How Are We Supposed to Know This? Why Horse Sports Are So Confusing

Who Decides? Navigating the Parent-Trainer Partnership w/Jen and Karen from The Scope Podcast

When your child starts riding, you expect to make decisions about schedules, budgets, and maybe when they get their first pair of tall boots. What you don't expect is that before long you'll be making decisions about trainers, horse shows, safety, horses, and thousands of dollars in equipment for a sport you barely understand. In this episode, I sit down with Jen Barker and Karen Tanner, hosts of The Scope Podcast, to tackle one of the biggest challenges horse moms face: figuring out who gets to make the big decisions. We discuss everything from choosing a trainer and evaluating barn safety to deciding when a rider is ready to move up divisions, return after a fall, start working at the barn, or take on greater responsibility in the sport. Jen brings the trainer perspective, while Karen shares insights from her experience as a horse mom with two riders. One theme comes up again and again throughout our conversation: trust. How do you build trust with a trainer when you're brand new to the horse world? When should you rely on their expertise? And when should you ask more questions? If you've ever wondered where your role as a parent ends and your trainer's role begins, this episode is for you. KEY TAKEAWAYS * Trust is built through communication, not blind agreement. * Trainers should guide horse and competition decisions, but parents should be part of the conversation. * Safety discussions evolve as riders progress in the sport. * Horsemanship involves much more than simply riding. * Parents should feel comfortable asking questions and understanding the "why" behind decisions. * Clear goals help trainers and families stay aligned. * Strong trainer-parent partnerships make the sport more enjoyable for everyone. GUEST RESOURCES The Scope Podcast * The Scope Podcast website: https://www.thescopepodcast.com/ * Listen on Apple podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-scope-podcast/id1802670507] * Listen on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5eefEzDxN7CXBkA7QyQHRw?si=65ab2782337d4e85] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.scope.podcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/the.scope.podcast/] * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.scope.podcast [https://www.tiktok.com/@the.scope.podcast] RESOURCES BIG DEE'S TACK & VET SUPPLY: * https://www.bigdweb.com/ [https://www.bigdweb.com/] Use code BHM10 to get an additional 10% off your order. BROKE HORSE MOMS * Website: https://brokehorsemoms.com/ [https://brokehorsemoms.com/] * Newsletter: https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/newsletter [https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/newsletter] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokehorsemoms [https://www.instagram.com/brokehorsemoms] * The Swag Barn: https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/swagbarn [https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/swagbarn] - Use code BHM10 to get 10% off your order. Special thanks to Steve Woodward, founder of The Podcasting Editor [https://podcastingeditor.com/], for giving you all the best listening experience!

How Are We Supposed to Know This? Why Horse Sports Are So Confusing

You know what's weird? Attending a webinar to learn how to attend a horse show. In this episode, I tackle what I believe is one of the biggest barriers to growing equestrian sports: understandability. While conversations about accessibility often focus on cost, there's another challenge that doesn't get discussed nearly enough. Horse shows, divisions, memberships, qualifications, prize lists, entries, and billing can feel like a foreign language to families who didn't grow up in the horse world. In this episode, I share: * Why I attended a horse show webinar * The difference between affordability and understandability * Why so much equestrian knowledge is word of mouth * How confusion impacts participation and retention * Practical ideas that could make the sport easier for new families to navigate If you've ever nodded politely while secretly Googling horse show terminology, this episode is for you. Resources Mentioned Our Presenting Sponsor, Big Dee's Tack & Vet Supplies https://www.bigdweb.com/ [https://www.bigdweb.com/] Use code BHM10 to get an additional 10% off your order. Broke Horse Moms * Join our virtual barn family! https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/newsletter [https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/newsletter] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokehorsemoms [https://www.instagram.com/brokehorsemoms] * The Swag Barn: https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/swagbarn [https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/swagbarn] - Use code BHM10 to get 10% off your order.

