Coming Home to Herself: Sara Spaulding's Return to the Saddle after 22 Years Away

Alex Husner  0:03  
Welcome to the Long Ride Home. I'm your host, Alex Husner. This show is about honoring where we come from, pursuing what still calls us forward, and trusting the power of timing in both life and in sport. Through honest conversations with riders, trainers, and leaders in the American saddlebred world will explore the stories behind the horses and the people shaping the future of this industry. Come on this journey with me. Welcome back to the Long Ride Home. I'm your host Alex Huesner, and I am joined today by Sarah Spaulding, who is someone who has inspired me from afar since I first discovered her content last November, I believe it was, and we've just recently connected and just so excited to have her on the show. And I know she's motivated and inspired a lot of people besides just me. But Sarah, so good to see you! Thank you so much for coming on.

Sara Spaulding  0:57  
Of course, it's an honor. I'm really excited.

Alex Husner  0:59  
I'm excited to dive in, and I told you before we started recording, and you know we've been texting and we've talked on the phone a couple times, and we you know got on a Zoom call the other day. But I feel like I know you. I feel like I know a lot about you because you've shared so much about your journey, not just about the horses, but also professionally. And you know there's a lot of things that I connected to when I when I started following you and saw a lot of similarities, and finally thought, I'm going to just reach out to her because there's not that many people that are returning to horses. You know, I mean, like there are some, but I mean, not that many that are really documenting it in the way that you have, and I think you've done it in a really intentional and authentic way. Probably authentic is the most pertinent word there. But for any of our listeners that are not following you and don't know about you and Astro, can you just give a little bit of history of who you are and how you got into riding and where you are now in your riding journey?

Sara Spaulding  1:49  
Absolutely. So I'm 32 years old. I grew up riding horses. My dad was a large animal veterinarian, and my family, so my grandpa, so my dad's dad, they had Morgan horses, a farm in northern Wisconsin, and they bred horses. They showed horses in that in the Morgan industry, and so I've always known horses. I mean, horses is literally the first thing I can ever remember. I mean, I was a baby, and they were sticking me on some trail riding horses, and I was going on farm calls all the time with my dad, and just really fell in love with the horse and started, you know, competitively, you know, riding and showing an academy at Knollwood Farm in Wisconsin. Yeah, learned a lot there from Nancy Turner, especially. And I'll just never forget all of the ways they taught me to really ride equitation. That was my dream to become a really great equitation rider. Alongside of that, I was playing other sports: basketball, soccer, and and whatnot, but horses were my first love for sure. So did academy, and then my mom showed a little bit with her country pleasure horse Dee Dee Devote, who went on later in her career as a world champion three gated horse, and it's a really

Speaker 1  2:55  
cool

Sara Spaulding  2:56  
story. We end up like retiring her, buying her back, retiring her, and she passed away a few years ago at the old age of like 31 or 32. Yeah, at one of the barns by us in Wisconsin. So really cool story. But anyways, Dee Dee was my first show horse. We did really well. It was a very short stint, but we did really well. We won pretty much all of our classes. And actually, when we were talking, I didn't really share a story, but I went to Midwest Charity Horse Show, and there was like 16 girls in the class. I had it unanimously won, but we were in the lineup. Dee Dee started backing up, and it was the first time in a class where I was like bucked off. Basically, I went out in the ambulance, and yeah, I forgot to tell you that part of the story. Wow! I still like I got I got on her the next day. We continued riding, but then we ended up selling her, and so I ended up choosing the the path of pursuing my soccer dreams after we sold Dee Dee. So it was a shorter stint, but I mean I I I rode competitively. You know, an academy did really well for gosh, probably six years, maybe five years, and I just knew one day that I would get back into riding. I knew it. You know, it's it's always been a dream. So 22 years later, I have my dream horse astrology, and Bottom has a five gated, a four year old, and we turned him into a park horse through my my trainer TJ Santa Ferra. I was his idea, and it's truly just been so surreal getting back in the ring. And I forgot how much I love love this sport and horses because I spent a lot of time building businesses, playing D1 soccer, some semi-pro soccer, and was away from the sport for a long time, and just so happy to be back.

Alex Husner  4:27  
Yeah, and and it's I just got my notebook so I can make sure I'm taking notes as you talk because it's like you say so many things that it's just it's literally connecting the dots. I mean, when I got back into this 26 years later, you're 22 years later. I got a four year old, a five-gated horse. We're gonna keep him as five-gated, I think. But we've we've gone through so many similar things there. And you obviously must have been really good at equitation because my former trainer Lisa Jensen, when she saw some of your content and knew that I was doing a podcast, she sent me something from you, and she's like, "You need to have her on on your show. She was really good, like as a. So she told me to remember those days, but wow!

