TW: Descriptions of grooming, sexual abuse as a minor. Listen with care.  Growing up in the Netherlands, Annette Paterakis rode ponies competitively and had Olympic aspirations. However, transitioning to riding horses was difficult, and teenage Annette found herself going from top placings to being eliminated in the show ring. With dreams and investments on the line, Annette needed some help. Unfortunately, it came in the form of a predator.

In this forthcoming interview, Annette shares how she was groomed into a sexual relationship with her trainer, who was thirty years her senior. It’s a story about a quest for worthiness, exploitation by a trusted figure in her life, and the crushing isolation of secrecy. Still, and more importantly, Annette’s experience is about resilience, hope, and healing.

Caroline and Annette leave no stone unturned and also discuss: 

• Her trainer’s unreasonable pursuit for Annette to represent Greece at the Athens Olympics.

• How the grooming process started and what the red flags were.

• How Annette found the courage to leave the relationship six years later.

• How friends, acquaintances, or sexual abuse prevention programs for athletes might support victims in similar situations.

It’s extremely challenging for victims to come forward and share their stories, but in doing so, they raise awareness and reduce stigma. If you or anyone you know is being impacted by sexual abuse in the US, this is a list of resources for getting help via We Ride Together: https://www.weridetogether.today/get-help/crisis-resources

When you picture adding “play” into your horse’s training, what comes to mind?

Do you imagine your horse chasing around a large ball or nosing carrots out of a container? Or maybe you see your horse trotting joyfully behind you as you run?

The fact is, play can look like a lot of different things, but it doesn’t have to be any of the above. Play’s purpose is to teach your horse how to “try”–and in the process, both horse and trainer achieve a cooperative partnership.

Equestrian Masterclass instructor (and newly minted Road to the Horse Champion!!!) Tik Maynard is a horsemanship and upper-level eventing coach who sees ‘play’ not as a series of exercises, but as a beneficial mindset. In the final episode of Equestrian Voices, Tik and Caroline discuss why play is crucial to horse training and how to incorporate it into daily interactions. They also cover:

• The difference between anxiety and playfulness in horses, and why it’s easy to confuse them.

• Using the social rules of play to ensure both you and your horse are winning the game.

• Bringing play and thoughtfulness into daily activities like leading your horse.

• What play is not–drilling, a chore, or hard work!

• Why it’s important to slow down and take a puzzle-solving approach.

• Rewarding softness and effort during play. Adding play into our training can teach us to be better observers, facilitate better communication, and reignite our passion for horses. If you loved this episode, watch for Tik Maynard’s latest Equestrian Masterclass, which launches in May.

This is our final episode of Equestrian Voices. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being here. 

Why do competitions make our hearts hammer, mouths go dry, and hands tremble? We may never get nervous riding at home, but as soon as we step into that show ring (or clinic, or in front of peers, or riding a difficult horse), it can feel like something primal just takes over.

As it turns out, that is exactly what’s happening. Competition (whether you’re actually at a show or not) is deeply rooted into our biology and the presence of it can cause our bodies to fight, flight, or freeze. Certainly not the modes we want to be in when we’re trying to remember a course, or relax our tense horses. Thanks, evolution.

The good news is that our nervous system doesn’t have to hinder us, in fact, it can help us. But it takes some work, and some information. 

Natalie Hummel is a high performance coach specializing in nervous system regulation. In this episode, she and Caroline discuss how we can improve our results by creating our own sense of safety and expanding our capacities for stress and pressure. They also cover:

• The three different nervous system states and why some of them make learning new things biologically impossible.

• How to process uncomfortable emotions like fear, shame, or anger, so you can get back to a performance state.

• Why shame and feelings of “not enoughness” may be holding you back, even if you’re not aware of them.

• Why overworking, perfectionism, and knowledge-seeking, are actually avoidance strategies.

• How to recognize ineffective coaching.

Thank you to our sponsors, Equestrian Masterclass and Nikovian. 

Muscle tension and underdevelopment are a precursor to injury, making topline development crucial to keeping horses healthy and sound. Elasticity through the back allows horses to move freely, support riders, and meet our performance expectations. So why do so many performance horses have underdeveloped muscles and signs of discomfort?

Unfortunately, a lack of knowledge, overlooking pain symptoms, and the absence of species-appropriate care keeps many horses in constant tension–but we can change that.

In this conversation, Caroline is joined by licensed equine bodyworker and educator Ansley Bevan, who shares her knowledge of equine biomechanics and identifying pain to sustain a healthy topline. They cover a wide range of topics and solutions, including: 

• Assessing your horse’s topline by observing them in motion and palpating their muscles.

