Horse Person

This episode is sponsored by Nikovian. Use code horseperson15 for 15% off your order at checkout.
This episode is also supported by Nordic Autofeed. Use code HP10 for a 10% discount. Go here to learn more and take a crucial step in supporting your horse's gut health with timed, consistent forage feeding. 
In this episode, Caroline sits down with Dr. Erica Gaertner, a board-certified sports medicine physician and former professional equestrian, to break down what every rider needs to understand about concussions. What actually qualifies as a concussion? How have treatment protocols evolved beyond "go home and sleep it off"? And when is it truly safe to get back on a horse?
Dr. Gaertner explains the medical definition of concussion (a form of traumatic brain injury), common and lesser-known symptoms like mood changes and balance issues, return-to-ride protocols, and why timely diagnosis is critical. We also touch on cumulative head injuries, CTE, long-term implications, and the difficult cost-benefit conversations riders may face after repeated falls.
If you've ever hit your head and questioned whether to go to the ER, or felt the pressure to just get back on, this episode is essential listening for equestrians at every level. Your grit matters, but so does your brain.

This episode is supported by Nordic Autofeed. Use HP10 for a 10% discount to support your horse's gastric health through consistently timed hay feedings. 
When actress Beth Behrs joined Horse Person as full-time co-host, we knew we had to flip the mic and tell her story. In this candid conversation, Beth opens up about her journey from overnight fame on hit show Two Broke Girls to finding healing and purpose in the horse world. She shares how panic attacks led her to equine therapy with Cassandra Ogier's Reflective Horse program, why rescuing her first mare changed her life, and how dressage became the unexpected sport that gave her a new identity outside of Hollywood.
Beth talks about learning to ride as an adult amateur, building confidence after a scary fall, and why being a beginner rider in her late 30s was one of the most empowering things she's ever done. We also dive into her view on barn culture, athletic identity, and why horses feel like the one place where fame doesn't matter. 
If you've ever wondered whether it's "too late" to start, or how horses can change your nervous system and your perspective, this one's for you.

This episode was originally published on The Horsewoman's Almanac on Oct 01, 2025. We're re-sharing it here following the news that Anna has fully stepped back from Dressage and is leasing her horses out to Sofie Holmes and Ashley Donadt. Next week, we'll return to our regularly scheduled Horse Person content. 
Anna Buffini is a professional dressage rider who has competed for the U.S. Dressage Team in 5 nations cups following an extremely successful junior career. She's inspiring and educating horse people everywhere through her huge social media presence, and is just one of our favorite horse girls out there. Today, we're exploring everything from our latest fantasy reads, to the athlete's mindset that Anna's parents helped her cultivate, to musings about religion, spirituality, and the afterlife. Also, Anna drops some breaking news on the podcast about a major career pivot that she's currently working through. There's something for everyone in this wide-ranging episode. Enjoy! 
Learn more about Anna here: https://annabuffini.com/

This episode is sponsored by Connaway & Associates Equine Insurance Services.
In this ep of Horse Person, Caroline is joined by horse behaviorist and trainer, Leo Rauscher, whose work has influenced some of the top show jumpers in the world like Daniel Deusser, Lorenzo de Luca, Luciana Diniz, and Ashlee Bond. Leo's philosophy centers on the idea that horses are always communicating, and nearly everything they do is driven by self-preservation.
Together, we challenge the assumption that pushy, tense, spooky, or "checked out" behavior is a dominance or respect problem. Instead, Leo invites us to look at these moments through the horse's lens, where communication is built almost entirely on space, movement, and clarity.
In this conversation, you'll learn:
How horses' language has evolved to keep them safe & what that means for us 

How fear shuts down communication 

The diff between leadership and dominance

Why clarity = safety 

How right-brain and left-brain horses experience pressure differently

Why punishment doesn't make sense to your horse

Practical, step-by-step examples you can apply immediately in groundwork and riding

To learn more about Leo, visit his IG page.

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