Sara Spaulding  5:05  
I give all props to Nolwood. You know, they they definitely produce a lot of great equitation riders. Oh yeah,

Alex Husner  5:10  
yeah, and it's you know it's it's fun. I mean, I showed an equitation in walk trot, you know, like nine and 10 year old, and then I quickly moved on to showing show pleasure, and then a three gated pony. But I grew up at a barn that was very much an equitation barn. I mean, in New England, equitation's much bigger than it is, at least in the Carolinas. From what I've seen, like the classes in the Carolinas are very slim for equitation, but those divisions up north, there's a lot of really great riders, and you know, I think it's not about looking pretty; it's about some of the fundamentals that are going to teach you how to, you know, really ride the horse. But I had my trainers. I had Lisa teaching me the equitation, and Kristen Cater, and then Michael Richardson and and David Cater teaching me how to ride the horse. So it was a good combination there. But it's amazing the things that that come back to you too later in life that you remember from lessons, you know, 20 plus years ago, isn't

Sara Spaulding  5:57  
it? Kind of like riding a bike, but also kind of. I mean, it's taken me a little bit to maneuver in the ring and remember some things, and I also learned a lot because I only got to the point of walk try. So I knew how to canter a horse and and whatnot, but like I never went into a show ring doing you know canter that gate. Wow, kind of funny. You know, just kind of I've had to work on that with Astro even, so it's kind of funny how it all comes back. Things that you have to learn though too. There's so much to learn.

Alex Husner  6:23  
Oh, totally. Yeah, it's like that's exactly how I describe it to people too. It's like it is like riding a bike, but at the same time, your body changes even if you're in good shape. And you know, I've worked out my whole life, but like there are so many muscles in your body that you use for riding that you don't use in a regular day. And especially, you know, you and I have businesses, and most of our days are behind a computer for the most part, so there's a lot of relearning and retraining of body parts to be able to do it. Absolutely, I got even like

Sara Spaulding  6:49  
some burn, like some rubs on my inside of my knees. You know,

Alex Husner  6:53  
yeah, yeah. The first weekend I came, or the first weekend I went up to ride. When I got home, my knees and my calves were just covered in bruises, and I was like, "Oh God, this is going to be an issue if this always happens. Because you know, I wear dresses and shorts and come on the boat and everything. I'm like, I don't want anybody to think I'm getting beaten or something. But those have gone away. Have they gone away for you? They're still there. Appears sometimes. Yeah, absolutely. And

Sara Spaulding  7:18  
then Ella at the barn here. You know, I ride a lesson horse often, and we do the no stirrups. We do all of that, and I'm like, "Oh, here they come! They're coming back!

Alex Husner  7:26  
Yeah, no, I know the feeling for sure. And interesting too that your family grew up riding and breeding Morgans because that was also my family's origin as well. New Hampshire, that I grew up on a farm, and my mom, my grandmother, my aunt all rode showed bread Morgans, and and actually I showed I had two Morgans before I got my first saddle bread, but it just a wild, wildly similarly path. But very similar.

Sara Spaulding  7:53  
I I never grew up on a farm. It was my dad that grew up on their farm, but it's definitely near and dear to our hearts. And my my grandpa passed away this past winter, and so just seeing all the old pictures of the farm and the Morgans that they had, and they had one named Valiant that was just an incredible horse, dated Morgan. And my grandpa was really, really proud of me, very, very proud of me. He was an entrepreneur as well, and so he was just so proud that his granddaughter bought her own horse and was a successful entrepreneur. Like he's very proud, so that's just a cool thing. Well, and that's

Alex Husner  8:23  
super cool. That and I'm sorry that he passed, but that is also really cool that he got to see you do this at some point.

Sara Spaulding  8:30  
Grandpa him, yeah. They would come to all my shows when they when they were younger, when I was younger. Yeah. So unfortunately, he never got to see me in person because of his health. You know, this past year, but we showed him a ton of clips, and he was just so yeah.

Alex Husner  8:45  
He's he's watching,

Sara Spaulding  8:46  
he's watching up there. Amen. He is, yeah.

Alex Husner  8:49  
So we're gonna go deep on the horses too, but before we get there, I want to talk about what led you to be able to do that in the first place, and the career that you built, and the ability to work remotely, and that's something that for me now is also part of why I'm able to do this. That for years I wanted to come back, but I couldn't because I worked in an office and I couldn't take a day off every week to go ride. And I also didn't want to sacrifice my husband and I's weekend every weekend. And I knew it was going to take time. But tell us a little bit about like your career, what you do in your professional life, and how that led you the ability, both you know financially and tactically, to be able to come back to do this.