• Signs of pain you may have missed.

• Why poor saddle fit can cause atrophy and compensatory movement.

• Whether nutrition has a role in topline management.

• What is species-specific care, and why it’s critical for supporting the horse's natural movement and digestive system.

• How to rehabilitate the topline with saddle fit, groundwork, and movement.

If you love this podcast and want more visual demonstration, Ansley’s course on assessing and rehabilitating the topline will be available on EquestrianMasterclass.com on March 4, 2024.

“More impulsion!” Most of us have heard our coaches cry – usually accompanied by a hearty clap or imitation of riding forward. But what does ‘impulsion’ actually mean to you, your trainer, or the judge scoring you?

By listener request, we’re breaking down riding terms that have mystified riders for years. Caroline is joined by Rob Van Jacobs, a USEF “R” Rated judge for hunters and equitation. As a judge, trainer and rider, Rob interprets the differences between rhythm, tempo, pace, and speed not as semantics but as part of a show ring strategy. 

Understanding these terms can improve your communication as a rider or trainer, and influence your decisions moving forward. For instance, knowing ‘tempo’ can help you select which show rings your horse can thrive in and offer important considerations for buying horses. We’ll also cover:

• Why pace is more helpful than speed in the jumper ring

• The difference between natural vs. created impulsion

• What “hacking” actually means and how it relates to recovery and fitness

• How to make a good first and last impression on a judge (yes, judges do notice if you forget to pet your horse!)

Caroline and Rob also dive into some hot topics like whether or not judges need to have equivalent riding experience to the classes they are judging and where we may need to draw the line on draw-reins.

Amelia White was just 18 years old when she was the victim of a traumatic car accident that changed her entire life. A university student and active eventer, Amelia suddenly found herself out of school, out of the saddle, and in ongoing surgeries. Despite doctors’ best efforts, Amelia was left with a permanent disability that required her to change her goals and aspirations. 

In this inspiring episode, Amelia sits down with Caroline and reflects on her journey that took her from lying in a hospital bed, to achieving her Master’s, to trotting down the centerline at the Paralympic Games. 

Amelia’s ambition, sense of humor, and dedication are nothing short of extraordinary, and you won’t want to miss her insights on:

• How focusing on what you can control can help you through traumatic or difficult times.

• Why mental health detriments may come years after an accident.

• Her initial resistance to becoming a para-rider.

• Why Olympic success does not guarantee an easier path.

• How to balance a career with your equestrian ambitions.

• What personal sacrifices it takes to make it to the top.

Support our show by supporting our sponsors: 

Nikovian - Luxury apparel for equestrians (use code noellefloyd15 at checkout!)

Connaway and Associates - Equine Insurance Services

Equestrian Masterclass - go to equestrianmasterclass.com/voices for $50 off an annual membership!

There’s no taking the spook out of a horse. As prey animals, horses will always want to run away first. Combine this fact with modern breeding programs that produce lighter, more responsive horses and many of us may find ourselves riding with a pounding heart and sweaty palms, fearing that inevitable spook.

But a spooky horse isn’t a problem; it’s the symptom of a problem that starts with your relationship.

Josh Nichol has helped countless of riders develop healthy partnerships with their horses through his method of Relational Horsemanship™. He joins Caroline for a thought-provoking conversation about how meeting your horse's needs can forge deeper connections, encourage softness, and reduce spooking. They also cover practical and key techniques like:

• Meeting your horses’ self-preservation needs with mind, space and pressure. 

• Encouraging a horse to think with pressure and softness.

• Using mindfulness to manage your reactions to your horse.

• Recognizing where a horse stores tension in their body.

• Understanding the difference between masculine and feminine energy in horse training.

• Why doing own own internal work can strengthen our partnerships

Support our shoy by supporting our sponsors:  Nikovian - Luxury apparel for equestrians (use code noellefloyd15 at checkout!)  Connaway and Associates - Equine Insurance Services Equestrian Masterclass - go to equestrianmasterclass.com/voices for $50 off an annual membership! 

Thinking about all the ways our sport needs to evolve can be overwhelming. When there are so many organizations, individuals, and stakeholders we want to inspire change in. However, evolving the sport doesn’t need to start at the top. It can start with you right now; with your mindset as a rider or trainer.

