Horse People Podcast

This episode features Chloe Carabasi, a working actress, model, and social media creator who also happens to be an equestrian, former college polo player, and total horse nerd in the best way.
Joining us as co-host is former guest Jim Seilsopour.
Chloe shares her unique path from Pennsylvania hunter/jumper barns to doubling for Zendaya in major commercials, and talks about finding joy and community through horses, how equestrian skills have helped her stand out in Hollywood, and what it really takes to ride on camera at a full gallop in a ball gown.

Key topics we discussed:
How polo shaped Chloe’s equestrian journey from Pennsylvania to Texas to Los Angeles
Balancing creative ambition with competitive riding (and the budget battles that come with it)
The behind-the-scenes of doubling Zendaya in a high-stakes perfume commercial
Why learning new disciplines makes you a better horseperson and actor
Finding joy and play in a sport that often takes itself too seriously
Social Media Links:
Instagram: @chloecarabasi
TikTok: @chloecarabasi
Horse People Podcast:
Instagram: @horsepeoplepodcast
Subscribe to Horse People wherever you listen to podcasts. And if you liked Chloe’s episode, share it with a friend who thinks horses and Hollywood don’t mix. They’re wrong

Gideon sits down with Pierce Dargan, CEO of Equine MediRecord, local Irish councillor, and deputy mayor, to talk about what it takes to digitize equine welfare compliance in a pen and paper world, how COVID flipped adoption overnight, and where AI can actually make horses safer.

Key topics discussed:
Why Pierce ran for local politics, and what it means to shape real decisions like roads, schools, and community life.

The early grind of building Equine MediRecord, including two years of approvals and stakeholder buy in before anyone could ditch the paper book.

The unsexy truth of software: bugs, doubt, product fit anxiety, and the first moment someone actually paid.

How COVID forced even the biggest holdouts online, and why that timing helped push equine compliance tech into new countries fast.

Where AI can help next, from early lameness detection to colic alerts, plus why better data helps racing earn trust.

Bonus: Pierce’s first syndicate horse, Arthurian Fame, won the Microsoft Cup, then went on to run at Royal Ascot, which is the kind of sentence that only a few get to say aloud.

Social media links for the guest:
LinkedIn: Pierce Dargan
Instagram: @equine.medirecord

Subscribe to Horse People Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you do not miss the next conversation. If you work anywhere near a barn office or a racing office, send this episode to the person still guarding the paper binder like it is a family heirloom.

Michael Iavarone’s done what most horse people only dream about, he’s won the Kentucky Derby. He’s been in this game at the highest level, from Big Brown taking him to the presipice of racing to many G1 wins, but he didn’t grow up in it.
He came from a working-class family, started out getting crushed at the betting windows, and somehow figured out how to buy the right horses at the right time.
This one’s full of wild stories, buying million-dollar horses days before a race, flying around the world to race in Hong Kong and Dubai, and the highs and heartbreaks that come with it. But what stuck with me most is how much Michael still loves the game. Even after all the pressure, all the wins, all the money spent, he’s still out there watching morning works like it’s the best part of his day.

Key Topics we discussed:
Why Michael only buys horses that have already raced, and how that’s helped him win big

The story behind Big Brown and how it felt to win two legs of the Triple Crown

What it’s like to wire a million dollars for a horse just days before the Breeders’ Cup

Why elite horses have to be mentally tough, not just talented

How horse racing pulled him back in after he stepped away

Follow Michael on Instagram: @michael.iavarone

Subscribe and follow Horse People Podcast for more cross discipline content and stories from equestrians all around the world.
@horsepeoplepodcast

This episode is with Marissa Wells, who just became a 10-goaler in arena polo, a dream she's had since childhood. We talk about what that moment felt like, the years of consistency it took to get there, and what comes next. Marissa is great, a good friend and my first ever guest!!
We get into everything from $800 horses to bodybuilding prep to what kind of horses are actually best for arena.

Follow Marissa on[Instagram] and [Tik Tok]

Key topics we discussed:

The moment Marissa found out she hit 10 goals and what it meant after a lifetime of dreaming about it.

Why consistency matters more than talent at the top levels of polo.

Her surprising take on training horses for arena versus grass.

How bodybuilding and polo have started to overlap in her life—and why she could never do arena on prep.

What it means to be a role model now and the advice she gives to the next generation of young girls in polo.

This episode with Jim is great, he's a one of a kind story teller with a one of a kind story and there's so much about this episode that will leave you nodding your head and thinking about the horses that changed your life.

Jim shares stories that feel more like scenes from a novel: escaping the Iranian revolution, chasing foxes in a scarlet hunt coat, and riding reindeer with native people in the Mongolian wilderness.

From Tehran to Norco to Patagonia, horses have been the throughline in his life. We talk about how deep that bond runs, what it means to ride with feeling, and why he still whispers to his mares before bed.

Key topics:
Growing up between Iran and the US with horses always at the center

His father's escape from revolutionary Iran on horseback with Kurdish tribals

Building a new life in California and returning to horses through foxhunting

Riding adventures across Mongolia, Patagonia, and beyond
What it means to be a sensitive rider and why he always chooses mares

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