Two Point Perspective

The U.S. horse industry has an economic impact of about $177 billion. So why does it still feel so expensive just to participate? This week, Elizabeth and Reynolds follow the money — from horse-show bills and USEF fees to tack stores, prize money, media, real estate and the outside investors who increasingly see opportunity in the horse industry. They look at what Dover Saddlery’s collapse says ab...

Equitation has always been about learning to ride well. But today it can also mean major finals, college opportunities, specialized horses — and maybe even prize money. This week, Katherine Schmidt Butler joins Elizabeth and Reynolds for a conversation that started with USHJA’s recent discussion about prize money in equitation and quickly became something much bigger. Katherine came through Herita...

It doesn’t take much to get an adult amateur’s attention. Miss a distance. Struggle with your position. Have one frustrating lesson. Suddenly your feed is full of people who seem to know exactly what’s wrong — and, conveniently, have something to sell you. In this episode, we talk about why those messages work, the difference between useful outside expertise and another layer of “coaching,” and wh...

We have more ways to care for horses than ever before — bodywork, therapeutic equipment, joint maintenance, supplements, better diagnostics and more. And much of it genuinely helps. But once something helps, it can quickly become part of the routine. Then the question changes from “Could this help?” to “Is this something we do for all the horses?” This week, Elizabeth and Reynolds talk about moder...

Horse shopping used to begin with somebody who knew somebody. Your trainer knew a seller. A friend knew a horse. A professional made a call. And plenty of horses changed hands without ever being publicly advertised. That network still matters. But it’s no longer the only way into the market. This week, Elizabeth and Reynolds are joined by Madi Saunders of Elite Equine Marketplace to talk about wha...

Why are you still taking lessons? It's a question Elizabeth's mother asks all the time—and from outside the horse world, it makes perfect sense. If you've been riding for years, shouldn't you know how to do it by now? Except horses don't really work that way. In this episode, Elizabeth and Reynolds talk about what changes as riders gain experience: learning a new horse, hearing the same idea expla...

Having horses has always been expensive. But what happens when what you want to do and what you can realistically afford stop lining up? Elizabeth and Reynolds come at that question from very different places — and at very different stages of life. For Elizabeth, a conversation about how long she could continue showing at her current level followed her straight into the ring and affected the way s...

The horse world spans barns, states, countries, and generations—but somehow, everyone seems to be only one connection away. In Episode 34, Elizabeth and Reynolds trade stories of unexpected overlaps: childhood horses, former trainers, old friends, new careers, and a photograph from 50 years ago appearing in a barn aisle. They consider how these relationships build trust, preserve knowledge, and cr...

Every horse show calendar tells a story. Long before the first hotel is booked or the trailer is loaded, trainers are making decisions that shape an entire season—developing horses, qualifying for championships, managing budgets, balancing clients, and deciding which shows best fit the goals of the program. In this episode, Elizabeth Vagnoni and Reynolds Martin take listeners inside a barn's horse...

Horse people have a way of looking at the world that makes perfect sense—at least to us. We check the weather before a horse show, watch our rounds over and over, keep camera rolls full of horse photos, and spend hours preparing for just a few minutes in the ring. Somewhere along the way, all of it became completely normal. In this episode, Elizabeth Vagnoni and Reynolds Martin share the habits, r...

Everyone is asking the same question: Who should become the next CEO of the United States Equestrian Federation? But before choosing the person, should we first ask whether the role itself has changed? In this episode, Elizabeth Vagnoni and Reynolds Martin explore how horse sport has evolved, why leadership today requires more than industry experience, and what qualities may matter most for the fu...

Some horsemen are remembered for the championships they won. Others are remembered for the lives they changed. This week, Elizabeth and Reynolds reflect on the life of George Gaston—not simply as a trainer, judge, or horseman, but as the kind of person who quietly shaped generations of riders through friendship, generosity, introductions, encouragement, and an unwavering love of the sport. Through...

