Equestrian Voices NOELLE FLOYD

If you’ve ever taken a riding lesson, you know that it goes something like this: Your trainer stands in the middle of the ring giving you instructions, and you’re on the horse trying your darndest to follow those instructions precisely. 
It works… kinda. But bridging that gap between your trainer’s instructions and feeling/understanding can be challenging. Additionally, it can put the rider in a mindset of listening to the instructor which can, in turn, tune out the horse. So why does it continue to be pretty much the exclusive teaching method? Is there more to know when it comes to developing an effective back and forth between trainer and student?
In the first of this two-part podcast, host Caroline Culbertson sits down with Paul and Justin Haefner of Riding Far LLC to discuss the many aspects of the student/trainer relationship, and how it can potentially change for the better into something more dynamic and fluid. 
Paul Haefner, PhD. is a licensed clinical and sport psychologist with more than 30 years of professional experience. His son Justin Haefner is a professional trainer who comes from a background in vaquero style natural horsemanship and specializes in the training and handling of young performance horses. Together, Dr. Paul and Justin help people create powerful opportunities for riders to transform their relationships with themselves and their horse in large and small ways.
During this powerful conversation, Caroline and our guests discuss:
The difference between knowing your subject matter and effectively teaching it.
Why it's important to be aware of the many sensory inputs you experience while riding.
Why understanding learning styles (and having trainers understand them, too!) can play such an important part in rider development.
The gap between seeing a skill and experiencing a skill, and how to bridge it. 
Teaching “feel”, and why it’s critical to develop this skill sooner than later.
The difference between doing something successfully and doing something well.
Why the “Mean Trainer” should be a thing of the past.
How trainers can think about their students seeking education outside of their barn. 
 

Most riders desire to develop a horse who is a happy, willing participant in whatever task or discipline they’ve set out towards. But where the training narrative used to revolve around making sure the horse knows who’s the boss, newer methods value give and take and making sure your horse is heard in the conversation. 
The balance of toughness vs softness in riding has never been more at the forefront of discussion. We want our horses to respect boundaries and listen to our requests (especially for safety’s sake!). We also want our horses to learn from a place of mutual respect and understanding, not fear and retribution. The line isn’t always an easy one to walk, especially when preparing a horse for a results-focused competition. 
To help walk us through this landscape, we talk with top International Grand Prix Dressage rider JJ Tate. JJ has been competing at the highest levels since her junior years and has vowed to herself to train without shortcuts, with integrity and principles that are aligned with how horses think, move, and learn. She runs a USDF University Accredited online program called Team Tate Academy so anyone can access her expertise regardless of where they live, and was also mentored by the great Charles de Kunffy (she shares with us some of the wisdom she’s learned from him along the way, which is particularly special). 
In this broader conversation, JJ and host Caroline Culbertson discuss hardness and softness in training, and why it’s possible (maybe even necessary) to have both. They also dive into:
The concept of “rider merit,” and how it should be assessed beyond just the competitive accolades a rider achieves
What is “horse sport” really about, and what universal qualities does it share with other sports?
Riding as character growth for both horse and rider
The sort of rider you need to become to have the horse volunteer for you, and why it’s something we should all strive for
How science is backing up the classical methods that have always worked
Why being clear with your horse is actually in the long run being kind
The “Growth Mindset” and how to achieve it as a rider
How methods of horse training in the EU differ from methods in the US, and how both have their strengths and weaknesses
 

You hear it all the time: “Young riders today don’t know about horsemanship.” “Kids today just want to get on and ride.” “There are no more barn rats.” These complaints point to a larger potential issue of losing generational knowledge. Is it something we, as horsepeople, should be concerned about? 
To help us answer this question, we turned to Archie Cox, owner and head trainer at Brookway Stables. Along the way, our broad conversation covered a lot of ground that should hopefully make us all feel a little better about the future, and a little more empowered about how we can all become better horsemen. 
Archie has been immersed in the horse world his entire life, and has operated Brookway Stables for 23 years. During that time, he’s coached numerous horses and riders to national titles and wins at the biggest shows in the country, and remarkably through it all, he’s kept the same manager, farrier, and vet. His daily routine revolves around starting early (as in 3am!), staying consistent, and keeping things simple - all of which he says contributes to his amazing success in the industry. 
In the conversation, host Caroline Culbertson and Archie discuss:
 
