S4 E5: Horse Play with Nicky Ross

This episode of our Special Edition Season on ‘What Else Is There?’ we are connecting with the far west coast of Scotland to speak with today’s guest Nicky Ross, owner of the business Horse Play.I first discovered Nicky some years back through a training group we were both in on Facebook and I saw some of the lovely videos she was sharing of her work, teaching one of her ponies to go in harness, purely training using positive reinforcement. Nicky was based in England at that point, and then I watched from afar as Nicky and family moved to Scotland – much jealously from us, except for the midges – to the far west coast. Since then, Nicky has evolved her activities with her ponies and her human learners to work with the amazing environment there.I really enjoy seeing what Nicky and crew are getting up to – things that I can only dream about where I am. Once again, the beauty of having a podcast means I could reach out & was so pleased to have the opportunity to speak with Nicky and hear more about her background, approach, the diversity activities that go on, and what makes Nicky’s heart smile & feel true in how she connects and helps her human learners connect with equines. I really resonate with a lot of Nicky’s approach and I’m delighted to share some more inspiration with you, our listeners this episode. Nicky Ross:Nicky Ross an equine behaviourist and teacher living in the Highlands of Scotland with her family, a little herd of Shetland ponies and 5 rabbits! Nicky has always loved all things horse and began teaching horse behaviour to children, adults and professionals 10 years ago. Nicky has a passion for improving equine welfare through giving people the knowledge, skills and understanding to view the world through their horse's eyes. Horse Play:Originally founded when Nicky and her family lived in Yorkshire, Horse Play is all about sharing a passion for equine behaviour and wellbeing with others. Through fun, practical experiences with the herd, we explore the Highlands whilst gaining amazing insights into the horse’s mind. In this episode we discuss:1:26 - episode introduction3:03 - introducing Nicky & Horse Play4:25 - the landscape that forms a large part of the adventures7:10 - actively choosing the place9:39 - the story & evolution of Horse Play - the amazing learning experiences16:12 - Nicky’s horsie origins20:07 - learning the most from the horses22:10 - Nicky’s equine team24:39 - small versus riding horses - the conversations possible27:32 - Pixie’s driving31:28 - the diversity of activities39:48 - the word ‘liberty’ & what that means in Nicky’s world45:21 - similarities & differences between big and little48:42 - people facing their own (long-time, intergenerational) learning history & the challenge with choice & the paradigm shift57:12 - how you can get involved1:02:57 - even more adventures1:06: 05 - episode wrap-up & what’s coming up at Abbey’s Run & next week Links from Nicky:Website, https://horseplay.horse/New Online Course: Horse Play At Home, https://www.horseplayhighlands.com/pl/2148332144 Free Webinar sharing the secrets of how we're able to work with our horses at liberty with only minimal training, https://nicky-ross.mykajabi.com/pl/2148295556 Our links mentioned this episode:  Sign-up to our email listAbbey's Run Equestrian websiteAbbey's Run Equestrian on Facebook Thank you to Matthew Bliss for podcast production & consultation. If you'd like him to help with your podcast, get in touch by email at [email protected]