Equestrian Voices

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 name a few. But she knows that there are millions of moments, steps, and decisions in a horse's life before their name will ever be painted across a leaderboard, and she's one of Britain's most respected producers of young event horses. Today on Equestrian Voices, Piggy joins host Caroline Culbertson to give a peek inside her program and philosophies with young horses. They discuss: Exactly how they go about the initial "breaking in" process at Piggy's farm Assessing the potential and talent of a 3-year-old (or whether to look the other way until they're a bit older!) The mindset to have as a rider and trainer of young horses Tack, equipment, and management tips for the young horse What to keep in mind when they go to their first show And much more. You can learn more about Piggy and her training at PiggyMarch.com or go to PiggyMarch.tv for her online learning platform.

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 "businessperson" and "horseperson".

Today on #EquestrianVoices, host Caroline Culbertson is joined by Paige Jardine and Erin Lane: two show jumping professionals who are putting in the hard work, making the sacrifices, and navigating conflicting emotions as they chase big dreams. In this conversation, they explore:

- When putting the horse first isn't always the "easy" thing to do in terms of business

- Grappling with the feelings of "why not me"?

- Staying connected to your purpose, and thinking about your legacy in the sport (regardless of whether you're a pro, amateur, or recreational rider)

- Why finding your niche as a pro is crucial

- Why riders can struggle to find owners and the problems with relying on other people to own your horses

- The question of whether there's really enough room at the top of the sport

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 podcast I have the lovely Pippa Moon to walk us through this. Pippa has described selling horse under 40k as the "bread and butter" of her business. While she is originally known as a top level eventer having competed up through the (old) CCI4* level, her business now is heavily focused on sales in the hunter/jumper, eq, dressage, and eventing disciplines. Her home base is in Aiken, SC where she sells roughly 30 horses a year, although this year she's set to far exceed that number.

In addition to the questions above, Pippa and I chat about:

• What types of horses and clients she sees searching under 40k
• Trends in horse prices in each discipline and how they compare to one another
• How the horse market has changed in the past 3 years in her view
• Tips for people who are searching for a horse in this price range

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 Masterclass instructor who has worked for decades on horses of all disciplines, from working ranch horses, to fancy dressage horses, and everything in between. You name it, he's probably seen it. He's also done his own research into why barefoot

With host Caroline Culbertson, Rich dives into:

• Why do folks like to argue about this topic so much?
• What is barefoot trimming versus regular trimming?
• If you're going to try going barefoot, what do you need to know about the transition?
• What supplements/hoof topicals are useful?
• Will we see more unshod horses after Peder Fredericsen's performance with All In at Tokyo Olympics last summer?
• What about shod up front, barefoot behind?
• And more…

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 Worden and Nicole Lakin from the Equine High Performance Sports Group join us to discuss how we can use what we've learned in recent decades from human sport, and use it to our benefit in horse sport.

This can sound a little intimidating at first, but there are simple practices to bring a "scientist's approach" to your horse's care and training. In fact, you probably use a data-focused approach in your horse's training and management in small ways without even realizing it.

Along with your host, Caroline Culbertson, Nicole and Tim dive into:

• Why and how horse sport is behind in using science and data to improve athlete performance (that is, we mostly think of it to fix problems or injuries that have already happened)
• Why data and intuition can coexist - because the horseman's intuition is also a powerful thing!
• Small, easy ways that you can start to "log data" about your horse and how that can help you
• Rethinking how we use video to determine where our horses' weaknesses are (hint: it's more than just having your friend video your round at a horse show!)

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 inflammatory, or set out to shock you. This is an emotionally charged topic with implications for horse welfare and public safety, but this episode tries its best to present some facts so that we can find common ground on which to improve outcomes for horses and humans alike. Because what's happening currently is unacceptable. In this episode, Caroline Howe from Horse Welfare Collective joins us to discuss: - Why the state of horse slaughter is so dire right now, despite the fact that it's effectively banned in the U.S. - Understanding what drives the horse meat market - Where many horses who end up on trucks originate from - The "unwanted horse" and what happens to a surplus of horses when slaughter is banned - Safety issues around using horses for meat - Financial incentives around horse slaughter

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, journeys, and careers reflecting on how they found their way in the horse world.

