Because of Horses

Today’s guest on Because of Horses is Bob Cacchione — a living legend in the horse world — and one to whom so many owe immense gratitude for founding the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA)!

Following one’s passion isn’t always about making our own life better — sometimes, we get a very unique opportunity to fully harness the skills, talent, experience, connections, and interests we possess in the service of someone we love. This is precisely what happened in Rupert Isaacson’s case when his young son, Rowan, was diagnosed with autism. And in Rupert’s very real quest to help his little boy, he discovered a therapeutic approach that could help others who are on the same journey

This week Elise is bringing you an especially fun episode because it’s all about you — the listeners! This episode will be featuring the four guests that listeners have chosen as their favorites from the 103 episodes that have aired in Seasons 1 and 2 thus far! Elise will be sharing the best excerpts from these incredible episodes as she counts down the top favorite guests, including Stacy Westfall, Through Rider Gillian Larson, Guy McLean, and King Ranch's James Clement

Elise’s guest today wondered about the difference between the horse that moves so beautifully it’s like dancing vs. a horse that doesn’t… or possibly can’t. He recognized that it’s all about the horse’s inner strength and balance and that the way to help the horse achieve this difference is through applying yoga principles, designed and intended for humans, to our equine partners!

Elise’s guest today, neuroscientist, author, and horseman, Dr. Stephen Peters, was frustrated by the many often opposing views about training and working with his own horses. Dr. Peters decided to apply his knowledge of the human brain to developing science-based horsemanship to understand how a horse’s brain and its behavior are related and how they, in turn, affect learning

Lisa Diersen is the Founder and Director of the EQUUS Film Festival, recognized as the largest showcase of equestrian film, art and literature in the world. An avid horsewoman and movie lover, Lisa believes in the power of telling stories through film. She founded the EQUUS Film Festival with the mission of showing the world how horses can bring everyone together regardless of race, age, gender, ability or disability

This week, the Because of Horses Podcast is celebrating its 100th episode with a very special conversation with legendary reiner, Shawn Flarida! Shawn is the winner of five gold medals at the World Equestrian Games, winner of the All-American Quarter Horse Congress nine times, and the first person to break the $6 million mark in Reining, which he did at the 2017 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Futurity.

Mark Rashid is an internationally acclaimed trainer, clinician, and prolific author, renowned for taking the guesswork out of communicating with our horses. His ability to understand the horse’s point of view and solve difficult problems with communication rather than force is unmatched.

"Desert Flight" is an award-winning film documentary that explores the horse-human bond through the world of show jumping. Filmmaker Samia Staehle’s goal was to capture the visceral way horses enrich our lives and our senses. The film provides an honest look at how much the sport of show jumping means to its participants through the perspectives of equestrians from different walks of life.

This week is a very special edition of Because of Horses! Your host, Elise Gaston Chand, talks with some of the horse world’s most accomplished equestrians — sharing their riding and training philosophies, their insights into horses, advice for aspiring competitors, and their fondest memories of the Hampton Classic Horse Show! These featured guests are Georgina Bloomberg, Kelli Cruciotti, Peter Wylde, Joe Fargis, and Chief Press Officer Marty Bauman

Kimberly Van Kampen is a top supporter of U.S. dressage and one of the most respected breeders of Pure Spanish Horses in the world. Kim has dedicated her career to promoting the growth and development of U.S. dressage through her leadership and sponsorship of various programs, riders and horses. She is a top supporter of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival but is equally committed to helping young riders at the grassroots of the sport

Jo Ellen Hayden is the author of the Horse Heroes website, produced in collaboration with Brooke USA and the World War I Centennial Commission, and she is Elise’s guest on this episode of Because of Horses. Horse Heroes was created to shine light on the critical role equines played throughout the world during the years of The Great War and to honor their legacy through raising awareness of the needs of the nearly 100 million working equines in the developing world

Julianne Neal is an award-winning director, producer and educator, committed to creating films which raise awareness of issues facing horses and their owners. She is the director of the critically acclaimed documentary, “A Pony and His Boy,” one of many films that Julianne has directed for the Spotlight Rescue Series, a partnership with the EQUUS Film Festival.

The wildly talented 22-year-old rider, Kelli Cruciotti, epitomizes what can be accomplished when you follow your dreams. Her illustrious junior equitation career included medaling on the Young Rider Nation’s Cup Team, winning the Artisan Farms Under 25 series in Wellington, and capturing the blue ribbon in the Encana $50,000 Under 25 Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows. And it culminated with her phenomenal win at the USEF Pessoa Medal Finals in 2015!

In this week’s episode, Elise is joined by geneticist Dr. Emmeline Hill, all the way from Ireland, to discuss the genetics that can determine Thoroughbred racing potential. Dr. Emmeline Hill’s breakthrough discovery of the “speed gene” means that we can predict a horse’s optimal race distance by examining its DNA to determine whether it possesses genes that are more suited to sprints, to middle distance, or to longer races!