British Equestrian Podcast

With April being Stress Awareness Month, Rachel sits down with sports psychologist Leonie Lightfoot from British Equestrian's World Class Programme to find out more about what stress is, how it can affect us and some top tips for what you can do if you find yourself struggling with a stressful situation. Plus, they discuss the beneficial impact of horses in managing stress. 

In the second episode of our two-part concussion series, Rachel and Ash are joined by a very special guest – Olympic and European eventing team gold medallist, Laura Collett. Laura shares her experiences with this type of injury, how it affected her and what she learned from the experience. Plus, Ash imparts more top tips for anyone going through the concussion recovery process, particularly around nutrition, hydration and sleep. 

When you spend time around horses, falls, knocks and jolts are inevitable – no matter how careful you are. Most of us will admit to having had concussion at least once in our ridden career and – while it’s true that concussion might be more commonly associated with contact sports such as rugby – equestrian sport does come with an increased risk, regardless of the level you participate at. 

In the first of two episodes on this important topic, Rachel is joined by Ash Wallace from the World Class Programme to find out exactly what concussion is, how to spot the signs and symptoms, and the steps you should go through to give yourself the optimal recovery. 

Pelvic health is one of those topics that many of us feel uncomfortable discussing, but it's important to know a bit about what's going on down there so you can be confident and comfortable in daily life. In this episode of our Female Health February podcast series, Rachel catches up with Ros Cooke from the World Class Programme to find out more about pelvic health and pelvic floor function, including the steps you can take to ensure this important muscle network is able to function at its best. Conversation then turns to pregnancy, the impact this can have on your time in the saddle and the process of returning to riding once you're ready.  

One of our final topics for Female Health February is nutrition and body image. Rachel is joined by Dr George Wilson, Leonie Lightfoot and Dr Anna-Louise Mackinnon from the World Class Programme to find out more about what makes a healthy diet and the best snacks to fuel your day at the yard. Plus, conversation turns to the thorny issue of eating disorders and how we perceive our bodies. 

Our big topic for our next Female Health February episode is breast health and what you can do to ensure you’re giving your breasts the best support possible. Rachel is joined by Dr Anna-Louise Mackinnon from the World Class Programme to talk about how you can check your breasts for signs of ill-health and the lifestyle choices you can make to reduce your risk of a problem. Spoiler alert... riding and being around horses is one of them! 

Next up in our series of episodes for Female Health February, we're talking about the menopause and perimenopause. Following up on the outcry for more information on our social media channels, Rachel brings together Ash Wallace from British Equestrian's World Class Programme and coach Mia Palles-Clark for a deep dive into what this period of life means, plus some of the game-changing lifestyle strategies you can adopt to support your body and maintain your enjoyment of equestrian sport. 

For the first of our full-length podcast episodes for Female Health February, the focus is very much on the turbulent changes that take place in the early years of a young girl’s life. Rachel is joined by three experts from the World Class Programme – sports psychologist Dr Jo Butt, strength and conditioning coach Neil Lewis and eventing coach Christie Wright – to find out more about how the mental and physical transition from child to teenager can lay the foundations for future enjoyment and success in equestrian sport. 

We are back with a new series of episodes for our Female Health February campaign. With female health topics becoming increasingly talked about, both in sport and society in general, Rachel is joined by Ash Wallace, Ros Cooke and Anna-Louise Mackinnon from the World Class Programme to find out why it's so important for equestrians to be part of the conversation. Plus, there's a taste of what you can look forward to over the rest of the month. 

For our final podcast episode for Equine Health Week 2024 series – and the second part of our Welfare Weekend –  Rachel is joined by Roly Owers and Janet Douglas from World Horse Welfare for an insightful and thought-provoking conversation about how we can make the lives of our horses as happy and fulfilling as possible. Plus, we lift the lid on social licence and why it's a topic that all equestrians need to take to heart.