Nikko Ritter was the trainer's kid; in fact, his entire family is in horses. He had loads of opportunities handed to him from the time he was small (and yes, he was on the show Horse Power - Road to Maclay on Animal Planet). He's ridden for folks like Mclain Ward, Missy Clark, Frank Madden and most Peter Leone. Now, he and his wife operate Nikko Ritter Showstables in Wellington, a boutique training and showing operation with one main sponsor for financial backing, as well as some sales and breeding. He produces horses for all 3 rings.

Anne-Sophie Milette had a vastly different path. She had really supportive parents, but they had no experience in horses which meant that she spent a lot of her young rider years learning as she went. She studied computer programming while she continued chasing her riding dreams, and then tried opening her own 30-stall stable for a few years before realizing she really wasn't happy. She shifted her focus to sales and acting as an agent for horse buyers, and coupled with her computer programming background, started Europa Horse Agency while still bringing along a few horses on the side as well - what she describes as her perfect balance.

They discuss:

- How Anne Sophie and Nikko's differences in backgrounds led them in 2 different, but both successful and fulfilling, directions

- Being the trainer's kid versus coming from a non-horsey family

- Nikko's personal reflections on how, as a young rider, he lacked the ability to see the opportunities he took for granted

- Mentorship and whether it's really available to anyone who seeks it in our industry

- The attitudes towards young professionals in Europe vs. North America

- What happens when self-doubt comes into play

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 (we sure didn't know all of this!). Dr. Bess Darrow, a DVM, certified equine dentist and Equestrian Masterclass instructor, is going to debunk some of the common myths and misconceptions about the horse's mouth as they relate to bitting, behaviors, and overall health.

If you've ever wondered about your horse dropping grain, or if sticking his tongue out is related to his teeth, or if he really has a "low palate" and what the heck that means… or if you just want to hear some crazy stories about what she's found in horses' mouths, this episode is for you.

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 that age group?

And what about the pros in their late 20s, their 30s, and beyond who are trying to build sustainable businesses?

In this episode of Equestrian Voices, host Caroline Culbertson is joined by Diann Langer and Kirsten Coe to better understand this topic as it applies to the hunter/jumper/equitation disciplines.

Diann and Kirsten are a mother-daughter pair who operate Red Top Farm and have a deep understanding of the development pathway that children, juniors, and young riders may choose to follow in order to become top riders. Diann is the USEF Show Jumping Youth Chef d'Equipe, and Kirsten chased an illustrious junior career before becoming a professional rider and representing the U.S. in team competition on numerous occasions. They discuss:

• What the pathway is for children, juniors, and young riders up through 25
• How getting spotted early on usually takes place, and the role of parents and trainers
• The upsides and downsides - and understanding that it's not a perfect system, but in many cases it produces successful riders
• The sport's unfortunate shift to focus on competing more than training at home
• Diann's reflections as a mother of watching her daughter chase success in her junior years, and Kirsten's reflections on how things have changed since she competed as a junior in the late 90s.

Note: If you'd like to learn more about the youth and developing Jumping pathway in the U.S., the following resources will help you:

Benchmarks and Markers for Riders through Age 21A list of US Jumping programs, many of which apply to youth

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, Caroline Culbertson chats with Julia Tucker who owns Ardenwood Farm in Chapel Hill, NC, about the realities of running a boarding-only (i.e., without a head trainer) business. There's the financial side, the staffing and labor side, and even the emotional side. Running a boarding business is not for the faint of heart, but horse owners deeply rely on these operations, since keeping horses in our backyard isn't a reality for most.

In this episode, Caroline and Julia discuss:

• How Julia built her farm from an uncleared piece of land to a full-fledged boarding facility
• The decision to raise board
• What daily life as a barn owner looks like for Julia
• How to be a great boarder and make your barn owner feel appreciated
• Advice for other barn owners for staying on top of finances
• Some listener questions