You made this happen. 💛

Because of this community, your curiosity, your honesty, and your willingness to have real conversations about horses and humans, Dear Horse World just won Bronze in the Sports Category at the Signal Awards, which celebrate the podcasts redefining culture around the world.

The Signal Awards are kind of like the Nations Cup for podcasts, judged by voices like Jay Shetty and the team behind Radiolab. This isn’t just a win for us. It’s a win for every rider who believes empathy, curiosity, and emotional awareness belong at the heart of horsemanship.

This recognition means the stories we are exploring together are reaching far beyond the barn. Thank you for listening, sharing, and being part of this movement to change the conversation. We are just getting started. 💛

🌟 NF+ Limited Series: Groundwork Guys

We’re excited to introduce a brand-new limited-time series now streaming exclusively for NF+ members!

The first release, Trailer Loading, is available today, and NF+ members get early access to all five episodes one week before they’re public.

Each episode follows Tik Maynard and Nick Rivera, also known as The Groundwork Guys, as they take on real-world training challenges. You’ll see the full process, from their first conversation and plan, through hands-on groundwork, to a final debrief packed with insights and next steps.

This is authentic horsemanship in action, showing what it truly looks like to build understanding and confidence from the ground up.

Enjoy the series over the next few months, and keep an eye out for a reminder before it leaves NF+ for good. 😉

Watch episode 1 below, then catch the full series here.

If you’ve watched Josh Nichol’s masterclasses or joined his office hours, you’ll love this. 

Josh recently stepped into the judge’s seat at Heart of the Horse, a colt-starting competition, and shared powerful insights on what true horsemanship looks like when the pressure is on. His reflection is full of takeaways that go beyond the arena and into everyday training.

Read the blog post here

What’s one lesson from Josh that’s changed the way you work with your horse? We’d love to hear.

The Best of Season 1 episode of Dear Horse World is here! 🎉

It’s a celebration of the moments you loved most, plus a few that truly changed how we think about riding and partnership with our horses.

We’d love to hear from you — what part stayed with you the most? 💬

🌿🐴 Now on NF+: The Reflective Horse Meditation Series 

Connection with your horse begins with you.

This 6-part guided meditation series with Cassandra Ogier is here to help you:
✨ Ground your energy before riding
✨ Shift from stress to stillness
✨ Build trust through presence, not pressure
✨ Lead with the calm confidence your horse already believes in

From mindful grooming to walking with “the lead mare within,” each session brings you back to your body—so you can show up steady, clear, and connected for your horse.

Connection isn’t magic: it’s practiced. 

What’s your win this month? 🎉

I had a little victory today that felt like a big breakthrough. After watching all of Josh’s Review My Rides, I finally put the pieces together about why my horse was slightly rushing through the trot on a figure-8.

It clicked—he wasn't balanced. The moment he anticipated needing to shift weight onto his right shoulder, he’d try to rush through it. From the ground, I’m sure the pace change would’ve looked almost invisible, but in the saddle, I could feel the tension.

Thanks to Josh, I could actually see the why behind it, and that felt so empowering. Those tiny moments where you can meet tension head-on and make a shift? They’re everything.

Would love to hear your wins this month—big or small! 🫶

Inspired by this week's Office Hours with Josh, today I worked on Body Mapping my horse's shoulders and hips before my ride. Afterwards – I had THE BEST RIDE EVER 🤩. I also focused on moving my horse's shoulders and hips under-saddle, relating to another Office Hours question. For the past few months, my horse has been struggling to pick up his right lead canter, and this time he got it effortlessly, on the first try. 💥 

🚨 Last Chance to Submit Your Training Footage for Live Feedback with Josh Nichol! 🚨

This is a unique opportunity to get real-time, expert insights from one of the leading figures in horsemanship. Whether you’re working on groundwork, riding under saddle, or tackling behavior challenges, Josh’s horse-first approach will help you build trust and communication with your horse like never before!

⏰ Don’t miss out—submit your video now for a chance to get personalized feedback straight from Josh in tomorrow's Review My Ride webinar!

👉 Submit Your Footage Here

Let’s take your training to the next level! 

I was inspired by Tik this weekend and decided to give clicker training a try with my horse! My timing wasn’t perfect, but overall he really enjoyed it and picked up target work super quickly. It even helped him work through a spook—over a hula hoop, of all things! By the end, he was confidently touching it and clearly proud of himself for earning a click and a treat. We’ll definitely be doing more of this!

🔴 We’re LIVE with Josh Nichol – Tune in Now!

Josh is breaking down real rider videos right now and sharing his expert insights on everything from contact issues to jumping pace, ground handling, and herd-bound behaviors. Here’s a look at some of the challenges he’s may tackle today:

✅ How to encourage a "space horse" to respond to pressure without escalation
✅ Exercises to steady a strong, experienced jumper after fences
✅ Whether mares in heat could be affecting a young stallion’s behavior
✅ Supporting an ex-broodmare’s transition to dressage
✅ Helping an anxious Andalusian gelding feel more secure on the ground
✅ Finding the right balance between rhythm and impulsion over fences
✅ Managing a spooky horse with vision limitations and a barn mate who evades by running backward

Josh is sharing tailored strategies to help each rider—and you can learn alongside them! Jump in now and ask questions live.

Join the webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tU1BmIVNTbueGr6ulf_LPQ