Heels Down Happy Hour Podcast Episode 146: How Do We Make Horse Sport Better?
What happens when some serious horse people get together to try to better the sport? We’re about to find out. On this episode, we’re talking about what’s next for the Thoroughbred aftercare industry and do weight-loss drugs exist for horses? Thanks for tuning in.
Click here to stream Episode 146.
Special guests:
Daniel Geitner is a Grand Prix Show jumper and the 2025 National Equestrian of the Year. Along with his wife Cathy, he is the owner DFG Stables in Aiken & Ocala. Daniel is also one of the founding members of the United State Equestrian Trainers Association.
Kirsten Green is the executive director of the Retired Racehorse Project. A Maryland native, Kirsten grew up riding and competing Thoroughbred lesson horses in dressage and eventing and initially pursued a professional career riding and teaching. In 2013 Kirsten started volunteering with the then-named Retired Racehorse Training Project and ultimately joined the organization as its administrator and first full-time employee in 2015. Since then, she focused on operations, working in a supportive position and taking on pretty much any task called for to grow a grassroots organization into a pillar of the Thoroughbred aftercare industry. When the executive director position came available in 2022, Kirsten was awarded the leadership role after participating in a national hiring process.
More on what we talked about in this episode:
This month we’re trying out a Negroni Blanco. Yum! | @CM
The Longines League Of Nations just wrapped at WEC-Ocala with Germany coming out on top. | @COTH
The amazing Tamie Smith bussed her horses across the country to win three FEI divisions at Carolina International. You go girl. | @EN
What weight-loss options exist for horses? Could GLP-1s become an option for management? | @EQUUS
What are your go-to items to keep in your horse show bag? We discuss. | @heelsdownmag
Daniel Geitner joins us to talk about the newly formed U.S. Equestrian Trainers Association and its goals to support professionals in the industry. | @USETA
The Retired Racehorse Project released a 2026-2030 strategic plan and set goals to help in the Thoroughbred after-care industry. Kirsten Green joins us to discuss further. | @RRP
Mail bag: What are your favorite riding exercises to build fitness? | @heelsdown
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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 this month: Ecogold and HITS Horse Shows LLC.