Heels Down Happy Hour Podcast 122: How To Talk To Horse People On The Internet
The countdown to the Olympic Games in Paris is on! This week, we’re talking about rider biomechanics and how to have a constructive conversation about horse welfare in this prickly, political day and age. Thanks for tuning in.
Click here to stream Episode 122.
Special Guests:
Amelia Newcomb is a USDF Gold medalist. Based in Somis, California, she incorporates complete dressage training from starting the young horse through the FEI levels in both her in person and online programs. Amelia works to develop a trusting and confident relationship between horse and rider. Her approach incorporates all aspects of horsemanship from basic groundwork to advanced dressage movements. Amelia’s mantra has always been “Dressage for All”, which is evident in both her in person and online coaching. With a successful YouTube video library of hundreds of free educational videos, over 220,000 subscribers (and counting!), and thousands of students enrolled in her online USDF accredited courses.
Shelley Onderdonk, DVM was born and raised in San Mateo, California. She is a graduate of Yale (BA ,89) and University of Georgia (DVM ,97), and has continued her medical education through the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society and The Chi Institute. Shelley’s integrative veterinary practice, active since 1998, incorporates the best of Western medicine, acupuncture, manual therapy, equine sport science, and rehabilitation for the benefit of her patients. She is an avid environmentalist, rider, writer, and yogini.
Adam Snow played polo professionally for 34 years, achieving the highest rating of 10 goals in 2003. Career highlights include winning two US Open titles, competing in the Argentine Open in 1998 and 2004, winning many Best Playing Pony prizes for his horses, and twice being named Player of the Year. He was inducted into the Polo Hall of Fame in 2014. Retired from tournament polo, he now gives back to the sport via coaching, mentoring, writing, as well as announcing polo games for television. Adam grew up in Hamilton, Massachusetts, and received a BA from Yale, where he also played ice hockey and lacrosse.
More on what we talked about on this episode:
This week we’re sipping on some yummy KBC Bloody Marys. | @WS
We discuss the FEI debacle over video rights at sactioned events. | @eurodressage
We’ve got some photo updates of the equestrian Olympic venue construction. | @EN
We’ve got some news: The Spark newsletter is going away. Thank you to everyone who has been a subscriber for all these years!
Product review: NoSo Repair Patches for horse blankets. | @heelsdown
Grand Prix dressage rider and YouTube star Amelia Newcomb is here to answer all your rider biomechanics questions. | @AND
Bonus: Enjoy this free patterns exercise PDF from Amelia Newcomb to try at home!
It can be difficult to have a constructive conversation about horse welfare and social license in the current online climate. We talked to two pros – Shelley and Adam – on how to approach this. | @TB
Mailbag: How do you wash and store your horse blankets at the end of winter?
If you want to hear more from us, check out heelsdownmag.com for the latest news and follow us online at: @heelsdownhappyhour on Instagram and Facebook. If you love our show, please give us a rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play or wherever you listen to podcasts.
More about our hosts:
Jessica Payne is an international event rider who is rarely seen without her long-haired chihuahua under her arm. She was born in London, Ontario, but grew up in Franklin, Tenn., and graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Animal Science. She’s now a coach, a mom and one-half of Payne Equestrian, a full-service eventing, show jumping and dressage operation based in North Carolina with her Olympian husband, Doug. Jess once lost the tip of her pinky finger clipping her 5* horse, and husband Doug says she can “talk to anyone including a wall….and they will like it!”
Ellie Woznica happily lives on a mountain in northern Pennsylvania in her horses’ front yard. She works from home as a graphic designer, manure mucker, and zoo keeper, but only gets paid for one of those gigs. Ellie grew up showing hunter/jumpers (and still does) but in college she learned to ride western and fell in love with reining and reined cow horse. Outside of horses, Ellie loves to knit, whittle, and write! Her boyfriend says she has too many hobbies.
Justine Griffin is an award winning journalist who has written about everything from horses to high-profile CEOs to her ovaries. (She donated her eggs once.) Two things she loves the most? Whippet puppies and cheese. Justine is a lifelong lover of Thoroughbreds and is a native Floridian.
Many thanks to our sponsors of this episode: Zero Proof Horse Treats, LiveEq and Amelia Newcomb Dressage!