The Cooperative Equine Podcast

Katerina Junghansova

Yes, we can have a consent-based, two-way conversation with our horses and still get things done & make progress in training. Rethinking human-horse cooperation, viewing it through the lens of The Human-Equine Cooperation Framework™

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15 episodes
Updated Monday

Episodes15

Newest first

Monday · 14 min
Teach your horses to cooperate in their care
Have you been thinking about getting started with cooperative care for a while, but you haven´t actually started yet? This is your sign :) Another cohort of the Cooperative Care Intensive is opening in September: https://thecooperativeequine.teachable.com/p/cooperative-care-intensive-course Take this free online course to learn the principles: https://thecooperativeequine.teachable.com/p/introduction-to-equine-cooperative-care
July 22 · 22 min
Forceful horse training methods are so outdated
As an equine vet and cooperative care trainer, I´m a huge advocate of modern, ethical horse training & handling techniques. The other day, someone commented on my social media post, saying: "Forceful training techniques are so yesterday." And that´s exactly what they are. Now that we know better, it´s time for us to do better. Enjoy listening. Also, see my website dedicated to equine cooperative care https://vetcaretraining.com/ Learn more about the Human-Equine Cooperation Framework™ I created: https://vetcaretraining.com/p/about Want to train your horses to cooperate in their care? I can help you: https://thecooperativeequine.teachable.com/p/cooperative-care-intensive-course
July 17 · 20 min
S2E1 Forceful horse training methods are so outdated
Now that we know better, it´s time for us to do better. In this podcast episode, I´m going to talk about human-equine cooperation & what steps are leading to it.Enjoy listening!
July 12 · 11 min
Big news, big changes
This project is going through a massive transition right now. When I started VetCareTraining in 2018, my goal was simple: To help horse owners and equine professionals handle their horses more safely, more easily, and more ethically during veterinary and husbandry procedures. What started as a niche project about getting horses (and other equines) ready for vets and farriers has grown into something much bigger.The way of what I teach and how I teach it has evolved so much that I decided to rebrand and rename my whole project. I ´ll tell you more in this short intro to season 2. Enjoy listening!
July 10 · 40 min
E10: Gaining confidence in cooperative care training with Mahnoor Raja
In this episode, I am interviewing another one of the Cooperative Care Kick-Start graduates, Mahnoor Raja. In her review of this program, Mahnoor wrote that it helped her overcome her fear of cooperative care training. In this episode, we talk about what she was worried about in the beginning and how Cooperative Care Kick-Start helped her. We also dive into consent-based care itself, talking about different start buttons she uses to communicate with her horses now. Enjoy listening! Are you new to Equine Cooperative Care & want to learn the principles? Start with this free course: https://vetcaretraining.teachable.com/p/introduction-to-equine-cooperative-care Do you want to start practicing cooperative care with your horses (equines) and get support and feedback on your work? Then join the next round of Cooperative Care Kick-Start: https://vetcaretraining.teachable.com/p/cooperative-care-kick-start
July 7 · 52 min
E9: Listening to the horse´s subtle "no" changed it all - with Jessica Mikels
In this episode, I´m interviewing one of my Cooperative Care Kick-Start graduates, Jessica Mikels. Jessica talks about her journey with her horse Penny and how Penny didn´t like pressure and would say "no" to being touched. Jessica also shares her breakthroughs in the Cooperative Care Kick-Start program. Enjoy listening! Another cohort of Cooperative Care Kick-Start opens in September 2026. Check it out & join the waitlist to enjoy a better price & special bonuses: https://vetcaretraining.teachable.com/p/cooperative-care-kick-start New to equine cooperative care? Learn the basic principles in this free online course: https://vetcaretraining.teachable.com/p/introduction-to-equine-cooperative-care
July 1 · 30 min
E8: Finding the way to cooperation with Ilenia Perissinotto
