In this episode, Lucy talks to Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer Betsy Steiner. Betsy is a USDF gold medalist with over three decades of experience as an elite competitor, trainer, and clinician. Betsy has two children, and her daughter, Jessie Steiner, is also a professional dressage rider and trainer. Lucy and Betsy talk about Betsy’s experience as a young mother and up-and-coming professional during a time when it wasn’t as widely accepted. They discuss how pregnancy gives them intuition and body awareness that make them better horse trainers and the importance of finding support and balance in a family. Lucy and Betsy share their experiences of raising children while running a business and being competitive riders.

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In this episode, Lucy talks to the Canadian designer and founder of the Noel Asmar Group, Noel Asmar. Noel has two sons, ages nineteen and seventeen, and a daughter, age twelve. Lucy and Noel talk about the challenges of maternity leave as a self-employed business owner and how women should be more forgiving with themselves in the early stages of motherhood. They discuss changing the business models for equestrian businesses so that they allow for different sources of revenue, alleviating some of the financial stress many business owners face. Lucy and Noel share their experiences of becoming mothers while running their businesses and offer advice for women facing the same challenges.

In this episode of “In Stride,” Sinead is joined by top three-day eventer Marcia Kulak.

Marcia Kulak is a top three-day event rider and trainer who has successfully competed at some of the world’s largest competitions, including Rolex, Burghley, Blenheim, Boekelo, and Fair Hill. Marcia has been shortlisted for two Olympic Games and has had the opportunity to train with numerous experts, including Jack Le Goff, George Morris, Mark Phillips, Anne Kursinski, and Sue Blinks, as well as natural horsemanship masters John Lyons and Louis Wood. Marcia has been on the USEF Eventing Selection Committee and the Active Athletes Committee to choose the 2012 Olympic coach. Marcia’s business, Kulak Equestrian, currently operates a top multi-discipline stable based in Wellington, FL.

In this episode, Marcia discusses topics related to the evolution and future of eventing in the US, including:

• How she’s seen the coaching, leadership, and funding for Team USA change over the years.

• Her professional riding career and the financial challenges that came with it.

• Talent vs. technicality in riders and the influence natural horsemanship had on her training and riding.

• The importance of good judgment of a horse’s and rider’s level of ability for the sake of safety.

• The dangers of social media and how it affects the public’s opinion of equestrian sports.

Join Marcia and Sinead in this exciting conversation about the sport of eventing.

In this episode, Lucy talks to the former host and producer of the award-winning podcast, Equestrian Voices, Caroline Culbertson. Caroline works in the journalism and editorial space within the equestrian sport and has two children the ages of two and four. Lucy and Caroline have both experienced miscarriages, and in this episode, they vulnerably share their story and the hardships they faced. They talk about a mother’s intuition, how this experience differed from previous pregnancies, the lessons they learned about grief and acceptance, and how the horses helped them through this journey.

In this episode, Lucy talks to the founder of the equestrian brand Novella Equestrian and USDF Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medalist Taryn Young. Like Lucy, Taryn has a toddler and is in the third trimester of her second pregnancy. Taryn discusses her riding life and career before starting a family and how that has shifted after having her son. They talk about the importance of kids seeing their mother fulfilled doing something they love and how the horses kept them happy and healthy. Taryn shares her experience as a mom, amateur rider, and business owner and offers advice for amateurs with a similar story.

In this episode, Natalie works through visualization exercises with one of her clients, who wants to face the challenges in her personal life so she can be emotionally available for her horses at competitions and in everyday training. They discuss the misunderstandings that were established after a traumatic event when she was seventeen and how that has created an avoidance pattern for painful emotions. Natalie guides her through an exercise to help her forgive the misunderstandings and learn to turn towards the painful emotions so that she can move past them and be fully present for her horses.

In this episode of “In Stride,” Sinead is joined by 4* event rider and US Olympic team selector Jon Elliott.

Jon started riding at an early age and went on to develop numerous upper-level event horses and have an influential role in the eventing world. On his horse Aspen, Jon finished 4th at the Rolex Kentucky CCI*** in 1998. In addition to his long-time partnership with Aspen, Jon completed the Burghley CCI**** in England and the Rolex Kentucky CCI**** on Kilcoltrim. In 2004, Jon and his wife Suzy started Aspen Farm in Yelm, Washington, with the intent of running high level events on the west coast. Jon is a popular clinician, successful Area VII young rider coach, and team selector for the US Olympic Eventing Team.

In this episode, Jon discusses topics related to his career and role as a team selector, including:

• The early stages of his riding career and his accomplishments as an upper-level event rider.

• The evolution of eventing as a sport and social media’s newfound influence on the industry.

• His decision to move away from the east coast and build a facility in Washington.

• The process and timeline of selecting an eventing team for the US.

• The vetting process in the selection trials and the lead up to the Paris Olympics.

Join Jon and Sinead in this exciting conversation about the team selection process.

In this episode of Equestrian Mama, Lucy talks about her postpartum experience and how it changed her life as a professional rider and trainer. Lucy discusses the mental and physical challenges she faced after giving birth and the parts of postpartum life she wasn’t expecting. Lucy stresses the importance of focusing on the good things in difficult times and using horses as therapy throughout this process. Lucy shares some of the changes she made to her daily work schedule and a few products that helped her through the first few months of being a new mom.

In this episode, Lucy talks to OBGYN Dr. Kathleen Bertuna about riding while pregnant and postpartum recovery. They discuss the risk vs. reward of riding while pregnant, how a rider can minimize the risk during different stages of their pregnancy, and the importance of being in tune with your body and knowing when to not push the limits. They also discuss the difference between recovering from a c-section and a vaginal birth and how each woman’s timeline for getting back into the saddle varies.