『The River Tiger Podcast from Dynamics Coaching』のカバーアート

The River Tiger Podcast from Dynamics Coaching

The River Tiger Podcast from Dynamics Coaching

著者： Marianne Davies
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The River Tiger Podcast from Dynamics Coaching is a space for curious, evidence-informed conversations that sit at the intersection of learning, movement, skill acquisition, ethics, and philosophy — with a particular love for adventure, lifestyle, and equestrian sports.


Hosted by Marianne Davies, the show explores what it means to become skilful in environments that are complex, fluid, and never fully controllable — where risk can be managed, but not eliminated.


Each episode brings research and real-world practice into dialogue through spontaneous, thoughtful discussions with practitioners and researchers. Expect deep dives into ecological and systems perspectives, coaching practice, decision-making under pressure, and the socio-cultural realities that shape how we train, compete, and care — for ourselves, for others, and (in equestrian contexts) for the horse as a partner in the learning environment.




© 2026 The River Tiger Podcast from Dynamics Coaching
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  • How animals, humans, and environments shape each other. A conversation with Harry Heft

    How animals, humans, and environments shape each other. A conversation with Harry Heft
    2026/08/27

    In this episode of the River Tiger Podcast, Marianne Davies is joined again by distinguished ecological psychologist Harry Heft for a wide-ranging exploration of how humans and other animals come to know, navigate, and participate in the worlds they inhabit.

    Drawing on the pioneering work of James and Eleanor Gibson, alongside the often overlooked contributions of Roger Barker, Harry discusses how behaviour emerges not simply from individual traits or internal processes but through participation in places, practices, and relationships. Together, Marianne and Harry unpack Barker's concept of "behaviour settings," examining how classrooms, churches, sporting events, and everyday environments become stable social structures sustained by the coordinated actions of the people within them.

    The conversation explores some of the central concepts of ecological psychology, including affordances, place, habitat, niche, and forms of life. Harry explains why environments are not passive backdrops to behaviour, but dynamic fields of possibilities that invite, constrain, and shape action. The discussion challenges conventional ideas of space as an empty container, proposing instead a world structured through place, movement, sequence, and time.

    Marianne and Harry also examine what these ideas reveal about interspecies relationships. Through examples involving horses and dogs, they explore how social animals perceive opportunities for action, attune to movement and intention, and participate in shared practices with humans. The discussion offers fresh perspectives on learning, training, and communication across species, while also challenging commonly held assumptions about behaviourism and behaviour change.

    The episode moves across a remarkable range of topics, from showjumping, kayaking, skiing, and wayfinding to children's exploration, navigation, and the impact of GPS technologies on our relationship with the environment. Harry suggests that navigation may be less like reading a map and more like following a melody, highlighting the deeply embodied and relational nature of skilled action.

    Throughout the conversation, ecological psychology is connected with broader philosophical ideas, including George Herbert Mead's account of the self as something that emerges within ongoing social relations and collective activity. Together, Marianne and Harry offer a compelling vision of humans and other animals as participants in living systems, continuously shaped by the places they inhabit and the relationships they sustain.

    This episode will resonate with anyone interested in ecological psychology, interspecies learning, movement and sport, education, place-based thinking, and the ways environments and relationships shape who we become.


    My guest

    Harry Heft

    Link to Harry’s ResearchGate profile https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Harry-Heft

    Denison University profile https://denison.edu/people/harry-heft
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    1 時間 10 分
  • Confidence, Control, and Connection: NLP Meets Ecological Dynamics in Riding. A conversation with Dr Tracey Cole

    Confidence, Control, and Connection: NLP Meets Ecological Dynamics in Riding. A conversation with Dr Tracey Cole
    2026/06/25
    Guest: Tracy Cole, NLP Master Trainer and equestrian mindset coachIn this episode of the River Tiger podcast, Marianne Davies talks with Tracy Cole, an NLP master trainer who works with riders ranging from very nervous amateurs to elite competitors.Together they explore how neuro‑linguistic programming (NLP) is used to support riders’ confidence, mindset, and performance – and how that sits alongside an ecological approach to coaching, attention, and the horse–rider relationship.In this conversation, we discuss:Where NLP fits in the rider journey“Last chance saloon” riders who are so anxious they can barely function.High‑performance riders looking for small mindset shifts that make a big competitive difference.How problems that show up “in riding” often echo wider patterns in life, stress, and self‑belief.NLP, CBT, and changing thought patternsHow NLP works with images, self‑talk, and bodily feelings.Overlaps and differences with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).Reframing these ideas through an ecological lens: attention, information, and perception–action, rather than just “changing inner pictures”.Attention, filters, and what we actually perceiveHow our history and concerns shape what we literally see – from self‑harm scars to the famous “invisible gorilla” experiment.Marianne’s “snow” metaphor from machine learning: non‑specifying vs specifying information.Why coaches must be careful not to focus riders on “snow” – superficially correlated cues – instead of the information that truly matters.Self‑talk, arousal, and peripheral visionUsing NLP techniques to change self‑talk and emotional state without disconnecting from what the horse and environment are telling us.The idea of peripheral vision / quiet eye, and how widening the visual field can reduce anxiety while increasing alertness.Links to sympathetic nervous system activation and the need for calm‑but‑connected riders.Nervous riders, fear, and hypersensitisationWhy so many coaches report that nervous riders – often women – are the bulk of their work.The striking phenomenon of people continuing to do something they deeply love and fear.Critiquing “just face your fear” and flooding approaches:Parallels with chronic pain and hypersensitised nervous systems.Horses who have been “desensitised” into hyper‑reactivity or shutdown.The risk of learned helplessness for both horses and humans.Working with coaches and building skill, not dependencyHow Tracy sometimes collaborates directly with riding coaches.The “massage and exercises” analogy:NLP as getting the knots out.Coaching and practice as the ongoing work that prevents them returning.Why “joystick coaching” and micromanaged lessons can leave riders unable to cope alone.Horses as performance partners – and when to let goThe emotional complexity of recognising you’re not the best rider for a particular horse.Dopamine‑like hope cycles (“maybe next time will be better”) and when to cut them off.How attachment to a performance partner differs from attachment to equipment like a racket or boat.Elite riders, owners, and social media pressuresImposter syndrome in warm‑up arenas full of heroes.Expectations when you’re “a name,” even on young or green horses.The role of owners and the emotional consequences of losing a horse just before a big competition.Social media and social licence to operate:The unique scrutiny of equestrian sport compared to many others.Snapshot judgements, public critiques, and the fear of being blamed for “losing riding as a sport”.Why system‑level change (rules, governance, culture) matters more than scapegoating individuals.Throughout the episode, Marianne brings in an ecological dynamics perspective: thinking about riders as part of a horse–rider–environment system, and exploring how mindset tools like NLP can be understood in terms of:what riders attend to,how they pick up information,and how they coordinate with their horses in real environments.Content noteThis episode includes brief discussion of:self‑harm scars (as part of a story about attention and what we notice),chronic pain and nervous system hypersensitisation,and learned helplessness in horses and humans.These topics are raised to help us think more carefully and compassionately about fear, nervous riders, and training methods, not to sensationalise them.Guest links for Dr Tracey ColeDr Tracey Cole NLP website: https://traceycolenlp.com/ Tracy on social media:– LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceycolenlp/– Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Tracey%20Cole– Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traceycolenlp/
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    56 分
  • Horse Welfare 12 with Dr Karen Luke: Systems Thinking, Wicked Problems, and Rethinking Equestrian Practice.