Sara Spaulding  9:28  
Well, yeah, I knew that I had to find something that could fund the

Alex Husner  9:34  
horses,

Sara Spaulding  9:34  
you know, because it's not sport, you know, it's not at all. But I knew I had to find something that could allow me to do that, and I didn't want to be somebody either that just kind of I don't do things 50% or 20% Like I told myself, when I can go all in, I am going all all in. So back when I was 18, so we're 14 years ago, 32 now, I started my first like online business. Mind you, I was playing Division One soccer, and at that point, actually in my journey, my plan. Was to go pro, and I wanted to play overseas, and had this whole plan for my life. And I was still going for like a marketing business degree because I grew up in entrepreneur family. So my parents owned vet practices. Now we own like a bunch of real estate. So I've always had like entrepreneurship in my blood. And again, you know, my grandpa, my grandparents, my you know my grandma-they were all entrepreneurs too. So it's always been in me. And and I ended up actually having some knee injuries in college, and then again, I started my first online business with direct selling with supplements and helping people with their health and wellness. And I really found a passion for it, and so I really caught this vision for my life: how I could build, you know, really lucrative business online and be able to do it from my phone or from wherever, and be able to invest into real estate and hopefully one day reach you know these income goals to allow me to purchase you know a horse that I could do really well on and and not have to like stress you know financially I've been able to do that so I coach and mentor 1000s of people in the online space also you know a lot of people you know they have med spas practices a lot of businesses, just brick and mortar businesses. I help them diversify their portfolio and kind of monetize their practices with our all natural peptide line that we have. So the past year and a half, two years, I've been help. Actually, two years, I've been helping launch. Now we're you know the number one all natural peptide company that, like I just said, we did over 100 million in revenue our first year here in the U.S. and so I'm one of the top top selling, you know, top leaders and sales sales reps in the company. And I lead and coach, mentor a lot of people. Like you said, you know, I sit behind a computer a lot, and I I zoom with a lot of people and coach them and and help them earn hobbyists, supplemental income, or significant income of help people really you know, tap into their their their greatness and create the life that they really want to live, and have time on their hands, and and so it's been it's been really really fun. I really enjoy it. At the end of the day, I love helping people. I love seeing somebody grow. That's ultimately what I love most, and it's allowed me to create this life. And it hasn't been easy, you know. Nothing great in life comes easy, but man, it's been worth it. And so I'm literally living in my dream, and I have bigger dreams now, right? But yeah, having astrology and being able to get him and being able to serve as many people as I do and coach as many people as I do, it's it's it's truly a dream.

Alex Husner  12:16  
Totally. And another thing, I haven't shared this with you too, but when I found you, and I saw your videos of Astro. I'm huge into astrology. Like I'm big into the woo woo. I don't know if you are or not, but like I am very much into that. And I thought, oh my god, like she got the horse with the perfect name. Like that would be if I get a horse. That's that's what I I would want to name him a show name. And I actually it's so good. And and Astro is like I mean, it's like the perfect bar name too. But when I saw that, I was like, "What's another word that's similar? Because if we got a horse and we didn't like the name, maybe we'd rename them. I don't know. We didn't do that, but I thought manifest would be such a cool name for a horse, and looked it up, and it was it's already been taken. But

Sara Spaulding  12:58  
okay,

Alex Husner  12:59  
yeah, but that would be so cool because I mean I'm sure as part of your journey too. I mean like you've manifested the things that you want to have in your life. I mean like it's I don't even have to even answer it. I know you have. Like when you want something, like you can if you focus on it and you work hard enough that you can make it happen. And like that's the one thing I've realized in my professional life of like you have to stop worrying about the how, and you just have to think about what you want, and then it will come, you know. And and that universal principle has always served me well. And the fact that that's your horse's name is pretty good. It

Sara Spaulding  13:33  
really is. It really is. And what what I fully believe is, I have faith in God, and I believe that we're all creators. Like He's made us creators of our life. Like we can truly go and live the kind of life that the life of our dreams. But a lot of people don't really believe that they can do that. But we ultimately

have the gifts and the wisdom, and it just takes a lot of hard work and consistent effort and holding on to that vision. And whenever I set my mind to something, I do it. And I again, like kind of what I said, I'm all in, and I will make it happen. And how my dad always taught me in business and life and sports, you know the how it deals itself, and so I knew like you know just taking it year by year or month by month, whatever it is my business is and getting to my goals, I would one day get there absolutely. Sometimes it's not always the timeline, or sometimes there's detours. Oh

