You’ve probably heard of positive reinforcement training or “clicker training” in the context of dog training, but what about for horses? Over the years, the use of positive reinforcement in the equestrian world has drawn attention and interest, but most of us are still unaware of exactly how this training works, and how it can fit into our own training and riding journeys. There’s actually a lot of science backing this type of training, and it’s used to train countless species of animals in a w...
Nov 30, 2021•1 hr
Ever wonder what your horse thinks of you? What his personality is? How he likes for you to communicate with him? Many (most) of us might not have given this less obvious aspect of riding and training too much thought, but it might be a big key to unlocking potential and success (whatever that means for you and your horse). International level dressage rider/trainer and Equestrian Masterclass instructor, Mette Larsen, breaks down what it means to be in successful partnership with your horse, how...
Nov 09, 2021•56 min
The culture surrounding equestrian sport is, by and large, not generally welcoming to conversations about mental health, nor is it accommodating for participants who need to seek help + resources for mental illness or hardships. There are barriers for those who struggle with mental illness that are particular to our community and to its customs and beliefs - in some cases, the culture not only impedes mental wellness, it can even degrade it. If you’re part of the equestrian community, we suspect...
Oct 26, 2021•1 hr 3 min
In an episode released on August 12, we addressed the troubling display of poor riding during the equestrian portion of the Modern Pentathlon with Rick Maynard, Tik Maynard, and Peter Holmes - all of whom have been very involved in the sport either currently or previously. Now, we're following up and seeing what's in the works. What proposed changes are coming down the pipeline to help Modern Pentathlon evolve into a sport that can support good riding, good horsemanship, and reasonable expectati...
Oct 12, 2021•36 min
By all accounts, the horse market today is unlike one we’ve seen before. It’s a big double edged sword that requires some special consideration and a good dose of savvy to navigate smartly. It also requires being comfortable with talking frankly about money, which we’re going to do in this episode. To guide us through these often intimidating waters, we have one of the most well-known hunter/jumper and equitation trainers and judges in the U.S.: Hope Glynn. Hope has decades of experience buying ...
Sep 28, 2021•1 hr 11 min
Your horse nips at the girth. He shivers when you run the brush over his lumbar. He’s always on the forehand no matter what you do. Wouldn’t it be great if horses could just tell us what was going on inside their bodies? What ached, what felt sticky or clicky, what caused them to start stopping at jumps they used to do with ease? Most of us are clued into the fact that when horses start demonstrating some behaviors, a physical investigation must come first. Saddle fit and pressure distribution a...
Sep 14, 2021•1 hr
Host Caroline Culbertson is joined by Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer, Lauren Sprieser, to discuss the seen and unseen realities of becoming a professional rider. Lauren worked her way up in the business, including years as a working student, and learned much along the way. They discuss: - The characteristics it helps to have in this business - The big elephant: MONEY. How much does it matter? - The horses you should/shouldn’t be riding - Structuring your business in a way that plays to yo...
Aug 31, 2021•1 hr 4 min
The show jumping portion of the women's modern pentathlon at the Tokyo Olympics is making headlines - and not in a good way. It was so stressful to watch, there were many rider falls, and lots of stressed out horses who clearly didn’t understand what was expected of them. How do we make heads and tails of this? Are there solutions? Host Caroline Culbertson is joined by Tik Maynard, Rick Maynard, and Peter Holmes - who cumulatively have decades of experience in pentathlon as athletes, coaches or ...
Aug 12, 2021•31 min
In the second of our 2-part episode about bits, FEI rider/trainer and certified bitting specialist, Stephanie Brown-Beamer of http://horsebyhorse.com , and host Caroline Culbertson continue their chat from last episode (so listen to that one first!) as well as answer some listener questions. In this portion of the episode, they discuss: The type of mouths we’re seeing on many of today’s horses What about tongue relief bits? How do we properly size our bits when we’re buying them? Demystifying th...
Aug 10, 2021•36 min
Is it just us, or can finding the right bit for your horse feel like a shot in the dark? Sure, we have a general understanding of how certain bits work, and maybe you know a little about your horse’s mouth. But for most riders, the knowledge stops there. And that’s because historically, we haven’t HAD much information about bit and bridle fitting and function the same way we now have info about saddle fit, for example. FEI rider/trainer and certified bitting specialist, Stephanie Brown-Beamer, a...
Jul 27, 2021•31 min
In this Bonus episode, host Caroline Culbertson catches up with with US Eventing team rider, Doug Payne, as he is on his way to Tokyo for the Olympic Games with his horse, Vandiver.
Jul 21, 2021•20 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Riding and training horses is a long game. You can work on it for a lifetime and still won’t know it all. This is one of the best things about the sport, but it also means that - just like a long marriage - we have to work at keeping our minds right and continue to find the joy. This can be even more profound when you’re a top athlete in the sport and are often faced with major disappointment, heartbreak, loss, and tough decisions that come with advancing up the leaderboard, buying and selling h...
Jul 13, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 13
“I can’t get this horse into a frame!” “Pick up the reins and put your horse in a frame, it’s time to work!” We’ve all heard some variation of these phrases. But let’s break down what FRAME really means and refers to. There’s so much more to it than just the shape of the horse. Who better to break it down than Jacquie Brooks, a 2x Canadian Olympian who has trained 30+ horses (!!) up through the Grand Prix level in dressage. She coaches jumpers and eventers as well and knows all about the horse’s...
