"As I start to work with horses, more and more I realize it’s not them that needs to change, but it’s me. It’s how I interact with them and how I control my emotions."

"Building trust and a sense of safety between you and your horse is essential for tackling challenging tasks together. As we meet our horses' needs and mentor them through hard things, a deep bond develops between us."

"I love the competition, I love the sport, and I love the riding. But the challenge of training is probably just as important to me as anything else."

"We’re learning about our right to space and also about respecting the horse’s right to space as well."

"It’s a myth that you can overcome your fear. But what you can do is gain new skills, learn new things, and become more powerful over the things that make you afraid."

"There are no tricks, there’s no special equipment, there’s no special exercises; it’s about method and applying it accurately."

"When the horses look like they’re doing it all by themselves and they really want to do it, that’s when you’ve mastered it. That’s the fun of it. That’s the magic of it."

"Rideability is the ability to ride around a course while having complete communication with the horse. The horse is responding to you as a rider, and you have the ability to ride the horse in the best way possible."

"A lot of people think I was born brave and fearless or it was some magic pill that I took. That’s all bullshit."

"Dressage is training. It’s that simple. The better you train, the more you teach your horse, the more balance there is, the more harmony there is between you and your horse, the better that relationship becomes."

"The constant question that’s reeling through my mind when I’m riding a horse, especially in the moment where I feel my horse has made a mistake: 'Is what I’m asking of my horse fair in this moment?'"

This sport is such a mental sport. It’s not just about you, but also the way you’re thinking, you're feeling. That transitions to your horse. So if you’re not feeling it, your horse is reacting to that.

"Everyone riding a horse is a winner. You fail. You get back up, you try it again. Your different successes, those are your blue ribbons."

"If you want to have a better horse under saddle, you need to start on the ground."

It’s not just about fitness! There’s so much more involved, like adjustments in attitude, outlook, mindset, and daily habits that lead to being a more successful and healthier, higher-performing rider.