Being a horse person is like this: the more you learn, the more you realize you know nothing... at all. So, with all the different "bubbles" of the horse world,...
'It's Worth the Reward': Skylar Wireman On Making It to the Top On a Limited Budget, Doing the Work Herself, and Focusing on Fun
Money is a factor in our sport - there's no getting around that. But dang if it isn't encouraging when we hear stories of riders who have made their way without extravagant wealth, by doing it themselves, and while prioritizing their horses' well-being. That's the story we have for you today with Skylar Wireman. Skylar Wireman has been called 'The future of show jumping', but she hasn't let her impressive transition from successful junior to 5* pro stop her from keeping things fun. Whether it's camping, riding at the beach and in the ocean, or playing gymkhana-type games on horseback, Skylar has put her focus on building her village and keeping fun central to her and her horses' training. And much of her competitive success has been on borrowed horses, catch rides, or homebred horses that she's developed herself with the help of her mom, Shayne. In this episode, Caroline sit down with Skylar to talk about all of this, plus course riding strategy, the balance between being a horse trainer and a competitor, the idea of "reset rounds", how to choose shows when you don't have an unlimited checkbook, and more. This episode is proudly sponsored by Connaway and Associates Equine Insurance Services. Listen in around 24 minutes for Laura's discussion on age restrictions on insurance policies in horses and how they may be changing. It is also supported by We Ride Together -- because every athlete deserves to train and grow in a safe and healthy environment.
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1:03:32
This Sport Is So Much More than Just the Riding! Tori Repole On Finding Your Own Way, Olympic Reflections, and the Horse-Human Connection
Have you ever felt like it was hard to find your place in the horse world? Maybe you didn't want to be a pro rider, but you wanted to be involved more than just as a hobby. You didn't feel pulled down the veterinary route, but your grades in biology didn't cut it (Caroline raises hand). There are so many ways to be involved, professionally or not, in horses - and Tori Repole is joining us today to help us peel apart the layers of the horse world so that we can all find our little nook. In this conversation, host Caroline Culbertson and award-winning equestrian journalist (turned philanthropist) Tori Repole discuss the importance of accessibility and inclusivity, the beauty of sport that captured Tori's heart, and her personal journey from a non-equestrian childhood to becoming a voice in the industry. We explore the role of photography and writing in shaping public perception, especially during events like the Olympics, and emphasize the need for storytelling that highlights the diverse contributions within the equestrian community. Tori shares her passion for storytelling through her docuseries concept, 'Top Sport,' and the personal growth that comes from hitting play on your ideas. Today's episode is sponsored by We Ride Together. Their website has loads of free resources for you to help promote safety for all athletes, including minors, at your barn and at shows. Check out their Athlete Toolkit as mentioned in this episode. Today's episode is also sponsored by Nikovian - luxury equestrian training and showing apparel without the luxury pricetag. Size inclusive and made to move with you and enhance your riding, rather than hinder it, this brand is one of our much-loved breech brands in the equestrian space. Use code horseperson15 for 15% off your order at Nikovian.com
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5 No-Cost Ways to Improve Your Performance and Wellbeing
'How can I improve my riding outside of the saddle?' 'How can I become a calmer competitor?' 'I only have x hours to ride per week, how can I still make progress?' While there are tons of resources for horse/riding/training education (hit us up if you need some recommendations!), today's episode is focused on how to become a calmer, more focused, more balanced rider when you DO get that barn time or when you enter into the competition ring. These are areas of focus for life, not just momentary tricks, and this is an episode you'll be able to refer back to time and again when you need to refocus. Learn more about today's guest, Aoife Leggett, at her website Three Sixty Coaching. Today's epside is sponsored by We Ride Together. Their website has loads of free resources for you to help promote safety for all athletes, including minors, at your barn and at shows. Check out their current events tab to learn more about the prevalence of sexual abuse in sport and see the latest headlines. Today's episode is also sponsored by Nikovian - luxury equestrian training and showing apparel without the luxury pricetag. Size inclusive and made to move with you and enhance your riding, rather than hinder it, this brand is one of our much-loved breech brands in the equestrian space. Use code horseperson15 for 15% off your order at Nikovian.com
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She Taught Dressage Lessons for $5. Over 100 Lessons Later, Here's What She Learned.
Lessons from an FEI dressage rider for $5? What's the catch? That was my reaction - and the reaction of lots of other riders - when they saw Meghan Laffin's post. But on further investigation, this was an approach to a multi-pronged problem that Meghan identified in the dressage industry: 1) Many riders are feeling the financial strain of pursuing their goals in their sport, 2) Many riders felt alone, or too embarrased to seek help and 3) There's not always a clear path to improvement, let alone success, so having a fresh set of eyes and a professional take on your situation could prove valuable. Besides, Meghan had spent most of her career in horses riding, and wanted to improve her coaching skills. It was a win-win. She’s now taught over 100 of these lessons and in this episode shares what she's learned from the wide array of riders that she was able to support over this 4-month experiment. Meghan Laffin is a 31-year-old dressage rider who is also the assistant trainer for Olympic dressage rider, Kasey Perry-Glass. Meghan has taken Diane Perry’s mare Stina from First Level to I-1 and aims to start doing the small tour in 2025. Meghan also has her MBA from UC-Davis, is a former producer at CBS News, and was a division 1 volleyball player at Coastal Carolina University. This is the story of what $5 lessons taught Meghan, and the students who took her up on her crazy offer. Thanks for listening. This episode is proudly supported by We Ride Together, a nonprofit organization created to cast light upon the endemic issue of sexual abuse in youth and amateur sports. Their mission is to make the youth and amateur sport environment safer for all athletes. To access the blog post mentioned in this episode, click here. This episode is also supported by Nikovian - equestrian riding apparel for home or for shows that feels and performs like luxury, but without the luxury price tag. Use code horseperson15 at checkout for 15% off your purchase.
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Barn Culture Can Be Your Biggest Competitive Edge. Let's Talk About How to Build It.
The culture of your barn can make or break your experience there. And if you're a trainer, it can attract the clients of your dreams... or your nightmares. It's time to get intentional about choosing and building culture in our barns and stables. How do we build cultures that are led by the values we choose, instead of the bad habits we fall back on? How do we decide what is most important to us, and find or build an environment that reflects that? On today's episode, host Caroline Culbertson is joined by performance coach, culture-building expert, and author of 'You Are a Contender' and 'Ride Big', John Haime. In this episode, Caroline and John discuss: Why values must come before culture How to observe your barn's culture Why sometimes unexpected or 'unusual' values bring about the best competitive results How culture informs the horsemanship habits that will be carried forward in future generations What a strong culture looks like vs a weak one How to implement culture in your own barn John ends with a self-awareness quiz for you to take at home This episode is proudly supported by We Ride Together, a nonprofit organization created to cast light upon the endemic issue of sexual abuse in youth and amateur sports. Their mission is to make the youth and amateur sport environment safer for all athletes. To access the blog post mentioned in this episode, click here. This episode is also supported by Nikovian - equestrian riding apparel for home or for shows that feels and performs like luxury, but without the luxury price tag. Use code horseperson15 at checkout for 15% off your purchase.
Being a horse person is like this: the more you learn, the more you realize you know nothing... at all. So, with all the different "bubbles" of the horse world, how can we all get into the same room to share a little bit of curiosity, perspective, and humanity with each other? Welcome to Horse Person, the equestrian podcast hosted and produced by 3x award-winning podcaster Caroline Culbertson. Part education, part human-(horse?) interest, all with the ultimate goal of supporting and encouraging you on your journey to become the best horse person you can be.
South Africa