The Equestrian Adult Amateur Podcast

Have you ever looked at your horse and genuinely thought… why am I doing this to myself?

In this episode of The Equestrian Adult Amateur Podcast, Alexis and I are getting into one of those phases of horse ownership that every equestrian eventually seems to hit—the point where everything feels hard enough that you start questioning whether horses should even be in your life anymore.

Between lameness, injuries, behavioral issues, vet bills, setbacks, young horses, and the general emotional chaos that comes with owning horses, sometimes the thing we love most can also be the thing that completely pushes us over the edge. We talk about the moments that have made us question the sport, the horses that have tested us, and why we somehow keep coming back even after swearing we’re going to quit and take up tennis instead.

It’s our October spooky episode, but forget ghosts—the truly terrifying thing might just be owning horses.

If you’re an adult amateur who has ever sat in your car after the barn wondering why you chose this life, this episode is for you.

The Equestrian Adult Amateur Podcast is all about the real side of being an adult amateur equestrian—from horse ownership and horse showing to trainers, money, confidence, setbacks, and everything that happens outside the ring.

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Kelly and Alexis take the podcast into the ring, swap horses, and let trainer Hannah Stone pick them apart for 45 minutes.Alexis gets on Ollie, a horse nobody but Kelly and Hannah has ever jumped. Kelly rides Sunny. What follows is an honest, unedited adult amateur lesson: flatwork, a course, a missed lead change, one spectacular spook, and the conversation afterward about what actually went wrong and why.If you have ever come out of a lesson thinking you ruined everything, watch the debrief at the end. The ride you remember and the ride on video are almost never the same one.Featuring Hannah Stone of Stone Performance HorsesFollow along:Instagram: @eaapodNewsletter: www.kbmediaequine.comHeads up: this one is real barn talk and the language is unfiltered in a few spots.Chapters0:00 Taking the podcast into the ring1:00 Warm up and first corrections from Hannah5:50 Canter work and getting Ollie in front of the leg9:12 Why asking once beats nagging every stride11:10 First jumps15:59 Putting a course together18:24 Ride to the jump or wait for it25:51 The turn to the oxer that keeps falling apart30:19 Turn at the bow33:50 The spook36:40 Going back and doing it again38:58 Lead changes and staying in the middle of the tack46:37 So how did the lesson go?48:39 Kelly's honest take

If we could go back and give our younger adult-amateur selves some advice… what would we say?

This week on the Equestrian Adult Amateur Podcast, we’re talking directly to the younger amateurs — inspired by a conversation with our very own Emmy, who came to us with an opportunity to get a horse and one very important question: Should I do it?

Naturally, we had thoughts. 😂

Because between the two of us, we’ve made the impulse horse purchases, spent money we probably should have saved, bought young horses we absolutely did not need, navigated different trainers and programs, and learned plenty of lessons the expensive way. Sequence 18

So this episode becomes the conversation we wish someone had sat us down and had when we were younger: What can you actually afford? Are you thinking about the purchase price or the real cost of owning the horse? Is this horse right for the rider you are today? What happens when your goals, career, finances, or life change? And sometimes, is the smartest horse decision simply… not buying the horse?

We also look back at our own early amateur years — the choices we made, the advice we ignored, the things that somehow worked out, and the things we’d probably do very differently now.

This isn’t about telling younger riders not to chase the dream. It’s about everything we’ve learned while chasing ours.

As always, expect plenty of tangents, laughs, questionable financial decisions, horse stories, and two adult amateurs realizing that apparently we’re now old enough to give advice. 😂🐴

If you could go back and give your younger equestrian self ONE piece of advice, what would it be?

This week on the Equestrian Adult Amateur Podcast, we’re doing things a little differently — because before sitting down to record, Kelly and Alexis actually got in the ring together for a lesson with Hannah.

Alexis gets the ride on Ollie, Kelly gets back to jumping Sunny after a few quieter weeks, and what starts as a fun idea for the podcast quickly turns into a very real adult-amateur riding experience: missed distances, pushing the wrong buttons, figuring out a horse you don’t normally ride, getting in your own head… and yes, an unexpected dismount.

We talk about what happened in the lesson, why a very broke horse isn’t necessarily an easy horse, and how differently horses can react when we make mistakes. Kelly also shares some of her own struggles learning to ride Ollie, and why those imperfect moments have actually helped build her confidence with him over time.

There’s also a bigger conversation about why riding can be such an escape when life outside the barn feels heavy — because when you’re trying to get to the other side of a jump, there isn’t a whole lot of room in your brain for anything else.

