In Stride

In this episode, Natalie works through visualization exercises with one of her clients, who wants to feel confident in a clinic setting and find a mental space that allows her to receive all the information. They discuss the importance of creating a system of safety from within in order to avoid defense patterns and stay open to learning. Natalie guides her through an exercise to help heal her younger self from the misunderstanding that she didn’t belong and wasn’t good enough so that she can feel safe and confident to learn in a clinic setting.

In this episode of “In Stride,” Sinead is joined by 5* event rider Emily Hamel.

Emily Hamel grew up in rural Wisconsin, competing in local 4-H and breed shows. Eventually, Emily moved to Lexington, KY, where she coached the University of Kentucky Dressage Team and taught people through the CCI3* level. In 2015, Emily started working for multiple-time Olympian Phillip Dutton, and in 2020, she started a lesson and training business, Emily Hamel Eventing, out of Phillip's True Prospect Farm. During her time with Phillip, Emily bought her now 5* horse Corvett, also known as Barry. The pair has competed at Badminton and Burghley, finished 10th in the 5* at the 2023 Land Rover Kentucky 3-Day Event, finished 5th at the 2023 Stable View Okotberfest CCI4*-S, and finished 11th at the 2023 Maryland CCI5*. Emily was also named to the US Equestrian Eventing Developing Riders List for 2024.

In this episode, Emily discusses topics related to her career and relationship with Barry, including:

• What got her interested in mindset work, nutrition, and fitness and how it led to her podcast “The Whole Equestrian.”

• The lessons she learned in her time working for Phillip Dutton and how she has made her program stand out from the one she came from.

• Learning to control nerves so that they help her reach peak performance.

• Spending a summer in England to train and compete and how she prepared for that trip.

• The importance of trusting her and Barry’s abilities and relationship in order to accomplish big goals.

Join Emily and Sinead in this exciting conversation about training and competing.

In this episode, Natalie works through visualization exercises with one of her clients, who wants to be able to consistently regulate her body in the moments of fight or flight and not allow competition results to make or break her confidence. They discuss the importance of finding a coach that provides a safe space to make mistakes and how a person can find wholeness from within and not from external sources. Natalie guides her through an exercise to help heal her younger self so that she can embrace the possibility of embarrassment and know that she is loved and supported regardless of her performance.

In this episode, Natalie celebrates with one of her clients, who placed 4th and won the highest placed thoroughbred in her division at the 2024 American Eventing Championships. They reflect on all that she learned in the “How to Heal” program and discuss how she was able to bring her goals to fruition. Natalie and her client talk through the steps of the program and the importance of learning, receiving feedback, growing the nervous system’s capacity, and making the necessary changes. Through these steps, she was able to achieve her goal and become a more confident rider and horsewoman.

In this episode of “In Stride,” Sinead is joined by event and dressage riders Matt Brown and Cecily Clark.

Matt and Cecily founded their training and riding business, East West Training Stables, in 2004. The business started out in Petaluma, California, before eventually moving to Cochranville, Pennsylvania, in 2015 so Matt could pursue a spot on the US Eventing Team. After their move to the east coast, Matt completed his first CCI5* at the 2016 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event as the highest-placed rookie and was named as a reserve for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games US Eventing Team. His success continued that year with a spot on the Land Rover US Eventing Team for Aachen CICO4*, where he helped the team secure their 6th place finish in July. In 2017, Matt finished 6th at the Rolex Kentucky CCI5* with Super Socks BCF and was the USEA Gold Cup Advanced Champion at the American Eventing Championships with BCF Belicoso. While Matt’s passion is eventing, Cecily has a background in Hunters and Equitation and is currently pursuing goals as a dressage rider. Cecily brought a former eventer, Ringwood Galaxy, through the levels to Intermediare and is currently training the Grand Prix movements with him. Cecily also graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. in History from the Dominican University of California.

In this episode, Matt and Cecily discuss topics related to the evolution of horse training, including:

• Learning more about horses’ behavior and applying that information to training.

• The different set of skills that is required for training horses and teaching people.

• Using natural horsemanship to solve problems in a way that is better for the horse.

• Teaching riders to have emotional control in a way that helps them have confidence in the saddle.

• How a fixed mindset can hinder your progress, and a learning mindset can push you towards your goal.

Join Matt, Cecily, and Sinead in this exciting conversation about putting the horse first.

In this episode, Natalie works through visualization exercises with one of her clients, who wants to be able to harness the power of judgement and be content with the process so that she can progress in a way that doesn’t feel frantic. They discuss people’s tendency to rely on judgment to progress when it’s blocking them from feeling completely safe. They also discuss how people can re-program their nervous system to function in a way that allows for full potential. Natalie guides her through an exercise to show her how to work with judgment and use it to bring herself back to a place where she can feel content and truly ok.

In this episode of “In Stride,” Sinead is joined by 5* event rider Mia Farley.

Mia Farley is a young event rider that has quickly risen to the top of the sport and is currently named to the US Developing Rider list. Mia grew up in San Clemente, California, and started riding at the age of 3 with the help of her mother, hunter/jumper trainer Rebecca Farley. After deciding to pursue eventing, Mia moved to Middleburg, Virginia in 2018 to train and work with event riders David and Karen O’Connor. Mia’s career quickly took off, and she has since been very successful with her off-the-track Thoroughbred Phelps. The pair finished on the podium in the 4* at Morven Park in 2022 and finished fifth place at the Maryland 5* in 2023, where they were the only pair to have a double-clear cross-country round. Most recently, Mia and Phelps finished in the top fifteen at the 2024 Defender Kentucky Three Day Event 5* and competed at the Defender Burghley 5*.

In this episode, Mia discusses topics related to her career as a young event rider, including:

• Learning to manage the pressure and emotions that come with high-performance competitions.

• Her experience growing up in California and why she decided to move to the East Coast.

• Her approach to recovering from a mistake on cross-country.

• The challenges of fully committing to the sport at a young age.

Join Mia and Sinead in this exciting conversation about competing at the top level.

In this episode, Lucy talks to well-known blogger Raquel Lynn. Raquel is the creative horsewoman behind some of the industry's most beautifully curated blogs, Horses and Heels and Stable Style. Raquel released her first book, Stable Style: Barn Inspiration for All Equestrians, in 2020, after four years of running a blog featuring the world’s most gorgeous barns. She also developed a collection of luxury candles inspired by favorite barn scents and freelanced for publications like Horse Illustrated and American Paint Horse Journal. In October 2023, Raquel had her first child, London. They discuss how Raquel started her blogs and grew them into a career, advice for continuing to run a business after getting pregnant, and learning to adjust day-to-day life after having a baby.

In this episode, Natalie works through visualization exercises with one of her clients, who feels like she loses her sense of connection and safety with her horse when she is in front of an audience. They discuss a competition she had when she was younger where she felt she couldn’t get it right, and in result, created a defense mechanism that blocks her from enjoying every moment with her horse. Natalie guides her through an exercise to help her heal her younger self from that experience so that she has the confidence to do things the way she knows works for her and her horse.

In this episode, Natalie works through visualization exercises with one of her clients, who feels like she is all consumed by the sport and her ability to make progress. They discuss the importance of being content regardless of her accomplishments and how unconditional safety in the nervous system can allow her to achieve success easier and more naturally. Natalie guides her through an exercise to help her heal her younger self from the insecurities she had about her skills and potential so that she can be present and take the next step.