Alex Husner  14:18  
yeah, yeah, but that's you know it's it's all you know. Perfect Steve Jobs quote of you can't connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards. And when I look back at you know my life in the times when I thought about you know maybe now's the time to get it back into writing, and like I kept thinking and thinking, and I'm like it just it never was the right time until finally when it was the right time, it was like all right, it's go time. Like I'm doing this. I'm going all in. I mean, and you know, this is, and you've probably made even more changes in your life. But like, it is very much a life changing decision to go back into horses. I mean, it changes a lot about your lifestyle in good ways, and but ways that have to be altered a little bit to be able to make it happen.

Sara Spaulding  15:00  
Time, the investment in time and money. Yeah,

Alex Husner  15:03  
yeah.

Sara Spaulding  15:04  
I've had to shift my entire life, but again, that's what you do when you go all in and you're dedicated. And and if you want to be one of the best, which again, anything that I do, I know you're the same. I want to be one of the best. So yeah, doesn't happen overnight. But you have to sacrifice and take risks and put the work in.

Alex Husner  15:20  
Yeah, 100% So, okay, you made the decision you were going to get back into riding, or maybe you hadn't made the decision yet. Tell us about how Astro came to be. Yeah,

Sara Spaulding  15:30  
it's a great story. I'll try and keep it short. But my mom, she had gotten back in the rain in 2019, and you know had some different horses, and then she ended ended up at TJ Santa Ferra's barn, so Santa Fe Stables, and so I finally met him. You know, I would fly in here and there to to ride, and then I'm like, I told her, I'm like, okay, I'm at this point. I needed to get back first, just riding, and then I wanted to meet J. And when I met TJ, I was just absolutely blown away. I mean, he's like a mix of entrepreneurial, but literally one of the best up and coming trainers in the industry. He's an absolute genius with what he does with these horses, the care, the team, the everything that he has there at the barn. It's incredible. So I was blown away, you know, with that because the train, the trainer, that's a big piece to this. A huge piece. Yeah, to trust them, faith in them. And I told him my goals, and I was like, Hey, I'm getting really close here. I I really want to start riding, and I'm open to start looking at horses if you have some in mind here the next few months or this year. It's kind of what I put out there. The next trip in this was March of 2025, so last yeah last year I was in town riding. We're at lunch, and I'm like, okay, I think next time I come, like I want to maybe start shopping, and and and he's like, well, hey, I think I might have like two horses to go look at tomorrow morning, and I'm like, all right, okay. I loved it because he kind of gave me that extra push that I needed because I I was ready, but I'm really glad that he kind of initiated that. And my goal was always to have a five gated horse, so that's still my other goal. I want to have a five gated horse. But so you know, I rode a horse that morning, and I just didn't. I don't know. wasn't blown away. Honestly, in my opinion, it was a little overpriced for what you know what they're. Yeah.

Alex Husner  17:12  
No. Yeah.

Sara Spaulding  17:14  
Yeah. It just it just didn't feel aligned. Didn't feel right. And then I, the moment I saw astrology and I got on him, I just I knew it was a feeling. I had seen some images of him because he had showed once a Steve Wheeler at the World Championship Horse Show as a two-year-old. I think he got like second place there, and I saw his motion. But when we went to shop and you know went to check him out, he hadn't been worked a ton at that point. He just wasn't in training. You know, he's young horse. They're trying to sell him, so he's a little overweight, but I got on him and I had a blast. And you know, because of my experiences when I was young with my one show horse, when she went up and over on me, I really wanted a sound mind. Whatever that word is, you know, just a horse that had a sound mind. I really felt that with him, and I felt like he was really sweet. But ultimately, I just felt so awesome on him. So I knew, I just knew, and I knew that day, and we ended up. I ended up obviously buying him, and TJ was a little. He'd be fine with me saying this. He's a little worried with his neck and headset, and just because he's a little overweight, we didn't know what we could really make of him because he was so animated and doing five gates with five gated. That takes a lot of energy, and you know it's a lot for a horse, and he's so animated. So anyway, so TJ wrote him as a four-year-old in the junior classes and five gated, and he did okay. Everybody was blown away by how he could move. But then right before Worlds last year, about a month before, so TJ's like, you know what? I think we got to put this horse in park. So he went on to win the world championship class, pleasure class, you know the junior pleasure class, and then he was reserve world grand champion. So it was really special. The first ever horse that I have ever, you know, owned fully. First time at the world championship horse, so to get those ribbons was a blessing.

