Horse Tales with Cat

Send us Fan Mail Beezie Madden reveals the secrets to her success- always putting the horse's needs first , the fundamentals of position and surrounding yourself with good people. She shares the stories of some of her favourite mounts and wins as well as the horses who surprised her along the way. She does it all with a sense of purpose and staying true to her core values.  She explains why i...

Send us Fan Mail Hyde Moffatt reflects on his career as a rider, trainer and clinician. He credits his desire to improve himself or his mounts just a little bit everyday with keeping him passionate about the sport of show jumping. His work ethic and his overwhelming optimism are inspiring. His humility is refreshing.

Send us Fan Mail Hall of Fame Cutting Trainer Dustin Gonnet is the first Canadian cutting trainer to earn over 2 million dollars in the sport.  What is more important to him than what he has earned is that he has stayed true to his heart and his convictions. He loves the relationship he has with his horses as well as with his family. His ultimate goal is to be “Jack of all trades and master of eve...

Send us Fan Mail Trail blazers Bronwyn Hart Irwin and Jason Irwin are riders, trainers, clinicians and horse whisperers. They walk us through the journey that has taken them from riding and training horses to hosting “The Horse Trainers” on RFD-TV Canada and the Cowboy Channel in Canada ,landing an audition on “Canada’s Got Talent” and attending the premiere of a movie at TIFF featuring one of the...

Send us Fan Mail Rider, trainer and author Jen Hamilton walks us down the path of her career that started in New York and  brought her to Nova Scotia. She talks about her involvement in the coaching program with Equine Canada and how it changed the trajectory of her career in coaching. She is frank, nostalgic and funny and continues to give back to the passion she has fostered for decades. This ep...

Send us Fan Mail Andre Etmekdjian came to the sport of show jumping as well as the trade of being a farrier as a young boy under the tutelage of his father in the USSR. His early competitions were as a member of the army. He landed in the United States in his late teens in the 1990's and has been continuing his journey of learning ever since. His determination and message of the importance of...

Send us Fan Mail Rider, trainer, father , husband and entrepreneur Sharn Wordley has travelled the globe. However, his dream had always been to settle in America. Hard work and surrounding himself with the right people brought him to Ocala which he now calls home. He loves striking the balance between riding , his family and his businesses building premier riding surfaces and developing turnkey eq...

Send us Fan Mail Horse communicator Joanna Bornowski shares her heart based intuitive approach to having a dialogue with our four legged partners. Joanna delves into the importance of understanding that our agenda may not align with our horse's desires and that horses have as many different personalities as people. She also touches on all the changes in a horse's environment that can tri...

Send us Fan Mail John Anderson takes us along on his show jumping journey. He shares how he reluctantly started riding to developing a love that was inspired by a family of horsemen and led to creating  an equestrian facility (Rocky Mountain Show Jumping ) to rival Spruce Meadows and foster riders of all levels to want to do more. He is not afraid to share his concerns for the sport in Canada and...

Send us Fan Mail Rider, trainer Juergen Von Buttlar regales us with the stories of his ever evolving career. From his early days working with his father, riding bulls and driving horse trailers to flatting Canadian show jumpers at the Barcelona Olympics and partnering with Eric Lamaze , Juergen doesn’t skip a beat. He shares what separates him from the crowd and his plans for the future all with a...

Send us Fan Mail FEI registered Vet Dr Maureen Lunney touches on how anxiety manifests in horses as well as a host of other issues. She explains how the change in footing and technical difficulty of courses has impacted the injuries she sees in horses. She also talks about the value of a good blacksmith. Finally she shares the biggest challenges she faces as a vet and the greatest joy she gets fro...

Send us Fan Mail Mac and Brenley Cone talk about both their personal and professional relationship. They touch on the basics of hard work, passion and the love and respect they have for each other and their horses. They share memories of riding and training with the best. They also express their gratitude for the wonderful family they have and for getting to do something they continue to enjoy.

Send us Fan Mail Senior international judge, course designer, trainer and author Randy Roy regales us with stories from his humble beginnings to early days in the sport working for George Morris. He shares his passion and intention to learn all that he could about hunters and show jumping. He also talks about how important it is that he give back to the sport. He shares some of his teachings from...

Send us Fan Mail Erynn Ballard gets real about what it has taken to reach the top levels of show jumping and the real cost of that red jacket she wears. She shares where her confidence comes from and how much she loves what she does and the people and horses she works with. Erynn also gets real about the moment she realized how different it was to ride at the Olympics compared to any other competi...

Send us Fan Mail I speak with human performance coach John Haime about the mental challenges riders face. He addresses what he considers to be a confidence crisis within the sport . He shares some simple tips to help all riders to shift their attitude to "ride big" instead of "riding small".   Check out John Haime’s book “Ride Big” https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com...

Send us Fan Mail I speak with equine professionals and sports massage therapists Don Doran and Lisa Stahl. We talk about the importance of "hands on " contact with your horse not only for healing but connecting and communicating with your horse. They share the fundamentals behind their treatment practices and some simple techniques that they use with every horse that will take that athle...

Send us Fan Mail Nick shares his foray into the world of course design as one of the youngest in North America with the FEI level 3 designation. He talks about his signature “flow approach “to design where his goal is to test the riders rather than the horses. He explains how specific elements of design like colour and types of rails work together to test all horse/rider combinations. Finally , he...

Send us Fan Mail Ainsley shares stories of her successes and challenges. She gets candid about  the realities of recovering from 2 serious concussions despite the recommendations of her doctors.  She also talks about her hopes and dreams for her jumping career and her business -Linden Ridge  Stables. This episode is brought to you by the international law firm of Cooley LLP. Clients partner with C...

Send us Fan Mail  3-Time Olympian Mario DesLauriers speaks with me just after being named to the Canadian Olympic Show Jumping Team heading to Paris. He talks about his journey to get there and his longevity in the sport.  He also takes us behind the scenes to talk about the day to day experience of an equestrian at the Games and his unique experience as the only Canadian show jumper in Tokyo. Thi...

Send us Fan Mail I speak with Olympian, Canadian show jumper rider Beth Underhill at Coolmore Farm in Tipperary, Ireland where she is now working for the Watchman familly. This was recorded on June 14,2024 This episode is brought to you by the international law firm of Cooley LLP. Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters , and high-stakes litigation. ...

Send us Fan Mail A chat with  former Olympian Jill Henselwood spanning the journey of where she started and where she hopes to go. Recorded on September 9, 2022. Some of the details are a bit dated but she helped me regain my confidence in myself and my love of the sport when i was thinking of stopping. I owe it to her to share her story as she has inspired many women during the course of her care...