Horse Person

This episode is presented by Corro. Use code horsewoman15 at checkout for $15 off your order. 

What if true strength in horsemanship isn't control—but awareness?
Today, internationally respected horseman, author, podcaster and clinician Warwick Schiller shares how his journey with horses led him to question traditional training, emotional suppression, and the classic cowboy archetype. What began as a search for better horse behavior became a deeper exploration of vulnerability, intention, and how our internal state directly affects the horse.
Warwick opens up about the horse that challenged everything he thought he knew, how therapy and Brené Brown's work reshaped his understanding of shame and emotion, and why changing perspective instead of technique is often the real breakthrough in horsemanship.
Beth, Caroline and Warwick cover: 
Warwick's evolution from traditional performance training to connection-based horsemanship

Vulnerability and emotional awareness in modern masculinity and the horse world

How suppressed emotions limit both performance and joy

Judgment, intention, and how horses respond to who we are

Burnout, shame, and ego in horse training culture

Can empathy and high-level competition coexist?

Books that shaped Warwick's thinking and horsemanship philosophy

Books mentioned: The Tao of Equus, Outliers, The Alchemist, Ishmael, The Celestine Prophecy, Shantaram, The Last Shaman

This episode is sponsored by Connaway & Associates Equine Insurance Services. Go to www.connaway.net to learn about how you can protect your horse. 
Want straightforward, expert advice on keeping your horse sound and thriving? Dr. Erica Lacher's eight-part program, Horse Health Essentials, is now available, and you can use code CAROLINE for $20 off. Learn more at RideIQElevate.com/horse-health.
Most of us are feeling the financial squeeze of maintaining horses and wanting to do our absolute best by them in the midst of the cost of everything rising. So, one of the big things we have to determine is what is worth the price, and what's not. On the show today I'm joined by veterinarian Dr. Erica Lacher to walk us through what's effective, what's not, and where your dollar is best spent when mapping out management costs for your horse. We talk about everything from feet to equipment to supplements to bodywork and I can guarantee you will leave this episode with a clearer understanding of how you can make the best plan for your horse without spending frivolously. 
Dr Lacher is a veterinarian and owner of Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic and host of the 'Straight From The Horse Doctor's Mouth' podcast.

This episode is proudly sponsored by Connaway & Associates Equine Insurance Services
Irish Olympic dressage rider Abi Lyle didn't come from money or an equestrian legacy. In fact, when she decided to give serious dressage training a go in her mid-20s, she was working in retail. 
Abi has overcome far more in her 40 years than many people, including extreme domestic abuse, the death of her brother, mental health struggles, and more. She speaks in this episode about what changed when someone close to her finally said, 'You don't have to live like this,' and she began to take her mental health more seriously. 
She also walks us through per pre-Paris Olympics mental prep system line-by-line in this not-to-be-missed episode. 
Follow Abi on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/abilyle/

Caroline is joined by a special guest to announce a change about the show. 
Weigh in - we want to hear from you! DM us on Instagram @horsepersonpodcast or email me - caroline[AT]horsepersonpodcast.com

Today I'm going to do something a little different on the podcast and I'm going to read a letter written to the equestrian community by husband and wife team Matt Brown and Cecily Clark. Matt and Cecily were one of the first interviews I did for this podcast, and I really enjoy their perspective and respect their willingness to put bold ideas and statements forward, especially with regard to horse welfare and social license.
Matt is a member of the U.S. Eventing Team and five-star competitor. He was an alternate for the Olympic team in eventing and also develops young horses for sport. Cecily has a background in Hunters and Equitation and is currently pursuing goals as a dressage rider. Together, they run East West Training Stables, which they founded jointly in 2004. 
The following letter is a Facebook post that they made on their joint account, and while it has mostly been circulating around the eventing community, I wanted to read it on this podcast which has an audience that spans into the show jumping, hunter/eq and dressage disciplines as well. There will be some parts that you'll find provocative, some you might find surprising, but all of it is food for thought and well-situated to be part of a larger discussion.
What do you think? Email me - [email protected]