Heal Your Horse

In this soulful episode, Nika Vorster sits down with Emma Actis, founder of Emma Actis Horsemanship and creator of The Chestnut Mare Method.
Emma shares her early experiences growing up on a cattle ranch, the moment a young rescue horse named Charger changed everything she thought she knew, and how a lifetime of listening, failing, and observing has shaped her gentle, intuitive approach to horsemanship.
Together, they explore:
Why “difficult” horses are our greatest teachers
How to communicate through body language, play, and empathy
Why true leadership isn’t about dominance, but emotional consistency
The surprising connection between softness, strength, and self-awareness
This episode is a reminder that real horsemanship isn’t about control — it’s about curiosity. And that sometimes, the hardest horses arrive to show us the parts of ourselves that need softening most.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if your emotions weren’t getting in the way of your success—but guiding you toward it?
In this transformative episode, Nika Vorster sits down with Dr. Anne-Marie King, medical doctor turned elite performance coach and creator of The Realignment Method. Together, they unpack why so many high achievers—especially equestrians—get caught in cycles of pressure, perfectionism, and burnout.

Anne-Marie shares her four-part Realignment Process:
1️⃣ Non-Resistance – accept what you feel
2️⃣ Non-Judgment – understand, don’t fight it
3️⃣ Non-Attachment – release control of outcomes
4️⃣ Alignment – reconnect with excitement and flow

They explore why high performers often confuse suffering with success, how emotions serve as powerful intelligence, and the subtle gender differences in how men and women approach growth. Whether you’re an athlete, leader, or rider chasing your next level—this episode will help you free yourself, not fix yourself.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this deeply moving episode, Nika sits down with Zoe Van Kruiningen-Coade, founder of Get Good With Horses and former Parelli professional, to explore the truth behind horse-human connection.Zoe shares how her 900 kg Irish Warmblood, Mia, forced her to question everything she thought she knew — leading her to discover that real horsemanship begins when the ego ends.
From building trust with traumatized horses to balancing empathy with clarity, Zoe and Nika dive into:
The moment Zoe realised her horse was mirroring her own energy.
Why softness, not strength, creates true partnership.
How to stop using your horse as a therapist — and start showing up as the grounded leader they deserve.
This conversation is a reminder that getting good with horses isn’t about technique — it’s about who you become in the process.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if your emotions were the key to your next level — not the obstacle?

In this powerful conversation, Nika Vorster sits down with performance psychologist and coach Dr Anne-Marie King to explore how high achievers can release emotional blocks that keep them stuck in cycles of proving, perfectionism, and burnout.
Dr Anne-Marie shares her four-step Realignment Process — non-resistance, non-judgment, non-attachment, and alignment — a practical framework that helps ambitious people get out of their heads and back into flow. Together, they unpack how to turn emotions into intelligence, why women often hesitate to claim their own growth, and how to reconnect with what feels genuinely exciting and alive.
If you’ve ever felt driven but drained, this episode will help you realign — and rise.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when your gym strength doesn’t translate to the saddle?
In this episode, Nika Vorster talks with dressage rider and founder of Equibody Fit Fitness, Jack, about the gap between general fitness and rider-specific fitness. Jack shares how his powerlifting background left him with tight hips and poor mobility, and how retraining his body — even learning the splits — transformed his riding at Grand Prix level.
Together, they discuss Equibody’s mission to help riders build a body that “just works,” the differences in training for men and women, and why most riders should focus on the 80% foundations rather than the last 10% of optimization. If you’ve ever felt strong in the gym but stiff in the saddle, this episode will change the way you think about rider fitness.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.