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.

• 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.

The Scope Podcast

• The Scope Podcast website: https://www.thescopepodcast.com/
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• Website: https://brokehorsemoms.com/
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Special thanks to Steve Woodward, founder of The Podcasting Editor, for giving you all the best listening experience!

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/ Use code BHM10 to get an additional 10% off your order.

Broke Horse Moms

• Join our virtual barn family! https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/newsletter
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• The Swag Barn: https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/swagbarn - Use code BHM10 to get 10% off your order.

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, 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.

• https://www.bigdweb.com/ Use code BHM10 to get an additional 10% off your order.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orchidinthesaddle/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@orchidinthesaddle
• Substack: https://orchidinthesaddle.substack.com/

• https://www.bigdweb.com/ Use code BHM10 to get an additional 10% off your order.

• Newsletter: https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/newsletter
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brokehorsemoms
• The Swag Barn: https://www.brokehorsemoms.com/swagbarn - Use code BHM10 to get 10% off your order.