The River Tiger Podcast from Dynamics Coaching
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.
Episodes
64 episodes
Coaching Falling with Style: Affordances, safety, and skill adaptation with Danny Hatcher
In this episode of the River Tiger Podcast, host Marianne Davies speaks with Danny Hatcher, whose work sits at the intersection of sports coaching, ecological psychology, Deaf awareness, and technology/AI.Danny introduces his background ...
Beyond Optimality: Embracing emergent adaptation. A conversation with Madhur Mangalam.
This podcast was recorded in response the publication of 'The myth of Optimality in Human Movement Science' by Madhur Mangalam.I recorded this episode some time ago but it has been a tough year and I have not published any podcasts. I lo...
Exploring 'the affordance hypothesis' with Ed Baggs. What are affordances and are they different for non-human animals?
Ed Baggs, assistant professor at the University of Southern Denmark, joins me for a conversation about his research on affordances. I invited Ed to join me after reading his latest (preprint) paper ‘The Affordance Hypothesis. In this paper Ed a...
A contemporary perspective on strength, conditioning and rehabilitation with Yuji Suzuki.
Yuji Suzuki, a strength and conditioning coach and chiropractor based in Portland, Oregon, discusses his transition to an ecological approach in his work with youth and remote clients. He explains how the COVID-19 pandemic led him to explore on...
Circumnavigating Anglesey: Celebrating friendship, adventure, and play.
This is a special edition of the podcast. I'm not only passionate about coaching and learning in adventure and equestrian sports, they are an integral part of my life. In this episode I am joined by the three amazing women with whom I shared a ...
Why the concept of affordances is so important to our understanding of becoming skilful. A conversation with Dr Andrew Wilson
This is a conversation that I have been looking forward to for a long time. We covered a lot of ground especially defining affordances and linking affordances not only to individual movement, but to multi organism and multi species interactions...
What it is to be human: A conversation with Professor Eric Brymer about the nature of adventure sports.
In this podcast Eric Brymer discusses the human need for adventure, likening modern life to a metaphorical cage that strips away fundamental human experiences. He explores the motivations behind extreme sports, noting that while initial motivat...
Are we smart enough to know how smart horses are? A conversation with Louise Evans about her research into horse learning.
How we do research has a significant impact on the results we get.Overview:In this conversation, I had the pleasure of hosting Louise Evans on the podcast to discuss her innovative research paper titled "Whoa, No Go." As the first a...
Nonlinear pedagogy and being skill-full: levelling up your skills through experience with Dr Alex Lascu.
In this episode of the River Tiger podcast, Dr. Alex Lascu joins me to discuss nonlinear pedagogy and its practical applications. Alex explains that nonlinear systems lack proportionality, meaning small changes can have unpredictable impacts, a...
Part 2. Exploring Learning Theories with David Farrokh: An ecological (systems) approach in practice.
In this second part of me conversation with David Farrouk we explore the intricate relationship between ecological psychology, constraints, and the practical implications for coaching and learning. The discussion delves into the differenc...
Part 1. Exploring Learning Theories with David Farrokh: From Behaviourism to Ecological Psychology.
In this episode of the River Tiger Podcast, I’m delighted to welcome David Farrokh, who is currently finishing his PhD at Sheffield Hallam University. Our conversation takes a deep dive into various learning theories, including behaviourism, co...
Navigating Fear and Confidence: A conversation with Dr Rebecca Williams of Smart Climbing.
In this episode of the River Tiger podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Rebecca Williams, a clinical psychologist and climbing coach. Our discussion centred on the vital interplay between fear management and performance in adventure...
Breaking Flow! A conversation with Joe Kelly about skill acquisition and coaching in high risk activities.
This episode with Joe Kelly, widely known as the Barefoot Athlete, was a treat to record, and equally fascinating to re-listen to before publishing.With over 25 years in movement coaching, Jo's journey spans fitness, rehabilitation, and...
Let's talk about menopause! A conversation with Steph Bradley about supporting women to stay active.
In this episode, my guest, Steph Bradley shares her research into the impact of menopause and peri-menopause on women in equestrian sports. In this refreshingly candid and open conversation, Steph delves into the challenges faced by women and t...
Training your horse using contemporary movement science. Kathy Sierra shares practical tips for helping your horse become a skilful and motivated mover.
Kathy and I have been excited about recording this episode for months. We finally managed to get the time (although I was on a stand up paddle board trip so not at home or on my own computer), and Kathy did not disappoint. Days before w...
Meeting the demands of your sport; increasing fitness and performance, reducing injury and pain. A conversation with The Equestrian Physio, Katie Wood.
Staying fit, healthy and injury free is so important to all riders and horses, regardless of age or level of activity.This conversation covers a wide range of topics around how we can improve both horse and human performance and longevi...
How equipment design impacts motivation and skill acquisition. A conversation with adventure sport athlete and designer, Corran Addison.
This is a great conversation for coaches and participants of all sports. Kit and equipment design has always fascinated me. Since my early days of learning to kayak in boats, wearing clothing and using paddles that were designed fo...
Leading change: paradigm shifts and the importance of being evidence informed. A conversation with climbing coach Pete Edwards.
My guest this episode is Pete Edwards of Prowess Coaching. Firstly I need to say a huge thank you to Pete for taking some time out a few days before his wedding to talk to me. As with most of my conversations, this is (I hope) of intere...
The importance of agency and relationships: A conversation about enhancing the wellbeing of our horses with Bonny Mealand and Emily Kieson.
I love all of my podcast episodes, but every now and again I get to record and be part of a conversation that I could have a profound influence on both me and other equestrians. This is one of those conversations.For the full length int...
Evolving Trends in Equestrian Journalism. A conversation with Sara Bref and Dr Petra Andersson.
I reached out to Sara Bref after reading a translation of one of her articles for the Swedish equestrian magazine Hippson. After a brief exchange of emails, I invited Sara to be a guest and Sara asked if she could bring Petra with her. ...
If movement behaviour is a problem-solving activity, is there such a thing as "correct" biomechanics? A conversation with skill acquisition specialist, Tyler Yearby.
In this episode I caught up with my good friend Tyler Yearby from Emergence and US Ski and Snowboard to discuss his work in strength and conditioning, movement technique, biomechanics, and coaching.I hope that you enjoy this episode. Pl...
Welfare, safety, and training. Exploring a systems view of equestrianism with PhD candidate Karen Luke.
I came across Karen's research while reading up for the discussion section of one of my PhD study papers. In this conversation we explore systems thinking, how it applies to horses and equestrianism, welfare, training and lots more. I hope that...
Are instructions always good? Exploring the importance of how and why coaches guide 'Focus of Attention' with Dr Vicky Gottwald and Dr Robin Owen.
In this episode we revisit the importance of considering where an athlete or learner is focusing their attention and why focus of attention is so important for skill acquisition, retention, and transfer. My guests bring the topic to lif...
Understanding coaching eco-systems: Challenges and opportunities for developing a more nonlinear coaching practice. A conversation with Dr Mark O'Sullivan.
My guest Mark O'Sullivan is an associate professor at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences and an 'A' Licence Football Coach. Mark is also a co-author on my concept paper, 'Can't jump, won't jump.' In this conversation we explore why ...
Fuelling your coaching journey: Event rider and coach Alex van Randwyck shares her insights on how to develop and nurture your own coaching skills.
On this episode I am joined by event rider and equestrian coach, Alex van Randwyck. I met Alex through mutual coach development work and found her insightful, humble and with the ability to connect with others and communicate with refreshing cl...