Alex Husner  18:54  
Yeah. Then

Sara Spaulding  18:55  
I ended up showing him at the Kentucky Fall Classic. We won there in one class, and then we went on to do. We got reserve national champion at the Royal, so that was really exciting. Up against Aerosmith, the infamous Aerosmith, who is you know just world champion. I mean, he's been world champion. I don't know for over 10 years in that division, so it was really special.

Alex Husner  19:15  
Yeah, no, and I remember you posted videos, not not just the video that I saw about coming back and how impactful that was, but you also posted videos from your car on the way to the show with your mom, and like you were documenting the whole journey. And I thought, gosh, like this is you know, I know if I'm in that situation, I'm going to want to do the same thing, and that's kind of what led me to do the podcast because I'm like, there's so much that you're thinking through at those times, and it's like you want to remember every second of it, because I have a feeling you're not going anywhere in this sport, and I'm not either. So it's like when we look back on these times a few years from now, it's going to be like, oh my gosh! That's one

Sara Spaulding  19:51  
thing I love about documenting everything. Like one day when I touch

kids, or you know, I'll always be able to cherish that. But ultimately, it is to inspire as many people as I can. And so many people want to be in that ring, or they can't, or they're just financially limited. And so to be able to show them and give them that feel behind the scenes and everything, I just know it goes a long way in other people's lives. And so, and obviously for you, seeing that one is

Speaker 2  20:15  
here.

Alex Husner  20:15  
So yeah, it works. It's sharing. Yeah, and on the sharing side, so it's interesting because you're in the same boat that I am. That up until I don't know January for me, my page was mostly about business and events that I was going to, and you know different things that I was doing, and you know a little bit of personal life on the boat and stuff like that. But now my feeds are literally just all horses, and I know some people are like, "What happened to Alex? Like she just, you know, all in on this. But I think you've done a good job, and I'm trying to do a good job of it too. Of like, you still have to maintain who you are professionally, though. That is still what's paying for all this, right? But like, at the end of the day, you know, showing something that you're so grateful for, that you worked so hard to have, and like, whether you're on horses or not? The comments I've gotten of people just being like, "It's so cool that you just made the decision you were going to do it and you did it. And I know that's same for you too. And and and I think it's it is that fine balance. But I mean, how have you kind of managed that with your social media?

Sara Spaulding  21:12  
Yeah, my perspective was branding yourself online, especially in the line of work that I do. Is it is kind of giving you know the audience different parts of your life, and for me, I've never wanted to be just all business and professional because if you know me or you know me more intimately, you're in my inner circle. I'm really like laid back, goofy, love to have fun, live life as well. I'm not. I don't take everything so serious. Now I'm one of the most competitive people in the world, and you know when I'm in the zone, I'm in the zone. But I like to have a good mix of it, because at the end of the day, we're just human. We're we're humans here. We're trying to create these really cool lives and achieve our dreams and max out our lives. But at the end of the day, too, it's like there's more to life than just business as well. And I I saw all these horse videos just take off. Literally, I think every time I post a reel about Astro, it takes off. Some have really taken off, even on TikTok as well, and that's what the people want. So I'm going to give the people what they want, right? Yeah. Like I try not to overthink it, you know. And if you want to follow me, you're going to see a mixture of different things. But it's more just about you know impacting, adding value, and ultimately inspiring people at the end of the day. Yeah,

Alex Husner  22:19  
100. So let's go back to okay. You purchased Astro. You followed your trainer's direction. He said he thinks this is a good horse. He had some hesitations, but what did that look like when you got him back to the barn and just like preparing? Because I mean, you ended up showing him that year. So like, what was the process like at that point?