Reynolds is on vacation, so this week it's a solo rabbit hole — and Elizabeth can't stop pulling the thread. Between Bill Moroney's retirement, the new Professional Jumping League, USETA's town halls, and the ongoing debate over whether USEF and USHJA should even stay together, it can feel like members are having five different arguments at once. Are they? This episode digs into a viral Facebook d...

People call horses a hobby all the time. But somewhere along the way, for many riders, they become much more than that. In Episode 28 of Two Point Perspective , Elizabeth and Reynolds talk about why horses have a way of shaping our lives—from childhood and college to careers, family, competition, and even wedding vows. They explore why so many horse people build their lives around the barn and why...

Horse buyers have more information than ever before. Videos. X-rays. Show records. Social media. PPEs. So why is buying a horse still so difficult? In this episode of Two Point Perspective, Elizabeth and Reynolds discuss horse shopping, pre-purchase exams, risk, trainer guidance, insurance considerations and the realities of making a major purchasing decision when there are no guarantees. From Rey...

Most riders can tell you what they worked on in their last lesson. Fewer riders can explain how that lesson connects to their long-term goals. In this episode of Two Point Perspective, Elizabeth and Reynolds discuss the difference between simply taking lessons and being part of a structured riding program. From lesson tracking apps and measuring progress to homework, trainer communication, assista...

After attending a USEF Member Listening Session, a USETA town hall, and spending far more time than intended digging into governance documents, Elizabeth found herself asking a different question. Most people agree something in the sport needs to change. But how does change actually happen? This episode explores participation, influence, membership, public pressure, and the often-complicated path...

Horse shows have always required travel, but somewhere along the way they became destinations. In Episode 24, Elizabeth and Reynolds talk about how the horse show experience has evolved—from local circuits and weekender shows to massive venues like the World Equestrian Center that have transformed the way many riders, trainers, and families experience the sport. What have we gained? What have we l...

In Episode 23 of Two Point Perspective, Elizabeth and Reynolds discuss the growing pressure inside modern horse showing and why so many riders feel like the structure of the sport has changed dramatically over the last decade. The conversation moves beyond one town hall or one controversy and looks at the larger issues many riders, trainers, parents, and adult amateurs are reacting to: rising cost...

This week on Two Point Perspective, we break down the public USEF town hall and the larger conversation happening across the hunter/jumper industry. From trainer pressure and rising costs to communication, governance, trust, and the growing disconnect many riders feel, this episode looks at what was actually said — and what riders may have heard underneath it. We attended the town hall, recorded t...

There’s still a lot of conversation happening around the sport right now — governance, frustration, access, fairness, cost, and where things are headed. But this week’s episode goes somewhere a little different. After going with Reynolds to her final chemo treatment, Elizabeth found herself thinking less about the structure of the sport and more about the people inside it — and why horses become s...

Last episode, we talked about how decisions get made — and what happens when they don’t line up. This week, we sat down with Chris Wynne to talk about why trainers are starting to organize, what they think needs to change, and how those decisions affect riders, horse shows, costs, and the future of the sport. This isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about understanding why this conversation i...

This week didn’t go the way anyone expected. After an EHV-1 case at HITS Culpeper, the Virginia Horse Center made an initial decision to keep certain horses away from the upcoming shows. Then USEF clarified that only they had the authority to restrict entries. And from there, things didn’t get clearer—they got harder. Trainers had to decide whether to go or stay home. Clients had to decide whether...

Last week, we talked about the size and value of the sport—and how it’s built from a lot of small, often invisible pieces. This week, we take that one step further. Because all of that structure… all of those moving parts… don’t exist on their own. They land on someone. And that’s the professional running the program. In this episode, I walk through what that actually looks like now. Not just teac...

We’ve been talking a lot about the cost of this sport. But this week, we looked at it differently. A recent post put the equestrian industry at over $300 billion a year. On paper, that makes it larger than most major sports. And yet, it rarely shows up in the same conversations. So why is that? In this episode, we break down what’s actually behind that number—and why it doesn’t look the way people...