Before all of that, Kelly shares what’s happening behind the scenes with her new equestrian business and branding Mastermind, why she wanted to create an educational space specifically for people working in the horse industry, and why she believes there’s so much misinformation around growing a business and personal brand online.

As always, there are plenty of tangents, laughs, horse stories, self-deprecating commentary, and two adult amateurs just trying to figure it all out.

🎧 From business and branding to missed distances and confidence in the saddle, this one is a little bit of everything — which feels pretty accurate for adult amateur life

When does your horse stop loving their job — and how do you know when it’s time to listen?

This week on the Equestrian Adult Amateur Podcast, Kelly and Alexis are back with one of those conversations that starts in one place and somehow ends up everywhere. 😂

We’re talking about horses, riding, confidence, and the questions adult amateurs eventually have to face: How do you know when you’re asking too much? When is it time to change the plan? And how much should your horse’s happiness factor into the decisions you make as a rider?

We also get a little personal about how much has changed since starting the podcast nearly two years ago — from being uncomfortable on camera and worrying about what everyone else thought to becoming a whole lot more comfortable simply showing up as ourselves.

As always, there are plenty of tangents, laughs, horse stories, questionable commentary, and the completely unfiltered conversations you’ve come to expect from us.

In this episode:
• Knowing when your horse may no longer want to do its job
• Listening to what our horses are telling us
• Horse showing, riding goals & adult amateur life
• Confidence and comparison in the equestrian world
• Becoming more comfortable putting yourself out there
• How much we’ve changed after nearly two years of podcasting
• And, naturally, plenty of completely unrelated side conversations

If you’re an adult amateur trying to figure out horses, riding, life, and everything that comes along with it — you’re in the right place.

🎧 Subscribe and join us every week for honest conversations about life in the horse world.

And tell us in the comments: How do YOU know when your horse is telling you they need something different?

Toxic trainers. It's the conversation flooding our DMs and the Adult Amateur Lounge — and this week we finally sat down and got into all of it.

We start where it usually starts: the line between business and friendship, and how completely this sport blurs it. Your trainer is your coach, your confidant, and the person you write a very large check to every month — so what happens when your feelings get involved, your horse gets involved, and you don't agree? We talk about why communication (early, honest, uncomfortable communication) fixes about 90% of it, and why trainers are stuck in an impossible spot: speak your truth, protect your client, and protect your business, all at the same time.

Then we get into the barn ecosystem — the teacher's-pet dynamic, everyone competing to be the favorite, and what happens when a trainer talks negatively about a client. Because your other clients are watching, and they will follow your lead. That's how the outcast thing starts. And if your trainer is saying it about her, she's saying it about you.

We also flip it, because this episode is not one-sided. Clients can absolutely be the toxic ones. Sometimes "my trainer is toxic" actually means "my trainer won't let me jump the three foot" — and a trainer telling you no is often a trainer protecting you, your horse, and her own reputation. We're both honest about being against barn hopping: the first hop might be a toxic trainer, but by the fifth barn, it might be you. Your horse suffers, your riding suffers, your reputation suffers.

And we get into the gray area we both actually live in: the amateur who has researched every single thing about her horse's nutrition and has to figure out how to say that to a professional who's been doing this for thirty years. Plus the honest trade-off nobody wants to hear — if you can't keep your horses at home and manage them yourself, you can't expect to check every single box at a boarding barn.

Our gut check for when it's time to go: if you get a pit in your stomach pulling into the barn, if you're anxious every single time, it's not worth it. That doesn't make your trainer bad. It doesn't make you bad. It just isn't the right fit — so leave respectfully, and do not burn the bridge. Kids happen. Divorce happens. Life happens. That barn could be exactly right for you again in five years.

Have you been in a toxic barn situation? We want to hear it. 👇

• 00:00 — Welcome back (and Kelly's very triggering breeches)
• 00:26 — Today's lineup: toxic trainers, loyalty, barn hopping
• 02:12 — What "toxic" actually looks like — and why it's so situational
• 03:39 — When you get too close to your trainer
• 06:14 — Communication fixes almost everything
• 07:07 — The trainer's impossible position
• 08:35 — When you and your trainer flat-out disagree
• 10:42 — Teacher's pets, barn gossip and the outcast effect
• 14:31 — Trainers hold real power (at every level)
• 15:12 — Leading by example: the barn that got it right
• 16:52 — Talking about clients behind their backs
• 19:39 — "It depends on the offense"
• 23:08 — All any amateur wants is to be treated equally
• 24:01 — Why we're both against barn hopping
• 25:12 — When your trainer says no — and she's right
• 27:15 — When the client is the toxic one
• 28:19 — The feed debate and the honest gray area
• 31:25 — Horses at home vs. horses at a barn
• 33:14 — The gut check: when it's time to go
• 34:38 — Leave on good terms. Don't burn the bridge.
• 36:01 — Send us your stories

🎧 New episodes weekly. Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss one.💬 Drop a comment: have you left a toxic barn situation? What was your final straw?👍 Like & share if this one hit a little too close to home.