Whether riders in 2023 know as much about horse management as riders in 1983
The role of “tradition” and its connection to safety and function
How passion acts as the driving force for those who seek out knowledge
Social media, and why it’s such an important tool in horse education
Archie’s two C’s: Consistency and Curiosity
How to find your “flavor” of riding, and why the industry needs all types of riders
The responsibility of trainers in teaching horse management as well as riding

Vets are one of the unsung heroes of horse sport. Horses are unfailingly creative (and effective) at hurting themselves; from a mystery lameness to a sudden colic to every type of laceration you could dream up, a day that goes by without some sort of injury is a good day by default. 
Because of this, having access to a good vet is a critical part of horse ownership, but the criteria for what makes someone a “good” vet is cloudy at best. How responsive and available should your vet be? What sort of equipment should they use? Is it better to work with one vet, or a team of several, and how do you go about putting that team together? And just how late is too late to text them? 
In this episode, host Caroline Culbertson sits down with equine veterinarian Dr. Lauren Schnabel (who is, by all accounts, a Good Vet) to try to get some clear answers to these questions. 
Dr. Schnabel is the Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at NC State University, and has over 20 years of equine clinical experience, and over 15 years of both equine and human research in the field of Sports Medicine. 
They discuss:
How important are credentials? Hands-on experience? Personality/bedside manner? What else?
Rules of communication for the client/vet relationship
Questions to ask when screening a new vet 
How to handle mistakes when they happen
The steps to creating a good “team” for your horse, and who should lead that team
The best way to break up with your vet, should that step need to be taken
How important equipment and diagnostic tools are when choosing a vet
What if a vet has a troubling “red flag” in their past?
 

If you ride horses and have been on the internet in the past two months, chances are good you’ve heard about “that” helmet study -- specifically, the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab’s Equestrian STAR Helmet Rating Project. 
On the plus side, we learned that a fancy helmet wasn’t necessarily any safer than a basic, no frills (and much less expensive) helmet when it comes to protecting against brain injury and concussion. On the not so plus side, many of us suddenly found ourselves with lower scoring helmets and no clue what to do next.

We had questions that we hadn’t seen answered yet - not just about the study and its findings, but about helmets in general. Host Caroline Culbertson sat down with Dr. Barry Miller and Sydney Moriarity to tackle things like:

What should the average rider take away from this study? How do riding helmets compare to helmets in other sports? What does Sydney, a rider herself, make of these findings and how could it inform our helmet shopping approach? What about helmets for different disciplines and levels? (Yes, there are differences!) 
 
Dr. Miller joined the VA Tech Helmet lab in 2018 as their Director of Outreach and Business, and was a part of the study from start to finish. Sydney Moriarty received her BS degree in Neuroscience from VA Tech and brought her first hand, practical experience to the table as an accomplished rider in the Hunter/Jumper discipline. 
In this discussion, we also dive into:
The study’s methodology, and what the STAR rating means What was so surprising about some of the outcomes High Energy Impact vs Low Energy Impact falls, and why each type plays a huge role in helmet construction and safety How hair length and style plays into helmet fit and safety (spoiler alert, long hair is ok!) Why you probably shouldn’t put your helmet in the dishwasher… How helmet companies are responding to the study, and what next steps for the sport might be If you would like to see the full study, including the methodology, please head to the official Equestrian STAR Helmet Rating Project results and documentation page. 

Here’s a summary of how the final Equestrian STAR Ratings was determined by Dr. Stefan Duma.

Mindset Check! Welcome to 2023. We're kicking off with a mindset conversation because even if you're riding less in the cold, dreary month of January, you can still be doing major work to improve your riding. This conversation will inspire you to pour some time, effort, and energy into yourself, not just your horse. (If you, perhaps, would like some equestrian-specific mindset coaching, EquestrianMasterclass.com offers courses on consistency, fear, and more.) 
Today we speak with human performance coach and author of Ride Big, John Haime. John is a former pro golfer turned corpororate executive and athlete coach who has an interesting bird's eye view on equestrian sport. As he began to coach riders following a serendipitous request from an executive he was working with, he realized that equestrians frequently struggle with confidence.

In this conversation, host Caroline Culbertson and John discuss:
- John's take about the unique challenges riders face versus other athletes
- An explanation of confidence - what it is, where it comes from
- The reason you shouldn't say you "lost your confidence"
- Why "fake it til you make it" doesn't work, and much more.