HORSE, FIRST - with Lockie Phillips

Lockie Phillips

Yes, but let's put the horse first! Taking a clear, ethical stance on horsemanship without judgement. We are observant, humble, clear eyed, regulated and deeply respectful of our equine partners.

This podcast is not:
Not human self-help using horses as metaphors
Not romantic liberty training mythology
Not moral superiority
Not training evangelism

This podcast is:

Deep listening
Thoughtful questioning
Slowing down human narratives
Allowing the horse to be the authority

Join Lockie Phillips, the horseman behind Emotional Horsemanship, as we explore the inner world of the horse, the human systems that impact horses and building functional, ethical partnerships with horses where the horse is the authority on correctness. Guests from all around the world plus solo episodes to build connections based on truth telling, community and the joy of the HORSE FIRST way of life.

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89 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes89

Newest first

Thursday · 36 min
Building Better Horses | Homecoming 4.0 and UK Clinic
I toured the UK for the first time, and I am launching my most important Coaching Program yet!
July 23 · 25 min
The Tap That Stayed With Me (Reading My New Book)
In this special episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips reads a chapter from his forthcoming book exploring the origins of his professional objection to whips.
July 16 · 1 hr 24 min
The End of Horse Ownership as We Know It (with Kim Hallin)
What kind of future are horse people building? And perhaps more importantly, what kind of future are we failing to imagine?
July 9 · 14 min
Life First, Horsemanship Second
But what if the horse isn't expressing a training problem at all? What if they're expressing a living problem?
July 2 · 1 hr 38 min
Clickers, Culture, and Common Ground (With Remy Burley)
In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips sits down with Canadian horse trainer Remy Burley, a specialist in operant conditioning and clicker training.
June 25 · 23 min
The Most Dangerous Thing You Can Teach a Horse
Most horse people assume dangerous horses are disobedient horses. What if the opposite is sometimes true?
June 18 · 1 hr 27 min
The Internship Effect (Cat Roy Stanley)
In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips sits down with horse trainer, high school teacher, equestrian relationship coach, and upcoming UK clinic host Cat Roy Stanley following her two-week live-in internship at the farm.
June 12 · 1 hr 36 min
Mustangs, Mistakes, and Becoming
In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips sits down with horsewoman, mustang owner, former jeweler, and emerging educator Hayley Josephs.
June 11 · 19 min
The Horse World Has a Teaching Problem
The horse world has a major problem with toxic teachers and this is part of the reason that methods have not evolved past violence.
May 30 · 1 hr 16 min
The Higher You Go, The Gentler You Must Become (With Michelle Knapp)
How do we pursue higher levels of skill, precision, and performance without falling back on lower-quality training practices? EH Team member Michelle Knapp and Lockie discuss together.
May 28 · 16 min
Confusion Is Not The Enemy
Confusion is not the enemy of your horses training, it could be a key to ethical results.
May 14 · 12 min
Horse First Is Human First
Focusing on putting the horse first, automatically includes self care and humanity, not excluding it.
May 7 · 1 hr 11 min
The Underground Railroad of Being Horse First (With Lori Halliday)
Lori Halliday and Lockie Phillips discuss how putting horses first has become a clandestine effort, and how this is a good thing for everyone!
April 29 · 23 min
When Discernment Gets Called Judgment
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips explores the growing tension between clear-eyed discernment and the way it’s often mislabeled as judgment when it challenges harmful norms in horse culture. When people name impact, ask hard questions, or speak up for the horse, discomfort can quickly turn into attempts to silence dissent. This conversation unpacks the difference between moral condemnation and ethical clarity, and why horses depend on humans who are willing to n...
April 24 · 1 hr 7 min
The End of Aesthetic Horsemanship (With Alexa Linton)
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips is joined by equine practitioner and The Whole Horse Podcast host, Alexa Linton. This is a conversation about where horsemanship is heading—and what we may need to leave behind to get there. Together, they explore the idea that much of what has been called “progress” in the horse world has remained largely aesthetic. Softer, quieter, better presented—but still operating within the same underlying systems. Alexa offers a grounded...
April 15 · 32 min
When the Tool Takes Up the Room
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips explores how whips, crops, and training sticks can quietly shift the balance of a relationship, sometimes to the point that a horse’s ability to communicate back begins to disappear. Beyond the debate of “good” or “bad,” this is a conversation about proportion, power, and what happens when tools replace listening instead of supporting it. With practical examples and a steady lens on impact, this episode invites us to ask whether...
April 13 · 56 min
Noticing What Your Vet Might Miss
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips shares a personal story following a new diagnosis in his own horse, and the process that led there. This is not just a conversation about health. It’s about attention. About the quiet moments where something doesn’t feel right, and the choice to trust that feeling even when answers aren’t clear. Lockie speaks candidly about noticing early signs, navigating veterinary input, and the importance of advocating for your horse with cl...
April 1 · 21 min
When a Horse Learns You Will Listen
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips explores the delicate moment when a horse begins to trust that their communication will be met with attention, not override. Beyond compliance and beyond silence, this is where real partnership starts to form: a horse who can follow guidance without disappearing, and a human who can lead without crowding the space. A reflective and hopeful conversation about advocacy, clarity, and the kind of training that becomes possible when ...
March 25 · 1 hr 59 min
Horsemanship Must Evolve (with Leslie Desmond)
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips is joined by horsewoman and author Leslie Desmond for a wide-ranging conversation about the evolution of horsemanship. Together they reflect on the major eras that have shaped how humans train and understand horses, exploring what those traditions got right, where their insights remain valuable, and where new knowledge invites revision. The discussion moves from the vaquero and ranch traditions through modern horsemanship moveme...
March 18 · 23 min
When Anxiety Takes Up the Room
Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Horse First, Lockie Phillips explores a quieter form of dominance that often goes unnamed in horse culture: the way human anxiety, overthinking, and unresolved tension can fill the space around a horse, even in the absence of force. When a handler’s internal experience becomes the centre of gravity, horses adapt by shrinking, complying, or going quiet. This conversation offers a steady lens on proportion, regulation, and what it means to truly make room for...