In this episode of The Long Ride Home, Alex welcomes Kelly Berry, owner of KB Media Equine and creator of the docuseries Inside the InGate, for a conversation about storytelling, visibility, and the real side of equestrian sport.

Kelly grew up in the hunter jumper world and built a creative career around photography, marketing, and content strategy before bringing that expertise into the equestrian space. Through KB Media Equine, she is helping tell a fuller story of horse sport. Not only the polished rounds, ribbons, and victory passes, but also the pressure, preparation, setbacks, young horses, imperfect moments, and human stories behind the ride.

Alex and Kelly talk about how social media has shaped the way equestrian sports are seen, and why the constant highlight reel can make riders feel isolated or behind. They also explore how honest storytelling can help amateur riders feel more connected, help the public better understand the sport, and create more visibility for disciplines that are often misunderstood or underrepresented.

The conversation also touches on Kelly’s work filming at major shows like Devon, the importance of media created by people who truly understand horses, and why equestrian sports have the potential to reach a much wider audience when the stories are told with authenticity.

At its heart, this episode looks beyond the blue ribbons and remembers that the real beauty of the sport often lives in the work, the learning, the connection, and the moments most people never get to see.

Episode Chapters:

03:25 - Why Horse Sports Need Better Storytelling

04:35 - Who Gets to Shape the Equestrian Narrative?

05:43 - The Problem with the Perfect Highlight Reel

06:52 - The Mission Behind Kelly's Docuseries "Inside the InGate"

08:21 - Showing the Messy Middle of Riding

10:34 - The Pressure Riders Carry Into the Ring

11:52 - Why Real Stories Help Riders Feel Less Alone

12:29 - What Horse Sports Can Learn from Other Sports Media

15:33 - Humanizing the People Behind the Sport

27:07 - Why Equestrian Media Needs Horse People

31:08 - Bringing Honest Storytelling Into Other Disciplines

Connect with Kelly Berry

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KAnneBerry

Connect with KB Media Equine

Website: https://www.kbmediaequine.com/

Follow us on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesaddlebredpodcast/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesaddlebredpodcast/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thesaddlebredpodcast

#americansaddlebredpodcast #saddlebredindustry #equestrianlife

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

In this episode of The Long Ride Home, Alex sits down with Key Waller for a conversation about family legacy, motherhood, and what it feels like to return to the Saddlebred show ring after 11 years away.

Key grew up surrounded by American Saddlebreds at Blythewood Farms, where horses, breeding, and the show ring were part of everyday life. As a third-generation Saddlebred owner and breeder, she has always understood the beauty of the breed, along with the pressure that can come from carrying a well-known family history in the industry.

For Alex, Key’s story also reflects many of the emotions that inspired The Long Ride Home. After stepping away from the saddle herself for 26 years, Alex brings her own return-to-riding perspective into the conversation, connecting with Key on the nerves, muscle memory, small breakthroughs, and unexpected emotions that come with riding again as an adult.

Together, Alex and Key talk about the parts of the sport that stay with you, even after time away. Key shares how stepping into other disciplines, including hunters and reining horses, helped her keep learning, take pressure off, and reconnect with the joy of riding from a different angle.

Episode Chapters:

01:06 - Key’s upbringing in the American Saddlebred world at Blythewood Farms

04:10 - The pride and pressure of carrying a family legacy

04:37 - Why stepping away helped Key find a different relationship with horses

04:37 - What hunters and reining horses taught her about patience and learning

02:24 - Alex’s connection to returning to the saddle after years away

22:29 - The nerves and emotions that come with riding again as an adult

12:23 - Watching children grow in confidence through horses

15:04 - Pearson’s partnership with Domingo in the five-gaited division

14:15 - Key’s own return to the Saddlebred ring after 11 years away

40:56 - The difference between being a horse show mom and a horse show exhibitor

13:28 - Rebuilding confidence through consistency, trust, and time

37:10 - What makes five-gaited horses so powerful and unforgettable

44:59 - Creating a personal legacy in the Saddlebred industry

If you have ever stepped away from something you loved, carried the weight of expectation, or wondered what it would feel like to come back later in life, this episode is for you.

Connect with Key Waller:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/key.waller

Follow us on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesaddlebredpodcast/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesaddlebredpodcast/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thesaddlebredpodcast

#americansaddlebredpodcast #saddlebredindustry #equestrianlife

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show

In this episode of The Long Ride Home, Alex Husner sits down with Brody Hickman, founder of Brody Hickman Riding Academy, for a conversation about horses, horsemanship, and the experiences that shape a rider across disciplines.

Brody’s path began with Saddlebreds and Morgans, then expanded into Quarter Horses, reining, Western pleasure, and teaching. Through each chapter, one theme has stayed consistent: before riders choose a discipline, they need to understand the horse.

Together, Alex and Brody talk about the value of building strong foundations, respecting the small details, and recognizing how much different corners of the horse world have in common. From the thrill of a Saddlebred down the rail to the feel of a reining horse in a sliding stop, this conversation explores the connection, timing, and care that sit at the heart of good riding.

Brody also shares how his riding academy is helping students become more thoughtful, capable horsemen by teaching the lessons that begin long before anyone gets in the saddle.

This episode is a warm reminder that every discipline may have its own style, but true horsemanship always starts with the horse.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 - Welcome to The Long Ride Home

01:30 - Brody’s Early Start with Morgans and Saddlebreds

03:54 - The Family Influence Behind a Life with Horses

12:11 - Learning the Feel of a Quarter Horse

14:30 - The Thrill of Connection Across Disciplines

18:03 - The Story Behind Brody Hickman Riding Academy

18:09 - Why Horsemanship Starts Before the Saddle

20:04 - Farm Management Lessons and Real Horse Care

22:46 - Teaching True Horsemanship and Horse Ownership

24:04 - Building a Foundation Before Choosing a Discipline

29:52 - What Brody Has Seen Across the Horse Industry

30:59 - Visibility, Awareness, and Growing the Sport

32:36 - Seeing Saddlebreds Through Fresh Eyes

40:39 - Why Different Disciplines Are More Similar Than They Seem

Connect with Brody:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brody_hickman/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brody.hickman.16

Follow us on Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesaddlebredpodcast/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesaddlebredpodcast/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thesaddlebredpodcast

#americansaddlebredpodcast #saddlebredindustry #equestrianlife

Send us Fan Mail

Support the show