Podcast Summary: The Centaur

Episode: "Authentic Partnership: Let Horses Be Horses!"

Host: Camron Adibi
Guest: Julie Robbins (Equine behavior and relationship specialist)
Date: July 9, 2025

Overview

In this heartfelt and insightful episode, Camron Adibi interviews Julie Robbins, a renowned equine behavior and relationship specialist. Julie shares her journey from therapeutic riding to founding the Horsemanship Academy and the nonprofit Leg Up Experiences, focusing on the unique bonds humans build with horses. The episode centers on how respecting horses' innate needs and communication leads to truly authentic partnerships, especially in the context of healing work with veterans, children, and the broader horse-loving community.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Healing With Horses: Transformations in Veterans

[01:41–05:12]

• Camron recounts a powerful testimony from a veteran who, after working with Julie's program, regained daily motivation for self-care.

• Julie describes how horses can “speak beyond words” and rekindle empathy and emotional health, suggesting possible neurobiological shifts.

• She observes that, for veterans used to regimented structure, working with horses mirrors the military unit dynamic—offering structure, hierarchy, and a sense of belonging.

  Notable Quote:

  “Horses have that ability, right. They can speak beyond words, which I think is where the change happens … empathy comes back and it’s just … it organically processes.” – Julie [03:05]

2. Parallels Between Military Structure and Herd Dynamics

[05:12–08:49]

• Julie draws deep parallels between military life and horse herd structure, emphasizing that both groups thrive on organization, leadership succession, and mutual support.

• Horses provide a sense of familiarity and validation for veterans transitioning to civilian life, filling the void left by a lack of structure.

  Quote:

  “The military is so much about the unit, the group, and that’s the herd. That’s it.” – Camron [07:52]

3. Therapeutic Riding: Personal Journey & Impact

[09:43–18:31]

• Julie’s introduction to therapeutic riding was practical—she figured, “if those people weren’t getting hurt, maybe I wouldn’t.”

• She shares a touching story about an older woman who, after forming a bond with a miniature pony during therapy (“Santa Claus”), regained the motivation to walk again.

• Julie discusses how she shifted her focus from solely therapeutic work to holistic horsemanship for everyone, stressing that all time with horses is inherently therapeutic.

  Quote:

  “Any adult who has loved horses their whole life and didn’t get around horses till later … could understand that. For horses, it was relaxing.” – Julie [12:52]

4. Horsemanship Academy and Breaking Industry Stereotypes

[18:32–23:47]

• Julie reflects on her move to Aiken, South Carolina, founding her academy, and being recognized for training both people and horses, with a special focus on empowerment and confidence-building.

• She emphasizes the importance of standards and safety in the increasingly diverse field of equine therapy and spiritual work.

  Quote:

  “If we’re not safe, number one, and our horses aren’t safe, number two—I am. It does not work for me.” – Julie [19:35]

5. Humanizing Horses: Common Missteps in Horsemanship

[21:49–26:18]

• One of Julie’s key frustrations is the way people personify horses, attributing human motives (“he’s being a brat”) to animal behavior.

• She unpacks how horses rely on nuanced communication (angles, distance, energy), not human gestures like smiling, and the pitfalls of misreading or ignoring horse language.

• Julie stresses that dominance and force are human responses; horses mainly communicate with touch for grooming, play, or reproduction.

  Quote:

  “Personification is one of the challenges … if [the horse] knew better, he’d do better.” – Julie [21:51]

  “When we get to force, that is a human thing.” – Julie [23:47]

6. Respecting the Horse’s Needs: Structural & Routine Considerations

[26:18–29:18]

• Julie notes the importance of routine and structure for horses and the need for owners to understand and respect this, especially when horses are relocated or routines are disrupted.

7. Practical Methods: Establishing Leadership and Healthy Space

[27:38–38:01]

• Julie introduces the “who moves whose feet?” principle—the foundation of her approach.

