HORSE, FIRST - with Lockie Phillips

Latest Episodes:

The Internship Effect (Cat Roy Stanley) Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

APPLY FOR A RETREAT OR INTERNSHIP HERE https://emotionalhorsemanship.com/retreats-internships

In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips sits down with horse trainer, high school teacher, equestrian relationship coach, and upcoming UK clinic host Cat Roy Stanley following her two-week live-in internship at the farm.

Together they reflect on the experience of stepping away from everyday life and immersing yourself completely in horses, learning, and community.

The conversation explores the clarity Cat gained around consent, boundaries, safety, technique, and the subtle difference between getting a horse to do something and creating the conditions where a horse genuinely wants to participate.

They also discuss business, teaching, personal growth, and the unexpected ways that living alongside horses and horse people can challenge old assumptions while opening new possibilities.

Most importantly, this episode is about what happens when learning becomes experiential rather than theoretical. When ideas stop living in books, podcasts, and social media posts and start living in your body, your relationships, and your daily practice.

And yes, there was a lot of laughter along the way.

This is a conversation about clarity, growth, and what becomes possible when you give yourself permission to learn deeply.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mustangs, Mistakes, and Becoming Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips sits down with horsewoman, mustang owner, former jeweler, and emerging educator Hayley Josephs.

Together they explore the often-overlooked stage of horsemanship where learning is happening faster than certainty, and where curiosity becomes more valuable than confidence.

Hayley shares her journey from a creative career in jewelry making to life with horses in Colorado, the lessons her mustangs have taught her, and what it feels like to step into teaching while still very much being a student herself.

Along the way, they discuss creativity in horsemanship, the challenges and opportunities of being a newcomer, and why some of the most important growth happens when we're willing to admit we don't yet have all the answers.

This is a conversation about humility, curiosity, and the courage it takes to keep learning in a world that often rewards certainty.

Because sometimes the people closest to the beginning are also the people most able to see what everyone else has forgotten.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Horse World Has a Teaching Problem Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips names a difficult truth: many of the biggest harms in horse culture aren’t just about methods, they’re about instruction. From gatekeeping information and disempowering students with phrases like “You’re not a trainer,” to insecure teaching systems that rely on dependency instead of education, this episode explores how toxic pedagogy keeps both humans and horses stuck. With real-life examples and a clear call toward ethical, skill-building mentorship, Lockie invites listeners to stop paying for shame and confusion, and to seek instructors who create capable, comfortable adults and safer, more communicative horses.

For more information check out www.emotionalhorsemanship.com!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Higher You Go, The Gentler You Must Become (With Michelle Knapp) May 30, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips is joined by senior clinician and long-time colleague Michelle Knapp for a conversation about one of the most difficult challenges in horsemanship:

How do we pursue higher levels of skill, precision, and performance without falling back on lower-quality training practices?

Together, they explore the role of dressage in modern horsemanship, the difference between refinement and control, and why advanced work should demand more understanding—not more force.

They also discuss what it means to teach under a shared banner without becoming a copy of someone else, how to avoid guru culture as a teaching team grows, and why the best teachers create independent thinkers rather than loyal followers.

Along the way, Michelle shares her thoughts on the students she loves teaching most, the art of holding people through meaningful breakthroughs, and how to maintain high standards without breaking horses—or humans—in the process.

This is a conversation about leadership, refinement, and the responsibility that comes with helping both horses and people become more capable.

Because better horsemanship isn't about doing more.

It's about doing it better.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Confusion Is Not The Enemy May 28, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips dismantles one of horse culture’s most dangerous myths: that confusion always creates tension, behavioural problems, or unsafe horses. Confusion is not failure, it is cognition, and it is an essential part of real learning. A horse who is never confused is either repeating what they already know or performing without understanding, like a parrot mimicking words. This episode argues plainly that obedience is not cooperation, and that horses trained with the ability to consent, dissent, and offer alternatives become safer, steadier partners. When horses have a way to say no without needing a dangerous way out, humans can finally relax, trust the dialogue, and know that participation is real.

For more information check out www.emotionalhorsemanship.com!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Horse First Is Human First May 14, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips explores the idea that truly centring the horse automatically changes the human. Horse First is not human last, it’s the reciprocal path to becoming more regulated, more accountable, and more skilled, because horses respond to our nervous systems, our timing, and the space we take up, not our intentions. In a world that already centres humans by default, focusing on the horse becomes a rare correction that benefits both species at once. A grounding episode on selflessness, proportion, and the kind of human horses invite us to become.

The EH School is a quiet place in a loud industry.

A low-cost, high-value membership where horse people come to slow down, think clearly, and build real skill with horses at the centre.

