Equestrian Voices

If you're a regular to the Equestrian Voices podcast, you know that bitting is a subject we return to time and again. This is because bits have such a dramatic impact on a horse's happiness and performance - and it's an area we still have so much to learn about! So we decided to come back to this topic, this time bringing together top professionals from the Hunter/Jumper, Eventing, and Dressage di...

When it comes to riding, more often than not the focus is placed on the horse - what are they doing, how are they feeling, what can we improve with them, etc. But we all know that the horse is only 50% of the equation - the other 50%? You: the rider. So why does it always feel like focusing on yourself, especially out of the saddle, is somehow selfish or irrelevant in terms of your time and effort...

If you've ever taken a riding lesson, you know that it goes something like this: Your trainer stands in the middle of the ring giving you instructions, and you're on the horse trying your darndest to follow those instructions precisely.  It works… kinda. But bridging that gap between your trainer's instructions and feeling/understanding can be challenging. Additionally, it can put the rider in a m...

Most riders desire to develop a horse who is a happy, willing participant in whatever task or discipline they've set out towards. But where the training narrative used to revolve around making sure the horse knows who's the boss, newer methods value give and take and making sure your horse is heard in the conversation.  The balance of toughness vs softness in riding has never been more at the fore...

You hear it all the time: "Young riders today don't know about horsemanship." "Kids today just want to get on and ride." "There are no more barn rats." These complaints point to a larger potential issue of losing generational knowledge. Is it something we, as horsepeople, should be concerned about?  To help us answer this question, we turned to Archie Cox, owner and head trainer at Brookway Stable...

Vets are one of the unsung heroes of horse sport. Horses are unfailingly creative (and effective) at hurting themselves; from a mystery lameness to a sudden colic to every type of laceration you could dream up, a day that goes by without some sort of injury is a good day by default.  Because of this, having access to a good vet is a critical part of horse ownership, but the criteria for what makes...

If you ride horses and have been on the internet in the past two months, chances are good you've heard about "that" helmet study -- specifically, the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab's Equestrian STAR Helmet Rating Project.  On the plus side, we learned that a fancy helmet wasn't necessarily any safer than a basic, no frills (and much less expensive) helmet when it comes to protecting against brain injury...

Mindset Check! Welcome to 2023. We're kicking off with a mindset conversation because even if you're riding less in the cold, dreary month of January, you can still be doing major work to improve your riding. This conversation will inspire you to pour some time, effort, and energy into yourself, not just your horse. (If you, perhaps, would like some equestrian-specific mindset coaching, Equestrian...

That's a wrap on 2022! In this episode, two Equestrian Voices listeners join Caroline to count down 5 of their favorite clips and moments from the pod this year.  We can't wait to learn, question, discuss, and celebrate more with you in 2023! Happy New Year!

As promised, we're back with Part 2 of Caroline's conversation with Amanda Anderson of Saddlefitting.us. We know many of you have been eagerly awaiting the rest of this chat, so let's dive right into the good stuff.  In this episode, host Caroline Culbertson and Amanda discuss:  When it may be warranted to stay off your horse entirely (a hard truth, we know)  A case for checking your horse daily -...

Are we collectively aware of how profoundly saddle fit can affect our horses?  As today's Equestrian Voices episode guest would argue, probably not.  Saddle fit can cause real (and, as far as we know, potentially irreversible) damage to your horse's body. That's the bad news.  The good news is, a well-fitting saddle doesn't have to be expensive or complicated - it just has to respect the horse's a...

Before you hit the road with your horse again, give this ep a listen. Your horse will thank you.  Travel can be stressful on your horse and, in some cases, even harmful for his health. For the humans, traveling with our horses can be daunting because there are lots of elements you can't control (traffic, how well your horse eats or drinks on the trailer, weather, accidents, etc.).  Never fear. The...

Kasey Perry-Glass and Dana Glass may be married and in business together, but their backgrounds in horses couldn't be more different. But, that's what makes them interesting – and what makes their business work. In fact, it's almost like their secret weapon.  What can dressage and horsemanship learn from each other? How did they decide to integrate their businesses together, and how does it work?...