#TheEquestrianAdultAmateur #EquestrianPodcast #ToxicTrainer #BarnLife #AdultAmateur #HunterJumper #HorseGirl #EquestrianLife #BarnDrama #HorseTrainer #ShowJumping #HorseWorld

Chapters

Social media has changed the equestrian world—but has it actually made us better at communicating with each other?In this episode of the Equestrian Adult Amateur Podcast, Kelly and Alexis dive into the good, the bad, and the downright exhausting side of equestrian social media.

From viral clips and comment sections to influencer culture, unsolicited opinions, and conversations being taken completely out of context, we’re talking about what happens when the horse world goes online.We share some of our own experiences creating content, including the behind-the-scenes reality of shooting for the Equestrian Adult Amateur Collective, and talk about how quickly one photo, video, or short clip can become an entirely different story once it reaches social media.

We also get into the growing divide between different corners of the equestrian community—professionals versus amateurs, disciplines versus disciplines, different training philosophies, and the constant pressure to pick a side. Why does disagreement so often turn into personal attacks? And when did having a different opinion mean someone had to be “wrong”?

This conversation is about more than mean comments. It’s about **context, accountability, empathy, and the responsibility we all have in shaping the culture of the equestrian community online.**As always, expect plenty of side stories, laughs, strong opinions, and the candid conversations you’ve come to expect from us.

🎧 In this episode:

• Equestrian social media and influencer culture

• Viral clips and conversations taken out of context

• Online criticism vs. constructive conversation

• Adult amateurs and representation in the horse world

• Why equestrians are so quick to divide into “sides”

• The responsibility of both content creators and viewers

• Remembering there’s a real person behind the screen

Whether you create equestrian content, consume it, or have ever found yourself reading a comment section thinking, “How did we get here?”—this episode is for you.Follow, subscribe, and join the conversation. What do you think social media has done for the equestrian community—for better or worse?

This episode dives into a conversation that started online and quickly sparked a much bigger discussion about horsemanship, training, genetics, and the relationship we have with our horses.

Katie shares how a life-changing rotational fall—and the loss of use of her left arm—completely shifted the way she approached horses and ultimately led her toward teaching better horsemanship. We talk about why giving horses more tools, confidence, and education can make them safer and happier partners, and why conversations around training methods can sometimes become so controversial.

We also revisit a recent viral clip and unpack some of the reactions surrounding it, including the debate over genetics versus training, the role riders and trainers play in a horse’s behavior, and why some behaviors may be managed or improved but never completely disappear.

From groundwork and emotional awareness to choosing the right horse for the rider in front of you, this conversation is ultimately about asking better questions, staying open-minded, and continuing to learn—for ourselves and for our horses.

It’s an honest conversation about the topics that aren’t always easy to talk about in the equestrian world, but probably need to be.

Ever wondered what it actually takes to fly a horse across the world?

In this episode, we sit down with Bastian Schroeder from EquiJet to talk all things international horse transportation. Bastian shares how his love for logistics turned into a career helping horses travel between Europe and the United States, and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what really goes into getting a horse safely from one country to another.

We talk about the importing process, required paperwork, flights, designated airports, quarantine, costs, and how horses are cared for throughout their journey. Bastian also explains what goes into keeping horses comfortable while traveling and helps make a process that can seem incredibly intimidating feel a whole lot easier to understand.

Whether you've considered importing a horse from Europe or you've simply wondered how in the world horses travel on airplanes, this episode gives you a fascinating look at a side of the equestrian industry most of us don't get to see!

🐴From Europe to the U.S., we're talking horses, airplanes, quarantine, logistics, and everything in between.

In this fun and candid episode, we catch up on everything from life outside the barn to the latest happenings in the show ring. What starts as a lighthearted conversation about getting nails done quickly turns into a recap of a busy weekend at the horse show, where we celebrate a successful first big class, share memorable family moments, and laugh through the unexpected challenges that come with horse show life.

We also dive into the performances of our horses, discussing what went well in the ring, a few moments that raised questions, and how closely we pay attention to the small details that can tell us how our horses are feeling. From evaluating movement and conformation to preparing for the upcoming fall season, this episode is an honest look at the highs, lows, and constant learning that comes with owning and competing horses.

If you love authentic horse show conversations, behind-the-scenes updates, and the everyday realities of life with horses, this episode is for you! 🐴✨