Sara Spaulding  22:35  
Process got him into training. I really view it just as sports. Like Astro is a professional athlete, right? And so he has his own training regimen and had to lose some weight. And he was really out of shape, but I was at the point where I was I was able to ride him. So TJ, every time I would come to town, so at that point I lived out west and would fly into Kentucky in my previous life. You know, went through that major life transition, which we'll talk about here a little bit. But would fly in, so he would let me pop on him, and I would ride other lesson horses and stuff, and just got to work honestly. And I really, that's where this this training, the trainer piece, really comes into play. It's so important to trust them and just really know like they're gonna take care of it. And I I knew TJ was gonna really be able to bring out Astro's greatness just from what I've seen him do and other horses and and whatnot. And he's just one of the best. So it took, gosh. So we got him in March, and then the first show was Rock Creek. I think that was like the debut. I want to say first time, and didn't do the greatest with the ribbons, but they still did really well. And so he got his weight down. He got stronger and stronger and stronger. And then come Louisville time. I mean, a month before Louisville into Louisville, he just got better and better and better, and just was unbelievable going into that ring. They looked incredible, and then yeah, I showed him that fall, and it was hard being patient. I, you know, you know, you get it. You're in that that season right now because you know, obviously, when they're young, the trainers show them when they're four. That's a very normal process, and so I knew it'd be worth it. Like I want it to be all about the horse, what's best for the horse, and I still know that we're just getting started and we're learning each other. And I didn't share this, but I knew too when I wanted to come back showing, I wanted it to be a new horse. I wanted it to be like, hey, you know, never heard this horse before, and so that that was another thing. I didn't want to buy one that was a little bit older that had had won a ton, I really wanted. I wanted that, and I kind of feel like I'll always do that as I buy horses. I think I'll always buy younger and kind of be the new kids on the block. And so I just love how we've really built a really strong bond. He's just a little teddy bear. He's just incredible. I feel very safe on him. He's so receptive. He's a lot of game. He goes in that arena and he lights up. I mean, it's just it just reminds me when I was showing equitation on my that one mare and she would do the same. And it's just the greatest feeling in the world. You can't put it into words.

Alex Husner  24:51  
Yeah, no, totally get it. I haven't been. I've practiced in the show ring at Asheville at Blue Ridge this summer with chapstick and got a little bit of a feel for it, but like. They do. They perform differently when they know other people are watching them, and like you know, it was before the show, so it was insanity in there. I mean, there's horses going different directions. Like I'll never forget, I was walking down from the barn, and he saw his first hackney pony, and he just stopped and like, what is that? He never did this stuff. And then we get in the ring and there's a road horse like coming out of it. There's you know kids practicing and all the all these things. But I mean, he handled it just like a champ. And but was also you know you could tell he was so excited to be in there and watching Andrea show chapstick in his first class at that show. I'm sure that's how you felt at Rock Creek of like you are so damn proud of that animal that you know it's not your child, but it is your child, and like you're envisioning, right? Of like, oh my God, this is going to be me on him at some point. Like, how cool is that? But it was definitely an interesting moment to be able to watch from that perspective because you know, in my past life riding, I never, my trainers never rode my horses in the show. We got my first horse, so it was four, and she was finished at that point. Like she was with Joe Cornell, and she was ready to go. But she didn't need my trainer to ride her. Rider and my second show pony, same thing. He was seven, so he was ready to go. So I've never had that experience of like watching the trainer, but you felt there too, and and I feel it sometimes too. It's like you want it to happen sooner than than it needs to, and like and you do just have to be patient. And and I think it's it's really important, like you said, just to listen to your trainer and trust that they know the horse. They're with the horse every single day, and like they know in this process, like you can't rush them. Like it's really about letting them develop as they will, and you can tell horses that they're in the show ring that you know they have been rushed, and the amateurs is not ready to ride them, and and I don't, I don't want that by any means. And so I told Andrea when we started the season, knowing that we had bought the young horse. I said, if it ends up that it's next year that I get in the show ring, that's fine. I would love to be in the show ring the end of this year, but we'll see, you know. And like that's this this sport definitely teaches you patience. Just to gotta wait and see.

Sara Spaulding  26:57  
I don't have much patience, but it's all right. Right, all about the horse, right? And so TJ, he really is all about the horse. So am I. I will listen to anything that he recommends. He's the pro, like you said. He's working with the horses, and when they're young like that, they need to have those good experiences with a professional or a trainer. You know, if they're not finished, and learn the ring and really learn what their job is, and then they just grow to love it more and more, which is also so cool to see. They know they start to pick up, like, okay, we're out of the show. Okay, like we're about, you know, they they know they're so smart. They're so

Alex Husner  27:32  
yeah, they are. It's unbelievable, and you know, just all the things of seeing them learn alongside you. I just I think there's so much to that, and and you probably had the same options too. Of okay, you could have gotten a horse that was you know seven plus years old and maybe had you know some experience and a record to it, but totally felt the same way. I want a horse with a blank slate. That this can be our journey, and it actually made it a little bit less intimidating, to be honest, of getting a younger horse. Even though now I'm like I definitely bit off a lot to chew, but there's

Sara Spaulding  28:00  
the same thing too. Just so you know, like I was like, oh, okay, you know.

