Ask An Expert: Horse Care and Riding Advice

Keeping your horse’s training fresh and engaging can be the key to higher performance and happier rides. In this episode of Ask an Expert, accomplished dressage trainer Lisa Helmer discusses the benefits of cross training and shares practical ways to add variety, fitness, and fun into your routine.

Episode Highlights:
4:00: What cross-training really means, how it fits into a program, and why it matters for both performance and mindset
19:30: Lisa’s favorite cavaletti exercises and easy ways to blend them into flatwork
45:30: One small weekly training change that can make a big difference
47:00: Common cross-training misconceptions and how to spot the physical and mental benefits

Meet the Expert, Lisa Hellmer

Lisa Helmer is a lifelong horsewoman and USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medalist. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University with a degree in equine business management and riding, she trained young horses at the Hanoverian Verband in Germany, where she developed a passion for cross-disciplinary training. She later worked for international Grand Prix rider Pam Goodrich before starting her own business, LCH Equestrian, in Ocala, Florida.

Brought to you by Ride iQ 

This episode is part of the Ask An Expert podcast series, usually available exclusively in the Ride iQ app, where members have access to more than 200 expert interviews covering training, horse care, sports psychology, and more.

Ride iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches. Members also get weekly live Q&As with equestrian experts, exclusive podcast episodes, dressage test playbooks, and supportive community conversations that make learning feel fun and doable.

If you’d like to explore what Ride iQ offers, you can learn more and start your free 14-day trial at Ride-iQ.com. 

Want straightforward, expert advice on keeping your horse sound and thriving? Dr. Erica Lacher’s eight-part program, Horse Health Essentials, is now available, and you can use code POD35 for 35% off. Learn more at RideIQElevate.com/horse-health.

Horses have their own language, and learning to listen opens the door to a deeper, more compassionate connection. In this episode of Ask an Expert, animal communicator Alexa Linton shares how you can better understand your horse’s experiences, tune into their needs, and support them through tools like animal communication, bodywork, and mindful presence.   

Episode Highlights:   
10:30: How animal communication works in practice 
9:20: Simple exercises for tuning in and strengthening communication with your horse 
36:00: Situations that are more challenging for horses than we often realize 
39:30: How horses experience loss, absence, and changes within the herd 
47:00: Supporting horses through long-term rehabilitation and extended rest

Meet the Expert, Alexa Linton 

Alexa is an osteopathic practitioner with more than 20 years of experience in kinesiology, manual therapy, and energy work. Based in Duncan, BC, she blends science, intuition, and a deep love for horses into everything she does-from her one-on-one intuitive work to her popular programs like the Whole Horse Apprenticeship and her long-running podcast The Whole Horse.

Brought to you by Ride iQ 

This episode is part of the Ask An Expert podcast series, usually available exclusively in the Ride iQ app, where members have access to more than 200 expert interviews covering training, horse care, sports psychology, and more.

Ride iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches. Members also get weekly live Q&As with equestrian experts, exclusive podcast episodes, dressage test playbooks, and supportive community conversations that make learning feel fun and doable.

If you’d like to explore what Ride iQ offers, you can learn more and start your free 14-day trial at Ride-iQ.com. 

Want straightforward, expert advice on keeping your horse sound and thriving? Dr. Erica Lacher’s eight-part program, Horse Health Essentials, is now available, and you can use code POD35 for 35% off. Learn more at RideIQElevate.com/horse-health.

The walk is often underestimated, but it has the power to transform both horse and rider, improving balance, communication, and overall well-being. In this episode of Ask an Expert, Diana Waters, founder of The Power of Walk, explores the principles behind slow walk work, the benefits you can expect, and practical approaches for incorporating it into your training.   

Episode Highlights:   
7:00: The short-term and long-term benefits of focused walk work, and how it supports overall training development 
8:45: The difference between a slow walk and a lazy walk, and where intentional walk work fits into a horse’s training schedule 
14:00: How walk work is adapted to address different challenges, and how it improves posture, strength, and muscle tone 
21:30: An overview of Diana’s program, including timeline, key exercises, and end goals 
47:45: A simple, practical walk-focused challenge listeners can try with their own horse   

Meet the Expert, Diana Waters 

Diana Waters is a BHS-qualified instructor, Enlightened Equitation Teacher, and Equine Assisted Psychotherapist. She developed Slow Walk Work after discovering how profoundly a gentle, grounded approach could change everything for the horse and the human. What began as a personal journey with a “lazy” horse soon became a method she now shares with horse owners worldwide. Today, she teaches this method to riders around the world through The Power of Walk course and online community, helping horses and humans become more relaxed, confident, and balanced. 

