If you're running a boarding or training business and struggling to stay afloat, you need to listen to this episode.  If you're a professional competitor, you need to listen to this episode. If you're an equine chiropractor, hoofcare provider, veterinarian, or hauler, you need to listen to this episode.  If you are NOT a business person but you are in the equine industry, this episode will inspire you to make a change and get the kind of help that can turn a tough job into a much, much...

We have a powerhouse episode this week, featuring our monthly Triple Crown Nutrition Spotlight, where we answer questions submitted by listeners about how to best feed their horses. Plus, an exclusive audio excerpt from the life-changing book, HORSE BRAIN, HUMAN BRAIN-The Neuroscience of Horsemanship, by Janet Jones, PhD.  Yes, listeners, feeding your horse can be fun! And, if you have ever asked yourself, "Why does my horse do that?", you will be so relieved to know that science has some...

Brought to you by American Stalls. This episode is very different than our usual fare. The audio features a conversation between three equestrian industry professionals, each offering a perspective from very different places within the industry. Emily Hamel is a 5* eventer, Samantha Baer is a trainer who specializes in developing and matchmaking horses for many different riders, and of course, yours truly who comes at things from the business, planning, and management side of barn life.  ...

In this episode, Helena shares some big news from Hoo Too in South Carolina, and we welcome back equine nutrition specialist from Triple Crown, Stacy Andersen, to answer listener questions about flax allergies, anti-inflammatory ingredients, healthy versus unhealthy manure, and much more. Do your horse a big favor today and listen in! This episode is made possible with the support of our sponsor, American Stalls.

A few key elements are necessary to call oneself a professional. Those are: education, experience, and wisdom. And possibly one more: enthusiasm. Today's guest is a horse professional, entrepreneur, and host of The Equestrian Entrepreneur podcast. Samantha Baer is based in the Aiken horse community, develops lovely performance horses, and makes horse and rider matches that are appropriate and long-lasting. Her “next-generation” view of horsemanship, business, and sustainability in our...

In this second episode of our new Triple Crown Nutrition Series, Helena is joined by Dr. Clair Thunes, a Ph.D. and equine nutrition expert, to answer questions submitted by our listeners. Deciding what to feed our horses can be daunting. Some horse owners rely on their trainers for guidance, others rely on the barn manager, or even random tidbits from the Internet. Thankfully, there are people and companies for whom equine nutrition is a speciality. In this episode we discuss feed bag labels...

This episode features an in-depth, personal conversation with Tik Maynard, an elite-level eventer, trainer, clinician, and author. Tik's balanced and artful approach to horsemanship is changing the way trainers prepare sport horses for their work, in many different disciplines. His first book, "IN THE MIDDLE ARE THE HORSEMEN", is a favorite among horse owners across the globe. In this episode, Tik talks with Helena about competing in this year’s Road to the Horse colt-starting contest (a...

Deciding what to feed our horses can be daunting. Some horse owners rely on their trainers for guidance, others rely on the barn manager, or even random tidbits from the Internet. Thankfully, there are people and companies for whom equine nutrition is a speciality. In this first episode of our new Triple Crown Nutrition Series, Helena is joined by Stacy Andersen, Nutrition Consultant with Triple Crown, to answer some key questions about feeding forage. It’s a Q&A session that can help...

If it seems to you that Attention Deficit / Hyper Activity Disorder (ADHD) is everywhere these days, you're not wrong. There are a variety of reasons as to why this particular neurodivergency is diagnosed with greater frequency than ever before. Most of those reasons have to do with advances in research and technology. ADHD seems to function an awful lot like "Lizard Brain", a term used by today’s guest– author, eventer, and former psychotherapist, Andrea Monsarrat Waldo. Andrea and...

Understanding is the key to success and contentment with horses, no matter what you do with them. If you're a backyarder who treasures the minutiae of horsekeeping, or a champion reiner, understanding the nature of all horses, as well as the unique temperament and experiences of the individual horse, makes a huge difference in how well a horse feels and performs in our care. In this episode, Helena shares some insights from her first 30 days at Hoo Too with Brody, Clarabelle, and...

Wowie! We are finally here, in our southern home for the winter. Helena, Buck, Siouxsie, Brody, Clarabelle, Jack, Lola, and Cheeto. We drove 18 hours with a trailer full of hay and a truck full of cats to land safely at our farm in Aiken, South Carolina. Well, technically, we are in Windsor, a little hamlet within the Aiken community. It took a lot of planning to get here, and there are already so many interesting observations, so listen in! This episode is brought to you by: AMERICAN...

In this episode, brought to you by our friends at American Stalls, Helena chats with Hannah Ely, proprietor of the Cornish Ranch Track Livery in Cornwall, England. The Cornish Ranch has an interesting track system that includes lots and lots of hay, water buckets that are full of delightful suprises, and an approach to horsekeeping that honors the horses's freedom of choice, as well as their deep-seated nomadic tendencies. This is one conversation that may open your mind and inspire you to...

