The Inner Eye of Dressage — Seeing Beyond the Judge’s Box with Mary Seefried

The Power of Showing Up with Vanessa Way

Some riders spend a lifetime chasing better results. Others discover that the deeper journey lies in understanding the person behind the rider. This week on The Equestrian’s Inner Life, I sit down with New Zealand Grand Prix rider and coach Vanessa Way for a thoughtful conversation about the inner side of equestrian life. Over decades with horses, Vanessa has produced horses through every level to Grand Prix, earned national titles, and become one of the most respected figures in Australasian dressage. Alongside her competitive career, she has dedicated herself to teaching and mentoring riders through clinics across New Zealand and Australia, helping others develop not only their skills in the saddle but also their understanding of themselves. Together, we explore how awareness shapes performance, the lessons horses teach us about patience and perspective, and why true progress often begins long before we enter the arena. Vanessa shares her reflections on coaching, competition, personal growth, and the realities of pursuing excellence over a lifetime with horses. It is a conversation rich in experience, honesty, and wisdom gathered through years of listening, learning, and continually evolving. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Vanessa Way. Resources: Contact Vanessa Way: vanessaway@xtra.co.nz  Connect with Vanessa on Instagram: @vanessawsydressagenz [https://www.instagram.com/vanessawaydressagenz/?hl=en] Connect with Vanessa on Facebook: Vanessa Way Dressage [https://www.facebook.com/VanessaWayDressage/] Learn more about Mary: www.statenepark.com [http://www.statenepark.com] Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rramossport Follow along on the journey: https://www.pernillehogg.com/podcast Music produced by Melissa Parris

The Rider That Time Reveals with Mary Hanna

This week on The Equestrian’s Inner Life, I welcome back six-time Olympian Mary Hanna for a Part 2 conversation — one that moves beyond the arena and deeper into what truly shapes a rider over a lifetime. Together, we explore the influence of learning from many different trainers around the world… how each perspective leaves its mark upon us, and why perhaps no single teacher can give us everything we need throughout the entirety of our journey. We speak about the evolution that takes place within the rider over time — how every new level asks something different of us internally… not simply to become better riders, but more aware, more patient, and perhaps more refined human beings. Mary also reflects on the role patience now plays in her riding, and how experience slowly changes the way we respond when things do not immediately go to plan.A conversation about growth, perspective, self-awareness, and the lifelong inner journey that exists behind the pursuit of mastery. So once again, join us as we step a little further into the inner life of an equestrian. Resources: Contact Mary Hanna: Mh.statene@gmail.com Learn more about Mary: www.statenepark.com [http://www.statenepark.com] Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rramossport Follow along on the journey: https://www.pernillehogg.com/podcast Music produced by Melissa Parris

When the Saddle Holds the Secret with Jochen Schleese

What if one of the most fundamental elements of our riding… has been quietly working against us? In this episode of The Equestrian’s Inner Life, I sit down with Jochen Schleese—a Certified Master Saddler, trained in Germany with Passier, and the youngest to achieve this distinction at the time—who has dedicated his life to understanding the true impact of saddle fit on both horse and rider. Through a deeply personal encounter, Jochen was led to question what many had long accepted as truth. What followed was a lifelong pursuit of answers—one that would take him far beyond conventional thinking and into a completely new way of seeing the relationship between horse, rider, and saddle. Raised between Germany and Buenos Aires, and now based in Canada, Jochen’s journey has been one of curiosity, courage, and innovation. Rather than approaching saddle fit purely as a technical necessity, he began to explore it as a living interface—something that directly influences movement, comfort, communication, and performance. One of his most profound realisations is that men and women are built differently. Our skeletal structure, our physiology, and the way we sit and move in the saddle are not the same—yet for many years, saddles were not designed to reflect these differences. The result? Countless riders unknowingly working against their own bodies… and their horses. In this conversation, we explore what led Jochen to these discoveries, how he began to challenge long-standing industry norms, and how his work now supports both horse and rider in moving, developing, and performing free from pain.  A conversation that invites us to look again—more closely, more honestly—at something we may have taken for granted. Because when the saddle truly supports the body… it allows the horse to move freely, and the rider to meet them there. And in that space, both are cared for in a way that changes everything. Resources: Connect with Jochen: https://schleese.com/jochen-schleese-biography/ [https://schleese.com/jochen-schleese-biography/] Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rramossport [https://www.instagram.com/rramossport] Follow along on the journey: https://www.pernillehogg.com/podcast [https://www.pernillehogg.com/podcast] Music produced by Melissa Parris

The Inner Eye of Dressage — Seeing Beyond the Judge’s Box with Mary Seefried

In this episode of The Equestrian’s Inner Life, Pernille sits down with Mary Seefried — a woman whose life has become an integral part of equestrian sport, both in Australia and internationally. With more than four decades of service, Mary’s journey through the horse world is nothing short of extraordinary. Beginning as a rider in the 1970s, competing across dressage, eventing, and jumping — and even completing the demanding 160-kilometre Tevis Cup in the USA — her path has been shaped by both dedication and a deep connection to the horse. It is, however, through her work as a judge, educator, and leader that Mary has made her greatest contribution. As the first Australian to become an FEI 5* dressage judge, she has officiated at the very highest levels of the sport, including Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games, World Cup Finals, and European Championships. From the judge’s box, Mary has witnessed the sport from a rare vantage point — developing a refined ability to recognise not only what is technically correct, but what is truly harmonious between horse and rider. Alongside this, her work as an FEI Judge Educator, Technical Delegate, and mentor has played a pivotal role in shaping the education and standards of dressage officials in Australia, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations. Her contribution has been recognised with her appointment as a Member of the Order of Australia and her induction into the Equestrian Queensland Hall of Fame. But beyond the titles and achievements, this conversation explores something deeper — what draws a person so fully into the world of horses, what sustains a lifelong dedication to the sport, and what truly lies at the heart of harmony between horse and rider. Resources: Connect with Mary: https://www.gg.gov.au/australian-honours-and-awardsorder-australiarecipient-profiles/mary-seefried-am [https://www.gg.gov.au/australian-honours-and-awardsorder-australiarecipient-profiles/mary-seefried-am] Connect with Mary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-seefried-3a011a70/] Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rramossport [https://www.instagram.com/rramossport] Follow along on the journey: https://www.pernillehogg.com/podcast [https://www.pernillehogg.com/podcast] Music produced by Melissa Parris

No True Straightness Without Bend with Chris Irwin

What if the horse is not responding to what we do… but to how we are? In this episode of The Equestrian’s Inner Life, I sit down with internationally recognised horseman, clinician, and author Chris Irwin — whose work invites us to look beyond technique and into the deeper conversation taking place between horse and human. Chris, author of Horses Don’t Lie, shares his understanding of the subtle yet powerful exchange of energy that is always present between horse and rider. An exchange that goes far beyond aids, and into our state of being — how we show up, how we hold ourselves, and how we enter the space around the horse. Together, we explore the importance of awareness — of our posture, our positioning, our symmetry, and the energy we carry — and how these elements directly influence the connection we create. Because the horse, in its honesty, reflects not what we intend… but what we embody.This conversation opens the door to a deeper way of understanding horsemanship — one that begins within. Resources: Connect with Chris: http://www.mindyourhorse.com/ [http://www.mindyourhorse.com/] Connect with Chris through email: chris@chrisirwin.com Connect with us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rramossport [https://www.instagram.com/rramossport] Follow along on the journey: https://www.pernillehogg.com/podcast [https://www.pernillehogg.com/podcast] Music produced by Melissa Parris