Annette Paterakis is a mindset coach for equestrians and the author of “Winning Habits – How Elite Equestrians Master the Mental Game.” Annette helps all levels of riders, including Olympians, build confident, consistent, and powerful mindsets and behaviors. 

In this episode, Annette and host Caroline speak about the student-trainer relationship and how introspection and vulnerability can move us closer to our goals. They also dive into:

• The mental difference between top riders and everyday equestrians (spoiler alert: it’s not as much as you might think!)

• What is the student’s responsibility, and what is the trainer’s

• Practical tips for getting the most out of the student/trainer relationship (whether you’re the student or the trainer). 

• How the relationship should shift from ‘parent/child’ model, to ‘adult/adult’ and become more reciprocal

• Our most important responsibility as riders

Support our show by supporting our sponsors:  Nikovian - Luxury Equestrian Apparel  Equestrian Masterclass - Empowering Equestrians Everywhere

It was a record-breaking year for Equestrian Voices, as we won two more awards (W3 Awards) and topped the Goodpods chart. We couldn’t have done it without you, our listeners! From the entire EV team - THANK YOU. 

To celebrate this remarkable year, host Caroline Culbertson is rewinding 5 favorite moments of the pod in 2023 with colleague and longtime media friend, Sally Spickard. 

Many of you will already know Sally Spickard–you’ve definitely read her content before. Sally has written over 4000 equestrian articles, currently produces Equestrian Masterclasses for NOELLE FLOYD, and is the co-publisher of Eventing Nation. 

Sally and Caroline are breaking down our most memorable moments in 2023, including:

• How more equestrians can embody athletic identities to match the fitness expectations we have for our horses

• How we can merge honoring our horses’ best selves with our own ambitions

• What it means to be confident in the saddle, and how self-awareness and self-dialogue can get you there

• How we can begin to repair our relationships with our horses and with ourselves

Listening to this recap will ensure you don’t miss some of the most powerful, transformative moments of the year. Not only can these clips uplevel your riding, but they can enhance the way you relate to your horse, yourself and the sport.

Michael Pollard had what most of us could only dream of - a meteoric rise in the discipline of Eventing (including winning a Pan Am Games team Gold Medal in 2011), a string of talented horses, a strong non-horse business that supported his riding career, and a supportive group of sponsors, friends and family. 

But then, to the surprise of many, Michael retired from the sport in 2016, selling all of his horses. He went from spending most of his time training and riding, to not sitting on a horse for several years. 

In a strikingly candid conversation, host Caroline Culbertson sits down with Michael to get the story behind this difficult decision; the events that led up to it, the immediate aftermath, and how he’s come back to the sport now as not only a different rider, but also a different person. 

This special, not-to-be-missed discussion also touches on many taboo, yet common, aspects of horse sport, including: 

• A frank dialogue about addiction, and how it nearly derailed his entire early riding career

• Financial strain of competing, especially at the top level

• Addressing the holes in your training

• Dealing with the loss of a horse (and in Michael’s case, multiple horses at once in a devastating trailer accident)

• Balancing riding with family, and the tough calls that are made along the way

• How to allow yourself to be OK with changing paths while deciding what truly matters in your life

• Why taking a break from horses doesn’t have to be a thing you avoid doing at all costs

• 3 little things to do if you’re getting back into riding after a break

As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, the time comes once more for the biggest decision of the winter: Do you blanket your horse, or not? And, which one? (Heavy, medium, medium-light, neck or no neck?!) 

Some riders put a sheet on at the slightest sign of a chill, while others keep their horses bare regardless of outside conditions. And of course, there are the temperature charts that pop up each year, which are meant to apply hard and fast rules to blanketing, but never actually seem to. 

In this episode of Equestrian Voices, host Caroline Culbertson sits down with Dr. Michelle DeBoer of the University of Wisconsin, who has a PhD in Animal Science and whose research delves into this singular question of horse ownership. 

In their extremely informative discussion, they discuss all things blanketing, and some of the ancillary topics blanketing invariably brings up, including:

• Thermoregulation, and how horses use it to keep themselves warm (and how clipping alters that process)

• Why thinking that if you’re cold, then your horse is also cold, is incorrect

• How breeds, body size, and age should affect your blanketing choices

• Why a hot bran mash doesn’t actually help keep our horses warm (though it does warm our hearts!)

• Whether or not blanketing early in the season means you have to continue to blanket all season

• What outside factors to take into consideration when thinking about blanketing besides just the weather

To learn more about Dr. DeBoer's work, check out her Equine PhD page. You can read a summary of the Norway study referenced in this episode here.