What Dover Saddlery's Closing Reveals About Equestrian Retail w/Orchid Bertelsen

If you’ve been anywhere near horse social media lately, you’ve probably seen the conversations around Dover Saddlery’s closures and liquidation sales. But what actually happened behind the scenes? And what does it reveal about the future of the equestrian industry? In this episode, I’m joined by Orchid Bertelsen, writer of the Substack Back in the Saddle [https://orchid.substack.com/], to break down the Dover story from both an economic and rider perspective. With a background in e-commerce, consumer marketing, and brand strategy, Orchid offers a fascinating look at why equestrian retail has struggled to evolve, what this means for local tack shops and brands, and why adult amateurs and horse moms are often overlooked despite driving so much spending in the sport. We also talk about: * Why equestrian e-commerce still feels stuck in 2008 * How trainers influence buying decisions * The challenges local tack shops face * Why discoverability is a huge issue in the horse world * What horse businesses can learn from modern retail * And why there’s still reason to feel hopeful about the future of the industry If you’ve ever struggled to buy boots online, wondered why horse businesses are so hard to find, or felt like the horse world makes things harder than they need to be, this episode is for you. RESOURCES MENTIONED PRESENTING SPONSOR: BIG DEE'S TACK & VET SUPPLIES * https://www.bigdweb.com/ [https://www.bigdweb.com/] Use code BHM10 to get an additional 10% off your order. ORCHID BERTELSEN, BACK IN THE SADDLE * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orchidinthesaddle/ [https://www.instagram.com/orchidinthesaddle/] * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@orchidinthesaddle [https://www.tiktok.com/@orchidinthesaddle] * Substack: https://orchidinthesaddle.substack.com/ [https://orchidinthesaddle.substack.com/] BIG DEE'S TACK & VET SUPPLIES * https://www.bigdweb.com/ [https://www.bigdweb.com/] Use code BHM10 to get an additional 10% off your order. BROKE HORSE MOMS * Newsletter: https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/newsletter [https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/newsletter] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokehorsemoms [https://www.instagram.com/brokehorsemoms] * The Swag Barn: https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/swagbarn [https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/swagbarn] - Use code BHM10 to get 10% off your order.

Are We Raising Riders or Buying Ribbons? with David Reichert of UDJC

Are horse shows teaching kids to become better riders or just rewarding expensive horses and polished rounds? In this episode, Angie sits down with David Reichert, founder of the United Dressage and Jumping Club (UDJC), to talk about the gaps he sees in the current U.S. equestrian system and why he created an alternative focused on horsemanship, rider development, affordability, and grit. David shares his perspective on everything from hunter and jumper culture to dressage fundamentals, horse show costs, trainer influence, rider education, and why he believes kids should learn multiple disciplines instead of specializing too early. They also discuss: * Whether horse shows are rewarding horses more than riders * Why many kids aren’t learning horsemanship fundamentals * Why “grit” matters more than convenience in this sport * The pressure trainers face within the current system * How UDJC approaches rider development differently * Why parents often feel overwhelmed entering the horse world * What horse moms should actually focus on long term Whether you agree with all of David’s opinions or not, this conversation raises important questions about what we want our kids to gain from this sport and how the horse world could evolve moving forward. RESOURCES MENTIONED UNITED DRESSAGE AND JUMPING CLUB (UDJC) * https://www.udjc.org/ [https://udjc.org/] * https://www.instagram.com/udjclub/ [https://www.instagram.com/udjclub/] BROKE HORSE MOMS * Web: https://brokehorsemoms.com/ [https://brokehorsemoms.com/ ] * Join the newsletter: https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/newsletter [https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/newsletter] * Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokehorsemoms/ [https://www.instagram.com/brokehorsemoms/] * Support the Show: https://buymeacoffee.com/brokehorsemoms [https://buymeacoffee.com/brokehorsemoms]

The Rated Show We Never Finished at HITS Culpeper

In this episode, I’m joined by my friend Ashley Winch to walk through what happened when our rated show at HITS Culpeper came to an abrupt end after a horse stabled in the same barn as us tested positive for Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1) and developed Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM). What followed was confusion, a lot of unanswered questions, and a mandatory quarantine that completely changed our plans, and honestly, our perspective. We cover: * What actually happens when a horse tests positive for EHV-1 at a show * What quarantine looks like in real life (not just on paper) * The emotional side of navigating risk, uncertainty, and “what ifs” * What we had to scramble to figure out (supplies, logistics, care) * The role of communication—and where things felt unclear * What I wish I had known before this ever happened If you’re a non-horsey horse mom trying to understand the parts of this world no one explains…this one is for you. RESOURCES MENTIONED * Join the Broke Horse Mom newsletter [https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/newsletter](quarantine breakdown + resources) * Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/brokehorsemoms] * Horse Radio Network [https://horseradionetwork.com/] * The Quarter Horse Podcast [https://horseradionetwork.com/podcast/the-quarter-horse-podcast/]