In this episode, I am talking to one of the students of my Cooperative Care Kick-Start program, Ilenia Perissinotto, about her horse Freddy and their journey to building trust and an amazing relationship through consent-based care and training. Freddy was one of those horses who started saying "no" to everything as soon as he realized he was allowed to. This is a common issue for many horses when their owners first start cooperative care training. As Ilenia found out later, for Freddy, it was a way of communicating discomfort when he finally felt safe enough to do so. Enjoy listening! Learn the principles of Equine Cooperative Care: https://vetcaretraining.teachable.com/p/introduction-to-equine-cooperative-careFind out more about Cooperative Care Kick-Start: https://vetcaretraining.teachable.com/p/cooperative-care-kick-start
June 17 · 20 min
E7: What made me switch from being a vet to becoming a trainer
In this episode, I will talk about how I got into Equine Cooperative Care and what motivated me to go all in and create an educational project around it. Enjoy listening! Learn the principles of Equine Cooperative Care: https://vetcaretraining.teachable.com/p/introduction-to-equine-cooperative-care Learn more about my signature course called the Cooperative Care Kick-Start: https://vetcaretraining.teachable.com/p/cooperative-care-kick-start
June 3 · 41 min
E6: Talking reward-based riding with Angelica Hesselius
Welcome back to the VetCareTraining podcast. This is actually my first ever episode with a guest! I invited Angelica Hesselius to chat about her way to reward-based riding, her transition from classical dressage to positive reinforcement-based dressage, and beyond. It was such a great conversation! Enjoy listening. Check out Angelica´s Reward-Based Riding Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reward-based-riding/id1655757508 and also her Reward-Based Riding School: https://www.rewardbasedridingschool.com/
May 20 · 28 min
E5: Do we train horses to avoid healthcare procedures?
OK, here´s a controversial one: As owners, veterinarians, or other professionals, do we train horses to avoid healthcare procedures? You might think: What a stupid question? Of course not! ...and you might be surprised ;) Enjoy listening. Find out more about my work: https://vetcaretraining.com/ Learn the basic principles of Equine Cooperative Care: https://vetcaretraining.teachable.com/p/introduction-to-equine-cooperative-care
May 4 · 16 min
E4: Consent creates cooperation
Cooperative care is based on the horse (or another animal) giving us their consent for the medical procedure. In the equestrian world, the concept of giving horses a choice or asking them for their consent is still somewhat controversial. So, let´s explore what consent in real life is and whether it is practical. Take my free online course called the Introduction to Equine Cooperative Care to dive even deeper in its principles: https://vetcaretraining.teachable.com/p/introduction-to-equine-cooperative-care
April 21 · 56 min
E3: VetCareTraining Clinic, Cooperative Care & beyond (with Daina Matskina)
I had a great conversation with Daina Matskina the other day - she´s a horse trainer from Latvia, and she´s organizing a VetCareTraining clinic in Latvia (in June 2026). Find out more about the clinic: https://vetcaretraining.teachable.com/p/clinics We were chatting about Equine Cooperative Care, who it is for, who will benefit from it, and what you can expect from the clinic. In our conversation, we´ve actually made a few good points worth sharing. So, I decided to turn it into a podcast episode. Enjoy listening! Learn more about Equine Cooperative Care: https://vetcaretraining.teachable.com/p/introduction-to-equine-cooperative-care
April 15 · 21 min
E2: Equine Cooperative Care explained
The core topic of my work, and therefore also of this podcast, is Equine Cooperative Care. In this episode, I am going to talk about what exactly it is.
April 15 · 17 min
E1: The unpopular opinion about vet-shy horses
When it comes to healthcare procedures, even the basic ones, some horses start behaving in a way that makes it nearly impossible to take care of their health. Some try to avoid being treated at all costs. Some even let the vet (farrier...) come close. It is important to know that horses don´t behave this way because they are being naughty, or disrespectful, or because they are testing our skills, or boundaries. There are different reasons for their behaviour, which I am going to explore in this episode.
April 15 · 3 min
Intro: Welcome to the VetCareTraining Podcast
Hey there! Welcome to the VetCareTraining Podcast. My name is Katerina Junghansova, I am an equine veterinarian, cooperative care trainer, founder of an educational project called VetCareTraining, and I´m your host in this podcast. In the VetCareTraining Podcast, we are going to be discussing Equine Cooperative Care, ethical, evidence-based horse handling, and beyond. Enjoy listening!