Jun 29, 2021•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 12
[Trigger Warning: This episode discusses disordered eating and eating disorders.] We asked you, the community, whether or not you've experienced pressure around weight, body shame, or witnessed diet culture in action in equestrian sport. The response? Overwhelmingly yes - especially those in hunter and equitation rings, and especially those who were or are competing. There's a lot at risk here - mentally, physically, and emotionally. We can't usher young participants into this sport and continue...
Jun 08, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 11
They say that everyone will know someone, love someone, or be someone who struggles with an addiction at some point in their lives. This is an important conversation that isn’t talked about enough. This week on the Equestrian Voices podcast, host Caroline Culbertson is joined by Elyse Hart, a 31-year-old dressage whose addiction to alcohol and drugs nearly killed her - multiple times. Now, five years sober, she has delved deeper than ever into her riding and horses in order to help maintain her ...
May 25, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Have you ever dreamed of, seriously considered, or actually bought a young horse? *Raises hand* Most of us fall somewhere on that spectrum, enticed by the seemingly infinite possibilities that the unknown of a young horse offers. With low or no “miles”, young horses are exciting because we don’t know what their ceiling is - and it makes us expand our minds on what our limits are, too. Host Caroline Culbertson (@caroline.culbertson) is joined by 5* show jumper Kama Godek, who works with young hor...
May 11, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Do you know those riders, trainers, or grooms that horses just love being around? What is it about them that makes horses so drawn to them? And how do we all become one of those people? Dr. Sam Fielding coined the term “energetic intelligence” and much of her performance coaching focuses on how your mental state affects your horse. So, how do we become aware of how our nerves, or anger, or distractedness, are affecting our horses? And once we’re aware, how do we fix it? Host Caroline Culbertson ...
Apr 27, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 8
After baby is born, we return to normal, right? NOPE. New parenthood is filled with looming questions. From the small ( will my breeches ever fit again?) to the profound (who am I in this new existence?), we’re talking about the reality of our journeys becoming new moms. Join host Caroline Culberson and guest Kate O’Hara discuss the realities of postpartum, getting back into the saddle, and navigating parenthood while balancing their careers.
Apr 20, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Being a pregnant person is a wild ride. Being a pregnant adult amateur rider while trying to navigate riding/horses, your career and how it will be affected by maternity leave, and doing it during a pandemic? Yeah, it's a lot. Host Caroline Culbertson is joined by guest Kate O'Hara to discuss the physical, mental, and emotional parts of this very delicate, exciting, and confusing time in life.
Apr 13, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 6
After an extraordinarily successful young rider career, Karl Cook wasn't sure what future he really had in the sport. In order to right the ship, he went full horse nerd and started learning everything he possibly could about feeding, riding, training, biomechanics, veterinary care... you name it. Host Caroline Culbertson sits down with Karl to talk about what this process looked like for him and how there's more to learn than we think or know. Plus, Karl teaches Caroline how to taste bourbon (o...
Mar 30, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 5
There are a million ways to exist with horses. You can: compete or not compete, own a horse, not own a horse, ride every day, or never ride (just petting horses is pretty darn great). Sometimes it feels like we only hear the stories of the competitive riders, but it's so important to hear stories of all types of equestrians. That's how we connect to each other and find 'our people' in this big world. In this episode, we'll hear from Abriana Johnson and Caitlin Gooch who have built their lives an...
Mar 09, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 4
It's 2021. Soon, we'll see autonomous cars on the road. But we still can't predict or prevent colic? Whether the horse you love is a pasture puff living on grass 24/7, or he's an international competition horse with a groom waiting on him hand and foot, he's susceptible. Why is colic still so prevalent in horses? Do we just have to accept that it is? What are we missing? Host Caroline Culbertson sits down with Dr. Paul McClellan, DVM, to unpack this big question.
Feb 23, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 3
When we learn to ride as children or as adults, we learn how to do just that: ride. But when do we learn how to understand our horse's behavior? Why he does what he does? How he views the world and what we're asking of him? Host Caroline Culbertson sits down with Tik Maynard, who has made a career out of marrying competitive riding with groundwork as an avenue to gaining a deeper understanding about the inner workings of the horse's mind. It has made him more successful (even with the most compl...
Feb 09, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 2
The trainer/student relationship is perhaps the most important relationship you'll have in horse sport (besides the one with your horse). Host Caroline Culbertson sits down with equestrian and sport psychologist, Dr. Jenny Susser, to help us understand the complexities of this multidimensional match and how it can completely shape your experience, success, enjoyment, and confidence in riding. Whether you're a pro, an amateur, or completely new to riding, this episode is for you....
Jan 26, 2021•52 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Equestrian Voices dives deep into the emotions, lives, stories, and everything we don't talk about when it comes to life as an equestrian. Join our host, Caroline Culbertson, for vulnerable, different, and sometimes hilarious chats with riders from all backgrounds. We want to get the 'human' out of horse people. Thanks for being here.
Jan 06, 2021•3 min
