What a Broken Neck Taught Me About Horses | Petra Vlasblom | EAW 51

She broke her neck riding a problem horse — and it became the turning point that made her one of the Netherlands' most trusted horse behavior specialists. In this episode of Equine Assisted World, Rupert Isaacson speaks with Petra Vlasblom, founder of 2Moons, based in the Netherlands — a horse behavior trainer with 25 years of experience working with problem horses that professional trainers have given up on. Petra's story is unlike most in the equestrian world. A former graphic designer with no horses in her childhood, she bought an eight-year-old horse in Belgium that no one had been able to ride for five years, broke her arm trailer loading him, dislocated her hip when he threw her, and eventually broke her neck on a different horse after seven weeks of teaching with no rest. That last accident — and the four months in a harness that followed — fundamentally changed how she listens: less heart, less obligation, more gut. Her work now reflects exactly that shift. For practitioners in equine assisted therapy, therapeutic horsemanship, and special education horse programes, this episode offers practical, field-tested thinking on horse wellbeing, trailer loading, reading equine body language at the moment of decision, and why training the owner is as important as training the horse. If you want to support the show, you can do so at Patreon:   / longridehome   🗓️ What You'll Learn in This Episode: [00:00] Introduction & welcome [00:44] Who is Petra Vlasblom? [00:06:10] Two Moons: buying the horse nobody could ride [00:11:00] Why love alone isn't enough — and a lot of hospital visits [00:15:06] The accident that broke her neck — and what she ignored [00:38:03] The shift: from heart and obligation to gut and intuition [00:56:34] The "Eddie" session — watching a horse choose to be caught [01:00:00] Trailer loading: why the horse must make its own choice [01:06:00] Reading the moment of decision — eyes, ears, and what to look for [01:22:00] Horse wellbeing in therapeutic settings — what most centres get wrong [01:31:00] Practical solutions: crazy time, companion animals, and working with constraints [01:41:00] The software install — why Petra trains owners, not just horses [01:55:00] Self-connection and the modern disconnection problem [02:00:36] Joint workshop announcement — Netherlands, June 2026 🌟 Memorable Moments from the Episode: [00:06:10] Petra sees Two Moons for the first time and buys a horse no professional could ride [00:11:00] "I thought with my love, everything will be okay" — what the horse said in return [00:38:03] Four months in a harness — the lesson that changed everything [00:56:34] The 12-minute session where a hard-to-catch horse chose to be haltered [01:00:23] "When I'm finished, the horse only wants to get into the trailer" [01:41:25] Why Petra refuses to train a horse if the owner won't come to her education evening 🔗 Related Videos: How Science Proves Horses' Healing Power | Dr. Pebbles Turbeville | EAW 41 –    • How Science Proves Horses' Healing Power |...   Healing Horses, Healing Humans | Dr. Janet Varhus | EAW 35 –    • Healing Horses, Healing Humans | Dr. Janet...   ▶️ Suggested Playlists: Equine Assisted World –    • Equine Assisted World with Rupert Isaacson   Live Free Ride Free –    • Live Free Ride Free with Rupert Isaacson   📚 Contacts & Resources: Petra Vlasblom – Horse Behavior Specialist, 2Moons https://www.2moons.nl Horse Boy Method, Movement Method & Takhin Equine Integration – https://ntls.co Long Ride Home / Rupert Isaacson – https://longridehome.com.com Joint Workshop (Netherlands, June 2026): https://longridehome.com/events 🧺 Affiliate Disclosure: Some links may be affiliate links. If you purchase through them, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the podcast. 📌 Follow Us: Long Ride Home Website: https://longridehome.com Facebook:   / longridehome.lrh   Instagram:   / longridehome_lrh   YouTube:    / @longridehome   New Trails Learning Systems Website: https://ntls.co Facebook:   / horseboyworld   Instagram:   / horseboyworld   YouTube:    / newtrailslearningsystems   #EquineAssistedWorld #PetraVlasblom #EquineAssistedTherapy #HorseBoyMethod #MovementMethod #TakhinEquineIntegration #TherapeuticRiding #HumanAnimalBond #RupertIsaacson #ProblemHorseTraining #HorseWellbeing #NaturalHorsemanship