In this episode of The Essence of Liberty Podcast, I’m sharing another favourite cone exercise - this time all about transitions! It’s a beautifully simple setup, but it has a remarkable way of bringing more precision, clarity, and responsiveness into your liberty sessions.
I talk about why transitions are such an important foundation for posture, balance, and connection, and how using a cone pattern can help you think ahead, time your questions more intentionally, and create a horse who genuinely wants to offer energy. I also touch on a common trap many of us fall into with transitions. This exercise builds on last month’s Distance by Destination episode, so if you enjoyed that one, you’ll love exploring this next step ✨
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/
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26 | Nina's Story: From Shut Down to Empowered
In this episode, I share the journey of a very special mare who completely transformed the way I work with horses. What started as a promising beginning slowly shifted into something I didn’t expect - and one moment with her changed everything for us.
If you’ve ever felt stuck with your horse, or wondered why things aren’t quite clicking, this story may give you some hope, perspective, and a new way of seeing your partnership.
I can’t wait for you to meet Nina in the way I’ve come to know her. 💛
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/
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25 | The True Meaning Of Setting Up For Success
In this episode, I take you far beyond the training space and into the real foundations of liberty: your horse’s lifestyle, nervous system, and basic needs. If we want our horses to genuinely say “yes” to our questions, we can’t simply train harder — we have to set them up to feel safe, curious, and playful long before we step into the training space.
I talk about why “friends, forage, and freedom” are only the beginning, and why sleep and freedom from pain and disease are just as important for learning, motivation, and emotional regulation. I also dive into how unmet needs can show up as behaviors we often mislabel — like “spooky,” “lazy,” “pushy,” or “shut down” — when these are really signs of a horse who’s surviving rather than thriving.
If you’ve ever felt like your horse isn’t fully available for connection, or swings between hyperreactive and shut down, this episode will give you a clearer picture of what might be going on beneath the surface. It’s a powerful reminder that true success in liberty begins outside the training space.
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/
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24 | Emphasizing The Silences
In this episode of The Essence of Liberty Podcast, I explore how the pauses and silences in our communication with horses can be just as powerful as the moments of action. Inspired by a quote from a West Coast Swing class that said “It is the silence between the notes that makes the music”, I reflect on how this idea beautifully applies to horsemanship.
When we stop filling every moment with movement or noise, we create space for our horses to process, to breathe, and to truly listen. Quiet becomes the bridge between our intention and their understanding. By slowing down, softening our cues, and trusting in the silence, our communication becomes more fluent, more refined, and deeply connected.
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/
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23 | Cone Exercise - Distance By Destination
In this episode of The Essence of Liberty Podcast, I'm talking about one of my absolute favorite liberty exercises that can completely change the way your horse feels about space, connection, and confidence.
If your horse tends to crowd you, get a little too close, or struggles to relax when food is involved, this simple exercise might be the missing piece in your training. It is all about creating distance, but in a way that deepens trust instead of tension.
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/
The Essence of Liberty Podcast is the horsemanship podcast where we discuss all things liberty to help you understand, connect, communicate and play with your horse in a gentle and force-free way!
Here you will find episodes about equine psychology and learning theory, as well as handy tips and tricks about how to motivate your horse, strengthen your relationship and solve common problems.
If you love this podcast, you will also love the free masterclass “Launch Into Liberty: Where and How To Begin”. You can access it through the link below:
https://www.nadinelindblom.com/masterclass-registration
Also, don’t forget to follow @nadinelindblom on Instagram for more inspiration and education:
https://instagram.com/nadinelindblom
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