : Lee Maclean - Keystone Equine Kathleen Beckham - Ethos Equine Kate Sandel - Soft and Sound

Kate & Kathleen, Season 2, Episode 5. Good horsemanship and good biomechanics, part 2 July 2026 In the second part on this topic, we talk about the very common horsemanship practices of lateral flexion and yielding the hind quarters. And how this is done very badly by so many, and why this has become the case. Kathleen shares with us her understanding of what can be done to mitigate this. Kate also talks a little about what can be missing from a tradition which is very focused on good biomechanics and sometimes doesn't address the horsemanship side of things. As ever, you can find us here Kathleen www.ethosequine.com Kate - www.softandsound.org

Kate & Kathleen. Season 2, Episode 5. Good horsemanship and Good biomechanics? Part 1 This week we talk about the link between good horsemanship and good biomechanics (or healthy movement, or biotensegrity, or whatever you want to call it). What did we both have to do to further our knowledge about this subject and what do we see our students and their horses struggle with most often? This is just the first look at a huge topic. We will be back next time to talk about where horsremanship may skip a focus on phsyical wellbeing, and where classical riding might overlook the foundations. You can find us here Kathleen - www.ethosequine.com Kate www.softandsound.org

In this episode we chatter on (distinctly different from nattering) about the concept of 'What did you first stub your toe on'. Kathleen doesn't know where she first heard this, but she is claiming it now! And for so many people it is such a useful way to think about where to start and how to 'plan' your ride. We hope there will be something in this episode for you! You can find us here Kathleen - www.ethosequine.com Kate - www.softandsound.org

Kate and Kathleen - Series 2, Episode 3. April 19th 2026 In this episode Kate asks Kathleen a question about her new horse. He has some serious concerns about things in his blind spot. Together they dicuss what might be going on for him, and ideas to explore which could help him better. Many horses have worries about their blind spots, and when they are left unaddressed this can cause a lot of problems for horses (and their humans) in all manner of ways. We hope there will be something in this episode for you! You can find us here Kathleen - www.ethosequine.com Kate - www.softandsound.org

In this episode, as we dream of spring and summer, we talk about some things you might want to consider when it comes to sigining up for or attending clinics. Clinics in the USA look quite different to those in the UK, but a lot of things we need to prepare for are similar. How do you choose which ones to go to? What can you do to set yourself and your horse up for success? What small detail do you need to pay attention to which might make all the difference. We hope you enjoy this. If you would like to work more with either of us you can find us here Kathleen www.ethosequine.com Kate www.softandsound.org

In this episode we discuss the many naunces of imposter syndrome - something often dicussed on the internet, but usually with a 'one size fits all' solution. We both believe that there are many varied and indivuial reasons why we might come to believe that "I'm about to get found out' Or, "I shouldn't really be here' - whether we we are a professional or have horses just for fun (!). We also exlpore a few tangents en route - as per. If you would like to learn more with either of us - you can find us here Kathleen www.ethosequine. org Kate www.softandsound.org

Dec 4th 2025 In this episode we update you about our two new (now not so new) horses, Rural and Sunshine. We hope you enjoy hearing more about what we have learned about them and where we think we might be headed next... You can find us here Kathleen www.ethosequine.com Kate www.softandsound.org

Kate & Kathleen - Episode 21. Rules...? In this epsiode we talk about the few 'rules' that we have (for now) when it comes to being with horses. These are things that for now we don't negotiate or compromise on - we try to uphold them. We discuss what has brought us to this decision and how we keep sense checking them. Who knows, the next time we talk we may have found good enough reasons not to hold on to these as rules anymore, but for now they make enough sense that we stick with them. If you would like to find out more about us, we both teach in person, on-line and have active subscriber memberships Kathleen - www.ethosequoine.com Kate - www.softandsound.org

This week we talk about the ethical dilemmas we 'should' all face as horse owners. - regarding what we want our horses to do for us. It is a truth (which can be hard to face) that our horses are in our lives because we made choices for them. And then continue to decide many things about how they live and who they live with. There should be an ongoing dialgue for any horse steward as to what I ask of my horse and very importantly 'how' I ask. Do I know what my principles are in order that my actions can reflect that? In her usual straightforward manner, Kathleen suggests one way to consider this is simply "How selfish am I prepared to be?' We hope you enjoy our chat, if you would like to know more about us you can find us here Kathleen www.ethosequine.com Kate www.softandsound.org