Speaker 2  28:05  
Yeah, there's

Alex Husner  28:06  
a lot. He has a lot to learn. I have a lot to learn. But yeah, at the end of the day, it's like the journey at the end of that, and like seeing it come to fruition. I mean, I can tell just from watching all of your content. Like it is so fulfilling because it wasn't just an easy just buy a horse that's finished and just trot right to the winner's circle. You know, I mean, this is going to be a long journey, and you know, it's the long ride home for both of us. Yeah,

Sara Spaulding  28:31  
and I like a challenge too. I really do like a challenge. It sounds a little messed up, but I'm not afraid of a challenge, and it's been really special. So, gosh, our yeah, our stories are just so similar. It's crazy. So TJ made the decision. Okay, he's going to go into park now, and then he wins at Louisville. That must been unbelievably exciting. But now you're back, and you're getting ready, and now you're probably riding him more often. I would imagine. Like, what were those practice rides heading into that first show like for you? Yeah, honestly, pretty good. I'd say we had such a solid ride at the Kentucky Fall Classic, and then when we entered that show ring, you know that was like mega big, like for him and for me. And he was the strongest he's ever been. But we were prepared, honestly. And sometimes, like ignorance is bliss. Like at that point, I still had a lot to learn. It's kind of funny looking back. Like I did really, really well in the classes, but I mean, he was strong. Like I was sore after my arms were sore. I'm like, oh lord! Like he's just gonna keep getting stronger and stronger. Yeah, it was really cool to finish a season off like we did, and you know, going up against Aerosmith and some of the best horses, obviously, you know, in the in the industry. I love going up against the best as well because I am so competitive. Yeah, so it was a good finish to the year. The trainings were were pretty good. We're pretty good, and then he had a little off time in the off season. And honestly, looking back, I just had a lot of personal life stuff going on. But I do wish I rode a little bit more than I did over the winter. That's maybe one. Little regret that I do have that I've learned. I'm like, okay, I need to be a little bit more consistent. So now I do have a little rental here in Kentucky, five minutes from the bar. Yeah, rest of my time, my half my time here, and then half like my other time in Chicago. I have apartment there, so that's another little dream come true. So my parents and I, they, they, we've always kind of discussed having a house down here because at that end of the day, you know, we we we're all from Wisconsin originally. My parents live there.

Alex Husner  30:22  
Those that

Sara Spaulding  30:23  
don't know, so we're the crazy ones that you know travel down to Kentucky and stay in hotels. You know, for a while ago I was out west and I lived out there and would fly in. But again, that's what you do for your dreams and and for animal life. So

Alex Husner  30:36  
100% yeah. And I think it becomes more clear as an adult that I feel like you know riding as a kid. I was very dedicated. I was at the barn three times a week. I back then I literally lived two minutes from the barn. So I mean I regret maybe took it for granted, but didn't know how nice that was to be that close. Now that I have to drive three and a half hours to the barn now, but you know don't regret any mile or any minute to make it happen. But you've been very open and sharing your journey online with Astro of even when things don't go the best, like if you missed a canner lead or you dropped your iron going into Lexington, and I love that. And like I've been saying this since I got back, of it's everyone wants to show the highlight reels, and and I love the highlight reels too. But I think it's really important to show when things are not going well because everybody who rides a horse knows it is not 100% all the time. I mean, like even if you buy the best horse in the world, you still are going to have challenges going into it. Did you think about that ahead of time? Of like that you were going to do that, or did it just hit you in the moment of like this is what I need to show?

Sara Spaulding  31:38  
I've always been pretty just vulnerable, I'd say, you know, online, and I know that it's an important piece of like branding yourself and just the story and just part of inspiring people. It's like at the end of the day, I'm not going to always go have a perfect ride. I'm not always going to go in, and there's moments of frustration and and getting through those moments, and so I like to share those behind the scene moments and those vulnerable moments when we don't do as well or whatever, but also there's that education piece alongside of it too, you know. Because I get a lot of questions of, or you know, people cheering me on like they want me to win and everything. I I feel like it's kind of I have some fans. It's like I don't want to let you guys down. Yeah, exactly. Pressure a little bit too, and I already put a lot of pressure on myself. But I just kind of I don't know if it it just hit me one time. I'm not really sure. Maybe you know what I think it was, Alex. When I showed the first time this year this season in April, my mindset like we were doing pretty good. I thought we were gonna go in and just win and like dominate, and I got I think second whatever it was. It was very humbling. It was very humbling. I think I like missed the lead or messed up something with the canner, and so I just like really realized like okay, I have a long ways to go, you know, and just humbled myself, put my ego aside, and I wanted to share that because I know it happens to all of us. And there's younger girls in the industry that follow me too, and I think some of us women can be perfectionists, and we're so competitive, we're so hard on ourselves, and it's okay to humble yourself. Yeah,

Alex Husner  33:01  
oh, 100% You have to have that

Sara Spaulding  33:03  
perspective too. I guess this is another part of it. Is at the end of the day, I'm doing what I've dreamt of doing for over 20 years, and I'm able to go to that ring, and I'm just so grateful for that. And so, yeah, that heart of gratitude. It does help you get through those harder moments or those moments where you lose, or you know, you don't get the ribbon you thought you were going to get in that perspective.