    Horse Welfare 12 with Dr Karen Luke: Systems Thinking, Wicked Problems, and Rethinking Equestrian Practice.
    2026/05/28

    In this episode of the River Tiger Podcast, I am joined by returning guest Dr. Karen Luke to explore her new paper and framework referred to as “Horse Welfare 12”, based on Donella Meadows’ 12 leverage points for intervening in complex systems.

    Drawing on systems thinking and decades of hands-on experience with horses, Karen unpacks why the equestrian world is a “wicked problem” – full of genuinely conflicting stakeholder needs (riders, organisers, horses, wider horse industries) – and why quick fixes like tightening a noseband rarely address what’s really going on underneath.

    Instead, she invites us to stop, reflect, and be curious: about our practices, our language, and the deep paradigms we’ve inherited about what horses are “for”.

    In this episode, we discuss:

    - What makes the horse industry a “wicked problem”
    - Conflicting values and goals between riders, governing bodies, spectators, and horses
    - Nosebands in dressage as an example of solutions that help one stakeholder but may harm another

    The Horse Welfare 12 / Meadows 12 framework

    - Donella Meadows’ 12 leverage points and why they matter for equestrian sport
    - Grouping the 12 into four “bands”: parameters, feedback, design, and intent
    - Why the deepest level – paradigm, values, beliefs – quietly drives everything else

    From parameters to paradigms: practical examples
    - Parameter level: tightening a noseband, adding a slow-feeder – easy to change, limited systemic impact
    - Feedback level: using rein-tension devices to give riders real-time information, not just acting on the horse
    - Design level: changing rules and scoring (e.g., including rein tension in dressage scores)
    - Intent/paradigm level: shifting from seeing the horse as “athletic equipment” to a sentient being and partner

    Rider safety, welfare, and the problem with “band-aid” solutions
    - How better welfare and positive affective state in horses relates to rider safety
    - Why gadgets and stronger controls may mask the problem rather than solve its cause
    - The “British novice / British nervous” pattern: when control culture undermines both confidence and connection

    Language as a deep leverage point
    - How words like naughty, disobedient, resistant, submissive, and even calling a horse it reveal our paradigm
    - Using language intentionally to support seeing horses (and other beings) as subjects, not objects
    - Parallels with other domains where there is a power differential (e.g., children, women, First Nations people)

    Curiosity instead of guilt and defensiveness
    - Moving from “I feel terrible about what I used to do” to “What might I be missing now?”
    - Why guilt can shut down learning, and how curiosity creates space for change
    - Simple, everyday questions riders and coaches can ask:
    - What is this behaviour telling me?
    - What assumptions am I making?
    - Do my practices actually line up with my values about horses?

    What we can all do next
    - Tuning into behaviour as information, not just something to control
    - Noticing and gently shifting our language
    - Creating spaces for dialogue across paradigms*– chunking up to shared values first, then back down to solutions
    - A preview of Karen’s next project* on systems dynamics modelling for horse welfare: putting Horse Welfare 12 into practice in a more formal, quantitative way



    About my guest Karen Luke

    Karen is an equine scientist working at the intersection of horse welfare, human behaviour change, and systems thinking. Her research asks a question that's increasingly urgent for the horse industry: after more than forty years of welfare science, why has translation into practice been so slow — and what would it take to change that?


    Resources

    - Karen’s paper / author copy of “Horse Welfare 12”– available via her website (https://changingrein.com.au/).
    - Changing Rain (podcast) – Karen’s podcast exploring change, horses, and welfare (check your favourite podcast platform).


    This episode is for you if:

    - You’re uneasy about some traditional equestrian practices but not sure what to do instead.
    - You’re interested in systems thinking, complexity, and Meadows’ leverage points, and want to see them applied to horse welfare.
    - You coach, ride, or care for horses and want to align your values, language, and everyday practices more closely with their welfare.
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    52 分
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