The Essence of Liberty Podcast

What if self-carriage has very little to do with holding your horse in a frame?

In this episode, I explore what self-carriage really means and why liberty offers one of the most honest ways to develop it. We dive into the surprising role of body awareness, proprioception and the horse's brain, along with four of my favourite liberty exercises for helping horses become lighter, more balanced and truly carry themselves.

I also share a personal story from my early dressage days that completely changed the way I think about self-carriage.

If you've ever wanted your horse to move with more balance, confidence and expression, this episode is for you.

Also, important announcement: Lifetime Access to the Academy is ending August 31st 2026.

After three incredible years and a huge expansion currently underway, lifetime access will be closing. If you've been thinking about joining the Academy, this is your final opportunity to become one of our founding lifetime members and receive all future content and updates with a single payment.

To find out more, or to join our beautiful "Liberty Herd", go to: https://www.nadinelindblom.com/the-essence-of-liberty-online-academy-2025

To learn how to begin liberty with your horse, check out the free masterclass, "Launch Into Liberty: Where and How To Begin": https://www.nadinelindblom.com/masterclass-registration

Follow @nadinelindblom on Instagram for daily insights: https://www.instagram.com/nadinelindblom/

Many of us touch our horses without ever stopping to ask one simple question:

Does my horse actually enjoy this?

In this episode, I explore the power of intentional touch and how becoming more aware of your horse's feedback can completely transform your relationship. We discuss why many common forms of affection are simply tolerated, how to recognise the types of touch your horse genuinely enjoys, and why helping your horse release tension creates the perfect foundation for connection, learning, and liberty training.

If you want a calmer, more connected horse, this episode is for you.

To learn how to begin liberty with your horse, check out the free masterclass, "Launch Into Liberty: Where and How To Begin": https://www.nadinelindblom.com/masterclass-registration

To dive even deeper, enrollments in to The Essence of Liberty Online Academy are now open! Go to the link below to find out more: https://www.nadinelindblom.com/the-essence-of-liberty-online-academy-2025

Follow @nadinelindblom on Instagram for daily insights: https://www.instagram.com/nadinelindblom/

Welcome to the very first episode of 2026 ✨

In this episode of The Essence of Liberty Podcast, I explore the Spanish walk through a softer and more reflective lens. Rather than focusing on how it looks from the outside, this conversation is about what the movement creates on the inside - within the horse’s body, balance, awareness, and sense of self 🐴

We touch on how the Spanish walk is often approached, how intention and subtlety can completely change its effect, and why slowing things down can open the door to deeper physical and emotional shifts. This episode invites you to look beyond the surface of an exercise and to consider how posture, presence, and internal focus can quietly reshape the way a horse moves and feels💛

There is also a gentle exploration of how the feeling behind the Spanish walk can begin to influence other work, not by adding more effort or bigger movement, but by encouraging lightness, preparation, and ease ✨

This episode is an invitation to become curious, to soften expectations, and to notice what becomes possible when movement is guided by feel rather than force 🌱

To learn how to begin liberty with your horse, check out the free masterclass, "Launch Into Liberty: Where and How To Begin": https://www.nadinelindblom.com/masterclass-registration

To dive even deeper, enrollments in to The Essence of Liberty Online Academy are now open! Go to the link below to find out more: https://www.nadinelindblom.com/the-essence-of-liberty-online-academy-2025

Follow @nadinelindblom on Instagram for daily insights: https://www.instagram.com/nadinelindblom/

In this episode of The Essence of Liberty Podcast, I invite you to slow down and reflect on what progress truly means in liberty training as we move toward a new year.

This episode isn’t about setting goals around what your horse should be able to do by a certain time. Instead, it’s about connection, clarity, and alignment - and how shifting your focus away from pressure can completely change the way both you and your horse feel in the training.

I guide you through a series of reflective questions designed to help you better understand where you are right now, how your horse may be experiencing your sessions, and what might be asking to shift beneath the surface. These reflections are simple, but powerful, and they offer a different way of approaching growth without rushing, forcing, or creating expectations that don’t serve the partnership.

This episode is especially for you if you’ve ever felt unsure, stuck, or quietly questioning whether there’s a gentler, more intuitive way forward - one that honours your horse’s emotional experience just as much as the physical work.

I also share details about a limited-time opportunity to join the Essence of Liberty Online Academy, why it was intentionally designed to remove pressure from learning, and how it supports both horses and humans on their liberty journey ✨

I encourage you to grab a pen and paper, settle in, and allow this episode to help you reconnect with what truly matters as you step into the year ahead.🌿

To learn how to begin liberty with your horse, check out the free masterclass, "Launch Into Liberty: Where and How To Begin": https://www.nadinelindblom.com/masterclass-registration

To dive even deeper, enrollments in to The Essence of Liberty Online Academy are now open! Go to the link below to find out more: https://www.nadinelindblom.com/the-essence-of-liberty-online-academy-2025

Follow @nadinelindblom on Instagram for daily insights: https://www.instagram.com/nadinelindblom/

In this episode of The Essence of Liberty Podcast, I talk about what to do when you’re feeling stuck, uninspired, or unmotivated with your horse - and why this is a completely normal part of the journey.

I share gentle, practical strategies to help you reconnect with your why, take the pressure off progress, and find your spark again without guilt or force. We talk about why horses aren’t “going to waste,” how to check in with how your horse is really feeling, and why sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is slow down, learn something new, or simply take a break.

This episode is an invitation to be kinder to yourself, trust your horse, and remember that liberty is about connection, curiosity, and play - not constant achievement.

If things have been feeling a bit heavy or uninspired lately, this episode offers a gentle reset 💛

To learn how to begin liberty with your horse, check out the free masterclass, "Launch Into Liberty: Where and How To Begin": https://www.nadinelindblom.com/masterclass-registration

To dive even deeper, enrollments in to The Essence of Liberty Online Academy are now open! Go to the link below to find out more: https://www.nadinelindblom.com/the-essence-of-liberty-online-academy-2025

Follow @nadinelindblom on Instagram for daily insights: https://www.instagram.com/nadinelindblom/