If you're in the horse world long enough, you or someone you know will probably experience trauma. For almost all of us, it has been – or will be – a part of life and the horse world is no exception. And horse people are really, really good at trying to ignore it or "tough it out".  Many of us can miss the signs of it or feel confused about why we're feeling overwhelmed, or irritable, or can't sle...

Have you ever whispered a silent prayer to the flying change gods to please let this change be clean? Have you ever felt a twinge of temptation to throw your weight to get the change, or pull on the inside rein?    Flying changes don't have to be dependent on luck (although luck always helps) – but many of us don't understand the flying change as deeply as we could.    There's a LOT to know about...

What do you need to focus on in those 3- and 4-year old years? How do you cope with the pressure to "not mess up" a young horse? What matters most in the early years for a horse? Top British eventer Piggy March has an FEI record the length of a novel and has had many illustrious wins to her name including Badminton, Burghley, the European Eventing Championships and the World Equestrian Games, to n...

Being a successful rider in this sport is an uphill battle — and not just in terms of the skills and time necessary to make your way up the ladder. The ups and downs can be extreme and unpredictable, it's often "one step forward, two steps back", and money more often feels like a problem than a solution. And for many ambitious riders like our guests today, there is a palpable tension between "busi...

What if you don't have $100k to spend on buying a horse? Join the club - there's a whole lot of us!  It's time to give this portion of the horse market some air time.  What's the buying or selling experience like in the, say, $40,000USD and under range? How do we find good quality horses in budget? Where do we look? What's a PPE like in that price range? How are those horses valued?  Today on the...

We're taking on a spicy topic this week! (But why is this such a heated debate? We'll get to that, too!) If horses are born without shoes, why do they need them? Are we disrupting their natural gait/growth/biology by putting shoes on them, or are we actually helping them cope with their lifestyle and demands by nailing some steel on their feet?  Rich Affonso is a seasoned farrier and Equestrian Ma...

Are you an expert on your horse? Do you see your peers or even your trainer "winging it" when it comes to structuring rides, or figuring out why that rail fell down, or why your horse seemed tired in today's ride? We're learning about ways to use science and data to drastically improve the performance of ourselves and our horses – and it's exciting.  On this episode of Equestrian Voices, Dr. Tim W...

Do you know what's going on with horse slaughter in the States? Most of us don't - or didn't. And that includes me, your host, Caroline. The equestrian community is pretty good at turning a blind eye to this issue. It's easy to think, "those horses aren't our horses." I did it, too. But today, we're going to bring some transparency to horse slaughter in a way that doesn't aim to feel divisive, or...

There are a million ways to "make it" - depending on what "making it" means to you. While many riders might dream of winning a gold medal in a pinque coat on a shiny, impeccably braided horse, sometimes you'll find an even more fulfilling way to be in the horse industry that you hadn't considered before.  Today on the podcast, we have two equestrian professionals with very contrasting backgrounds,...

As important as the horse's mouth is for his health, as well as our riding, most of us don't know much about it. For many of us it's a long, black tunnel of mystery that we try to understand by experimenting with a variety of feeds or anatomical bridles or bits or… you name it.  Today, we're shining a metaphorical light up into that mouth to give you some information that we bet you didn't have (w...

In our sport, you can go to the Olympics when you're 21… or when you're 60. Or, you can never make a team but still have a profound impact on the athletes around you and equestrian sport as a whole.  Success in horses is a lifelong endeavor, but our sport in the U.S., places a huge emphasis on riders 21 and under. What are the effects (both positive and negative) of focusing so many resources on t...

It seems like at least once a week, you'll see a social media post or an announcement about another boarding barn closing its doors. A lot of boarding barns that are up and running have long wait lists, and it calls into question what boarding barns are up against. To understand that , you have to understand all of the things that go into running them.  In this episode of Equestrian Voices , Carol...