The Elevated Equestrian

Samantha Baer sits down with Matt Brown, a five-star eventer and horse trainer based in Pennsylvania who's been vocal about rethinking how we use tools like whips in competition. In this episode, we talk about his journey from traditional, dominance-based training to a more horsemanship-focused approach - and what it took to make that shift while competing at the highest level.
We get into why being named a Rio Olympic alternate was actually his lowest point, the difference between a shut-down horse and a horse with a voice, his decision to ride Kentucky 2025 without a stick, how outcome-based culture affects both horses and riders, and having honest conversations about what needs to change in horse sport.
Whether you're competing or just trying to build a better partnership with your horse, this one's worth a listen.
🐴 Ready to help your horse move better? Check out my course From Stiff to Supple in 28 Days – currently 40% off at $58 (regular $97). Presale ends March 15th.👉 Course

What if the resistance, crookedness, and tension you feel in your horse is actually coming from you? In this episode, I sit down with Matthias Agneessens — manual therapist, biomechanics specialist, and the man treating some of the world's top show jumpers — to break down exactly why rider posture and muscle activation is the missing piece most trainers never address. We talk about why your gym work might be making things worse, how a blocked psoas affects both you AND your horse, and why "fix the rider and all the horses get better" is the most underrated truth in equestrian sport.
Work with Matthias - Www.move2ride.com
🎧 Speaking of unlocking your horse's body — my course From Stiff to Supple in 28 Days is in presale right now at 40% off. Six ride-along audio lessons you can listen to straight from the saddle. Presale ends March 14th — grab it here: https://www.samanthabaer.com/courses/stiff-to-supple-28-days

Presence is one of those things everyone in the horse world talks about but almost nobody explains how to actually get there. This week I sat down with high performance and nervous system coach Natalie Hummel and honestly this might be one of my favorite conversations we've had on the pod. We get into why presence is the single most powerful thing you can bring to your horse, what's actually blocking you from accessing it (and why it has nothing to do with focus or discipline), the real root underneath fear and performance anxiety, why awareness alone isn't enough to change your patterns, and how the work I do with horses and the work Natalie does with humans turned out to be almost identical. I also share my own burnout and people pleasing era that I'd honestly rather forget — but it's too relevant not to. If you've ever felt like you're doing everything right and still hitting a wall, this episode is going to reframe a lot for you.
Your horse already knows how to be here. This is about catching up to them.
🎓 My course From Stiff to Supple in 28 Days is in presale right now. Six ride-along audio lessons designed to systematically unlock your horse's body and yours. 40% off, code applied automatically at checkout. Presale ends March 14th. Grab it here: https://www.samanthabaer.com/courses/stiff-to-supple-28-days

What if your horse's biggest problem isn't behavior — it's that they can't feel you?
In this episode, Josh Nichol joins the podcast to break down why so many horses shut down, spook, buck, or refuse to go forward — and why the answer almost never starts with the horse. We talk about the difference between lightness and softness, why tension stored in your horse's body is actually dormant behavior waiting to surface, and how your own unresolved triggers are showing up in every ride whether you realize it or not.
Josh shares his framework around mind, space, and pressure — three core needs every horse has — and explains why desensitizing and sacking out aren't building the resilience you think they are. We dig into the danger of the current polarization in horsemanship, why good-hearted riders are the most paralyzed by fear of doing something wrong, and what it actually looks like to empower a horse to handle pressure instead of just removing it.
If you're into equine psychology, nervous system training, groundwork, natural horsemanship, rider mindset, body mapping, emotional regulation in the saddle, or building a genuine partnership with your horse — this episode is packed.

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In this episode of The Elevated Equestrian podcast, Samantha Baer sits down with Inga Wolframm, Professor of Sustainable Equestrianism, to uncover the hidden biases in dressage judging. From eye-tracking research to AI-assisted scoring, they dive into the future of equestrian sports, sustainable horse training, and why flashy movement gets rewarded over correct biomechanics. Don't miss this deep dive into the biggest judging controversy in horse sport!