Kate and Kathleen. Episode 19; living with horses with health conditions, Part 2. In this epsiode we talk about our personal experiences of diagnosing and supporting horses with chronic health conditions. This includes Kathleens horses with PSSM and hormonal issues, and Kate's with complex phsyical issues. We discuss our own ethical paradigms for what we we will continue to ask of a horse, and when we make a decision to retire them. Not an easy topic for any of us to consider, but an essential one. If you would like to find out more about us you can track us down here Katheen - www.ethosequine.org Kate - www.softandsound.org Or you can find us on Fb ar Kathleen Beckham and Kate Sandel

In this episode Kate and Kathleen talk to a very interesting question from a listener - Is my horse just quiet or is she shut down? As ever, the conversation goes where it goes, with some rambling side roads and interesting diversions. If you have a question for us, please do get in touch. You can find us here Kathleen - www.ethoseqiune.org Kate - www.softandsound.org

In this episode we begin to answer a listeners question, one which i am sure is familiar to many of us - my horses has a long term health condition, how do I manage that? This is part 1, where we discuss our experiences of discovering and then managing significant health challlenges in our horses. How can we balance optimim with realism, hope with pragmatism. We will return to this very soon as it is a huge subject. You can find `Kathleen here www.ethosequine.com Kate here www.softandsound.org

In this episode we talk about the arrival of our respective new horses- Sunshine and Rural. We discuss their integration, how they landed and what we have learned about them in the few weeks they have been with us. Hopefully this episode will be interesting to you even if you have had your horse in your life for a longer time. It's always interesting to view them afresh! You can find us on Kathleen - www.ethosequine.org Kate - www.softandsound.org

March 2025 This week with Kathleen and Kate is a very special guest- Jane Pike! She of Confident Rider fame, and a passionate advocate for embodied practices for humans who share their lives with horses. Well all humans everywhere really. We were asked a question by a listener about rider fitness - how 'fit' do we need to be to ride a horse, and how do the other tasks we do in relation to horse care (wheelbarrows and buckets) contribute or not to our fitrness to ride? Jane brings her own compassionate and innovative take ob this, considering movement more from the perspective of the nervous system and how this impacts our relationship with our bodies and therefore with the bodies of our horses. If you would like to find out more about Jane you can find her on: https://confidentrider.online Kathleen on https://ethosequine.com kate on https://softandsound.org

In this episode Kate and Kathleen talk about the challenge that horsepeople can face when they see the gurus or masters working at the most subtle or 'black belt' level of horsemanship, without always being explicit abou the years of practical interactions with horses which have got them to this stage. We hope this episode helps you feel better about 'where you are now' and recognise that being a 'white belt' is something to be very proud of. You can find us at Kathleen - www.ethosequine.org Kate - www.softandsound.org

Well, this is some epsiode! Kathleen and Kate chat to Lee Mclean of Keystone Equine about a life with horses, and specifically how she cares for herself, her family and her community. Lee has been working in the online/social media space for quite a while, and she has learned some things about self-care and boundaries in this new world over the years . She now has a huge following and has had to take positive action to keep that healthy and safe for all. Lee is a prolific and amazing writer, and slowly and deliberately develops a small herd of ponies and horses, according to high quality traditions of horsemanship We loved chatting with her and you can find her on Fb under Keystone Equine. Kathleen can be found at www.ethosequine.org Kate at www.softandsound.org

In this episode Kate and Kathkeen talk about something which is on both their minds at the moment - buying a new horse. They have both aquired many horses between them over the years and along the way have honed some of the 'Must haves' and 'Must not haves'. This is a fund discussion but also a very serious one! If you find yourself in the position of buying a new horse, maybe this episode will be of interest to you. If you're not purchashing right now, you might find it interesting anyway! Find us here Kathleen - www.ethosequine.com Kate - www.softandsound.org

In this episode Kate and Kathleen respond to a question from a listener, who wanted to know our thoughts about single horse ownership vs multiple horses. We talk about the pros and cons of both situations, our personal experiences of that, and things any horse owner might want to think about. If you have a question you would like us to answer, please do get in touch. You can find us here: Kathleen - www.ethoseequine.com Kate - www.softandsound.org

In this episode we talk with Liana Upton about her experiences of having children and running an equestrian business. She candidly shares the many challenges, and we talk about how women manage their lives as self employed horse trainers whilst giving birth, breast feeding, and looking after children. We take our collective hats off to Liana and all other women who manage this quite extraordinary feat. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed chatting. You can find Liana at https://www.sitwellmethod.co.uk or on facebook under Ravenroyd Equestrian https://www.facebook.com/ravenroydequestrian Kathleen and Kate can be find in their usual places; www.ethosequine.com and www.softandsound.org