A new, totally tricked out software program for barn owners that's unlike anything else on the market today. EC Pro put out a press release, and it piqued Helena's interest. After digging in to the features of the program, a lightbulb went off in her mind as she realized the potential of this platform to revolutionize the boarding business. EC Pro isn't just an app that tracks horses, vaccines, and tasks, instead it is an enterprise-wide customer relationship management (CRM) tool that can...

This episode is brought to you by: AMERICAN STALLS, makers of premium quality stall components and barn accessories. Do you know how much water your horse drinks each day? Can you be sure they are getting enough? One of the primary causes of equine colic is an insufficiently hydrated digestive system. What if we could monitor exactly how much water our horses drink and ensure they always have fresh water when they need it most? Well, apparently now we can. My guests today are Kelly and Dan...

In search of something that can help keep your horses cool during extreme heat events, but that isn't quite as dramatic as installing an A/C unit in your barn? Consider a mist cooling system! This episode's guest is Bashil Patel with Mistcooling, Inc., a Texas-based manufacturer of a product that can drop the ambient air temperature by 10-20 degrees - in or out of your barn. This is a system that leverages a simple physical process... evaporation. Bashil explains how mist cooling works, and...

No part of a horse barn is arbitrary. At least, it shouldn’t be. Every square inch of the space in which you keep your horses has a purpose, including the spaces where nothing exists - like doors. In this episode, Helena covers some of American Stalls' most frequently asked questions about barn entry doors, and shares some key installation tips so these big, beautiful doors function as well as they look. Pretty is as pretty does they say, so listen in!  This episode's content was provided...

How can we set up our private farms to operate more efficiently? Saving time is such an important consideration when it comes to running a horse farm. In this episode, Helena offers a detailed explanation of a horse farm layout that provides the kind of convenience needed for a busy lifestyle, the physical space needed for healthy horsekeeping, and the features that support the emotional wellbeing of both horses and humans. The Stall and Stable Inspired Farm Design is one of principle, not...

"Any training can be done poorly and cause problems … it is not R+ that is causing the problem. It is the lack of understanding of how to properly apply the science." -Shawna Karrasch In this episode, Helena is joined by the equine clicker OG, Shawna Karrasch, to discuss the recent trend of horse training experts on social media (often with thousands of followers), who scoff at positive reinforcement (aka clicker) training. It is clear that these particular experts are missing at least...

In this episode, we are talking simplicity, and how it can help you streamline your barn work and your business. There are several ways to simplify your workflow. Today we’re going to discuss three key strategies that will help you streamline, free up energy, and remov blocking entities in your barn. Joining Helena as co-host once again, is Buck Harris. As a small business champion in his industry, Buck works with entrepreneurs of all kinds; he and Helena often work together to help...

If you recall Helena’s Arena From Hell project, you may remember that she put a 140′ x 80′ sand ring in at Hoo Hollow back in 2021. While the arena is just about perfect today, it took a lot of tears, sweat, and money to get it that way. The hardest part about that whole debacle, however, was that it didn’t have to be so horrible. If only Dickie Osborne was in the picture back then, sharing the inside scoop on how to build a sand arena the right way. This is gonna be one of those key episodes...

The road we travel to success with horses can be a long and arduous one. And when we turn a corner, it feels like we are getting closer to success. This is part 2 of 'Turning the Corner with Tik', a success story that follows Helena's journey with Siouxise. From struggling as a DIY horse trainer, to finding confidence as both a leader and a friend to horses, when you surround yourself with people who share your values as a horseman and a human being, magical things happen. Listen in!  This...

The road we travel to success with horses can be a long and arduous one. Sometimes it is full of twists and turns, and when we turn a corner, it feels like we’re actually getting closer to success. In this special 2-part episode, Buck Harris once again serves as host, helping Helena share her experiences with Siouxsie, and explain how turning a corner on their journey together represents a very special kind of success. In part 1 of this episode, Buck takes us back to the beginning of...

Here we are again, discussing why horses are dying on the track, either racing or preparing to race in some of the biggest events in the equine world. With all of the money, effort, and time invested in these horses, why does the national spotlight keep finding something awful to shine on at the racetrack? In this episode, I welcome back our favorite veterinarian, Dr. Madison Seamans, to talk about why it is just so darn hard to find the root cause (or causes) of racehorse deaths. It's a...

What if you could buy a barn kit that has everything you ever wanted included? Quality wood, fittings, fasteners, and engineering all combined into one easy package that gets shipped to your farm sounds a little good to be true. But it’s not. In fact, that is exactly what BarnPros specializes in, and this episode explores the hows and whys of this innovative business that has horse people everywhere excited at the possibility of finally bringing their horses home. Listen in!