With a deep video library, an off-social discussion space, and live calls with Lockie, you’ll have support that feels steady, practical, and refreshingly human.

Not a system to obey.
A craft to practice.

https://emotionalhorsemanship.com/eh-school-sign-up

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Underground Railroad of Being Horse First (With Lori Halliday) May 07, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips sits down with long-time collaborator and now teaching team member, Lori Halliday.

This conversation explores a shift happening quietly within horsemanship—a movement that is less visible, less performative, and increasingly happening beneath the surface. Together, they discuss what it means to carry forward work that challenges traditional systems, and why meaningful change often doesn’t happen in the spotlight.

Using the idea of an “underground railroad” of horsemanship, this episode looks at how people are being guided—sometimes gently, sometimes reluctantly—out of dominance-based approaches and into something more honest, more humane, and more sustainable for the horse.

They also explore the responsibility of teaching within this space, how to avoid guru dynamics as the work grows, and what it means to develop real authority without losing independence of thought.

This is a conversation about quiet influence, long-term change, and the kind of work that doesn’t need to announce itself to be effective.

Because not all progress is visible.

But it is happening.

BOOK IN WITH LORI HALLIDAY HERE: https://emotionalhorsemanship.com/lessons-and-coaching

Connect with Lori's Non-Profit Ranch here: https://www.horseandheart.org/

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When Discernment Gets Called Judgment Apr 29, 2026

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In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips explores the growing tension between clear-eyed discernment and the way it’s often mislabeled as judgment when it challenges harmful norms in horse culture. When people name impact, ask hard questions, or speak up for the horse, discomfort can quickly turn into attempts to silence dissent. This conversation unpacks the difference between moral condemnation and ethical clarity, and why horses depend on humans who are willing to notice, assess, and stay steady even when the room gets uncomfortable.

Come and learn with Lockie inside the EH School.
A low-cost, high-value, flexible membership for horse people who want more than quick fixes and louder answers.

Inside, you’ll find a growing video library, a thoughtful off–social media discussion space, and live coaching calls with Lockie, all designed to help you get to the heart of what’s really happening in your horsemanship.

This is not about following a method.
It’s about building clarity, skill, and confidence, with horses first.

If you’re looking for a steady place to learn, reflect, and progress without force or overwhelm, you’ll feel at home here.

https://emotionalhorsemanship.com/eh-school-sign-up

Come and learn with Lockie inside the EH School.
A low-cost, high-value, flexible membership for horse people who want more than quick fixes and louder answers.

This is not about following a method.
It’s about building clarity, skill, and conf

For more information check out www.emotionalhorsemanship.com!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The End of Aesthetic Horsemanship (With Alexa Linton) Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

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In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips is joined by equine practitioner and The Whole Horse Podcast host, Alexa Linton.

This is a conversation about where horsemanship is heading—and what we may need to leave behind to get there.

Together, they explore the idea that much of what has been called “progress” in the horse world has remained largely aesthetic. Softer, quieter, better presented—but still operating within the same underlying systems.

Alexa offers a grounded and forward-looking perspective on what the next phase of horsemanship is asking of us, and why going deeper is no longer optional.

This episode challenges listeners to move beyond appearance and into something more honest, more demanding, and ultimately more meaningful for horses.

Because where this work is going next…
surface-level won’t hold.

DISCOVER ALEXA LINTON HERE: https://outsidetheboxequine.com/

Come and learn with Lockie inside the EH School.
A low-cost, high-value, flexible membership for horse people who want more than quick fixes and louder answers.

This is not about following a method.
It’s about building clarity, skill, and conf

The EH School is a quiet place in a loud industry.

A low-cost, high-value membership where horse people come to slow down, think clearly, and build real skill with horses at the centre.

With a deep video library, an off-social discussion space, and live calls with Lockie, you’ll have support that feels steady, practical, and refreshingly human.

Not a system to obey.
A craft to practice.

For more information check out www.emotionalhorsemanship.com!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When the Tool Takes Up the Room Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips explores how whips, crops, and training sticks can quietly shift the balance of a relationship, sometimes to the point that a horse’s ability to communicate back begins to disappear. Beyond the debate of “good” or “bad,” this is a conversation about proportion, power, and what happens when tools replace listening instead of supporting it. With practical examples and a steady lens on impact, this episode invites us to ask whether our methods leave room for the horse’s voice, or make their answers unnecessary.

Come and learn with Lockie inside the EH School.
A low-cost, high-value, flexible membership for horse people who want more than quick fixes and louder answers.

This is not about following a method.
It’s about building clarity, skill, and conf

For more information check out www.emotionalhorsemanship.com!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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