In Stride Ride iQ

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.

In this episode, Lucy talks about going through her first pregnancy and how she navigated running her dressage training business while simultaneously preparing to be a mother. She discusses struggling with the idea of taking time away from riding and how she had to design a system that allowed her to stay involved in her business throughout the pregnancy. Lucy talks about feeling alone and a lack of control throughout the process, but that it showed her how much she was capable of.