• Overwalking (when a horse crowds or circles the handler) is a common but often ignored problem. Her methods (such as the "patience game" and “adults are talking” exercise) reinforce the human's space and authority in a way horses understand.

• She explains simple techniques like the “wiggle rope” backup and “safety jumping jacks” for loose horses, emphasizing nonverbal communication, proactive energy management, and the “frame”—the physical and psychological space each party commands.

  Quote:

  “If you can declare your space, it will change everything with your horse.” – Julie [33:01]

  “I want every horse to know that I know where my space bubble is.” – Julie [34:48]

8. Digging Deeper: The Subtleties of Horse Training Influences

[39:49–44:03]

• Julie shares stories and lessons learned from mentors like Ray Hunt, Tom Dorrance, and Buck Brannaman, highlighting generational gaps in communicating these “deep principles” of horsemanship.

• She discusses the tendency of top horsemen to act intuitively, making it tricky for new learners to translate those lessons without clear language.

  Quote:

  “Good horsemanship is like underwear. You don’t think about it. You just do it.” – Julie [44:09]

9. Letting Horses Be Horses: Serving Their Nature

[46:08–47:08]

• Julie advocates Mel Robbins’ “Let Them” principle: let horses move, live in herds, and have space—focused on what best serves the horse rather than the human’s convenience.

  Quote:

  “Horses need to move their feet. Let them. Horses need to live in community, in big spaces. Let them.” – Julie [46:18]

10. Women in the Equine Industry: Challenges and Evolution

[51:40–56:30]

• Julie reflects on decades as a woman in a male-dominated field—struggling to be taken seriously and feeling out of place as an early adopter of natural horsemanship and therapeutic techniques.

• She notes the loneliness in seeking emotional and relational depth with horses in a culture focused more on physical performance.

• Julie values connection—between horses and people—as her core principle, despite industry skepticism.

  Quote:

  “Mental and emotional fitness, not so much. You can forget the spiritual idea. Just even as a practitioner … people called me the voodoo girl that twirled the rope.” – Julie [53:14]

  “Think of your horse like a deer, and you’re gonna do a whole lot better than thinking of them as a dog.” – Julie [55:11]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Empowerment:

  “You’ve taught me to ask horses to give me my space and to follow direction and to be in communication. This man is not in communication with me.” – Julie recounting a client’s realization [17:03]

• On Deep Principles:

  “These are deep principles … If you can go deep. My whole thing with teaching is that if you tell me why, I can get behind it and do it.” – Julie [40:00]

• On Authentic Partnership:

  “I just think horses are magical, spiritual creatures that can do things beyond words. And I can’t explain it. And I consider myself a facilitator of that.” – Julie [57:21]

• Funny/Relatable Moment:
  Camron and Julie share how children’s stories and movies like “Black Beauty” and “National Velvet” inspire lifelong horse obsessions:

  “They're just little girls and I'm just a little boy.” – Camron [13:58]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Veteran Healing Story: [01:41–05:12]
• Military-Horse Structure Parallels: [05:12–08:49]
• Therapeutic riding & Early Experiences: [09:43–18:31]
• Horsemanship Academy, Safety & Empowerment: [18:32–23:47]
• Misconceptions About Horse Behavior: [21:49–26:18]
• Practical Training Tips (Space, Leadership): [27:38–38:01]
• Mentorship Stories & Horseman’s Wisdom: [39:49–44:03]
• Letting Horses Be Horses (Philosophy): [46:08–47:08]
• Women in the Industry: [51:40–56:30]

Guest Contact & Resources

• Horsemanship Academy: thehorsemanshipacademy.com
• Leg Up Experience (nonprofit): legupexperience.org
• Julie also mentioned social media presence on Facebook and Instagram for both organizations.

Julie Robbins closes the episode with a reminder of the power of horse-human partnerships, encouraging all to honor the nature of horses as they are—and the ongoing journey of learning together. Camron thanks Julie for her wisdom, authenticity, and lifelong commitment to equine connection and community.