Brought to you by Ride iQ 

This episode is part of the Ask An Expert podcast series, usually available exclusively in the Ride iQ app, where members have access to more than 200 expert interviews covering training, horse care, sports psychology, and more.

Ride iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches. Members also get weekly live Q&As with equestrian experts, exclusive podcast episodes, dressage test playbooks, and supportive community conversations that make learning feel fun and doable.

If you’d like to explore what Ride iQ offers, you can learn more and start your free 14-day trial at Ride-iQ.com. 

Want straightforward, expert advice on keeping your horse sound and thriving? Dr. Erica Lacher’s eight-part program, Horse Health Essentials, is now available, and you can use code POD35 for 35% off. Learn more at RideIQElevate.com/horse-health.

Daily care decisions play a bigger role in your horse’s long-term health than many owners realize. In this webinar, Dr. Erica Lacher breaks down the five issues she sees most often in her practice, explains the everyday habits that have the biggest impact on soundness and wellbeing, and shares practical, vet-approved strategies you can start using right away. Whether you’re a lifelong horse owner or just getting started, you’ll come away feeling more confident, prepared, and proactive about your horse’s care.   

Episode Highlights: 
17:15: Mistake #1: Calling everyone but the veterinarian  
21:30: Mistake #2: Spending hard-earned money on supplements 
26:15: Mistake #3: Poor quality farrier work 
28:30: Mistake #4: DIY wound care 
33:40: Mistake #5: Skipping routine care 
46:00: Real-world case Q&A   

Meet the Expert, Dr. Erica Lacher 

A graduate of the University of Florida, Dr. Erica Lacher is the owner and lead veterinarian of Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic in Newberry, Florida. She has a particular interest in helping sport horses have long, successful careers and helping owners learn how to make that happen. When she's not at the clinic, Erica competes her own horses in the jumper ring and co-hosts the podcast Straight From The Horse Doctor's Mouth with Justin Long. 

Brought to you by Ride iQ 

This episode is part of the Ask An Expert podcast series, usually available exclusively in the Ride iQ app, where members have access to more than 200 expert interviews covering training, horse care, sports psychology, and more.

Ride iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches. Members also get weekly live Q&As with equestrian experts, exclusive podcast episodes, dressage test playbooks, and supportive community conversations that make learning feel fun and doable.

If you’d like to explore what Ride iQ offers, you can learn more and start your free 14-day trial at Ride-iQ.com. 

Want straightforward, expert advice on keeping your horse sound and thriving? Dr. Erica Lacher’s eight-part program, Horse Health Essentials, is now available, and you can use code POD35 for 35% off. Learn more at RideIQElevate.com/horse-health.

Your horse is affected by the footing with every step they take, which makes arena design and footing choices more important than many riders realize. In this episode of Ask an Expert, Dickie Osborne dives into the fundamentals of arena construction, explains common pitfalls, and offers advice on evaluating and improving the footing at home and at shows. 

Episode Highlights: 
5:00: Why footing matters for horse soundness and performance, and how to recognize good vs. bad footing 
8:00: The key steps to building a quality arena, including material selection and proper proportions 
17:10: How to choose the right footing, and how footing needs differ by discipline 
31:00: Evaluating footing at competitions, what to look for when you arrive, and how to decide if a venue is worth returning to 
47:00: Differences between indoor and outdoor arena construction, and how often a well-built arena should be retested and reevaluated 

Meet the Expert, Dickie Osborne 

Dickie has been a horse owner since childhood and built his first arena more than 30 years ago. After a long career as an excavation contractor, he combined his construction expertise with his lifelong involvement in horses to become a leading authority on equestrian arena design and footing. He is the founder of Precision Equestrian Arenas and Precision Arenas Academy, and he builds and consults on arena projects across the country. 

Brought to you by Ride iQ 

This episode is part of the Ask An Expert podcast series, usually available exclusively in the Ride iQ app, where members have access to more than 200 expert interviews covering training, horse care, sports psychology, and more.

Ride iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches. Members also get weekly live Q&As with equestrian experts, exclusive podcast episodes, dressage test playbooks, and supportive community conversations that make learning feel fun and doable.

If you’d like to explore what Ride iQ offers, you can learn more and start your free 14-day trial at Ride-iQ.com. 

Want straightforward, expert advice on keeping your horse sound and thriving? Dr. Erica Lacher’s eight-part program, Horse Health Essentials, is now available, and you can use code POD35 for 35% off. Learn more at RideIQElevate.com/horse-health.