Alex Husner  33:22  
Yeah, I think it's so important because you know back in the day when we both rode, there was no you know social media at that time, so you never got to see any of the behind the scenes of what people were really working on. And you could see somebody in a class if something went wrong like that, and you know okay, they're probably bummed about it. But I think it is important to share, and I think it's just like we said earlier. You can one thing you say out of a million things you say could be that one aha moment that hits somebody that like needed to hear that and just feel like you know it's so it's okay. I mean, I also they could be thinking that they just they missed their counter lead and they've been killing themselves over it, and they you know didn't do well in that class, and it's just you dwell on it. And I think for myself as a kid, I was hard on myself, and I think my trainers were also they were pushing me in a very good way. But there was pressure for sure, and you know, I look back on the videos now, and I remember the rides were back in the day. I thought that that wasn't a good class. Like I remember honestly, I think I remember every single class I wrote in. But now, when I watch it at this age and and with this perspective, I'm like, oh my god! Like we looked great. Like we're like, there's nothing to worry about. You know, in the moment, like you can, you're so it's natural for all of us to be critical. And I'm sure as soon as I get in the ring, I'll be that way because I know that's how I am. I have my rides videotaped probably 90% of the time, whether I'm on chapstick or on other horses, because that's helped me to recognize where I need to improve. And you know, those early days of back in January, February, watching myself ride were horrifying. Yeah, I look back too, and I'm like, wow,

Sara Spaulding  34:55  
we've come a long way. Well, is you know, one thing I want to mention as on this. Is another thing as a rider on these beautiful, amazing horses is they're also depending on us as well, especially like really young. And so I think I beat myself up the most when I make an error that is just so blatantly like, oh, Sarah, you knew better, you know, whether it's like rehearsing or rushing the canner, and I think it's like those smaller little things that I get so hard on myself with because at the end of the day, like it's a team. You work as a team with these horses, and so I just wanted to add that in with this. Yeah,

Alex Husner  35:32  
well, you don't want you don't want to let anybody down. I mean, yourself, your horse, your trainer. I mean, like that's the pressure that we will still always put on ourselves in these situations. And you know the one thing that has grounded me in this process, especially having to be patient with the process and knowing you know the timeline for me to get in the showroom-it's TBD right now. But just being able to see progress every single time that I ride is so motivating to me. That like I don't think that I I've always wanted to see progress in everything I've done professionally, but to be able to now track that into something like this that I love so much. That's the motivation that keeps me going for sure. You know, I mean, that's it's all you need, just to see that you're getting better.

Sara Spaulding  36:11  
Kind of addicting too. I mean, today I think I mean TJ said we had like our best ride ever. You know, so that that progression it's a rewarding feeling. It's amazing, especially with how much work goes into it, you know, and it's oh yeah, that's another too with like winning and losing. I mean, there's been there was one ride specifically with the cleanest ride. I hands down thought I had it won. So there's those frustrating moments too, where it's like, oh my gosh, like we did everything great, and then everyone's telling you you should have won, like, and you have the crowd and all this. Yeah.

Alex Husner  36:38  
Again, at

Sara Spaulding  36:39  
the end of the day, it's that that heart of gratitude and like just centering yourself and being like you know what like just counting your blessings having that perspective it just goes such a long way. So

Alex Husner  36:48  
oh yeah I mean I my one glimpse besides my Richfield videos from back in the day I still have my journals that I wrote in when I was you know between like I don't know 10 to 15 years old and oh there's a lot of interesting things in there. But when I talk about the horses, when we get back from a show, if I didn't win, I would say, you know, everybody said that I should have won, and blah blah blah blah. And you know, I look back on that, and I'm like, I don't know if it was good or bad that people said that, because you know, when you start feeling like you're less than in a way, or like you were not given what you deserved, and I think that that really it started to kind of wear on me when that would happen, and and it happens, but like it's hard, right? Because like as whether you're a parent, parent or a friend or somebody or a trainer, you know, you want to tell the person that's on that horse like you did great, like you should have won that. But at the same time, that can can also create some sort of like a a loop in your head, I feel like

Sara Spaulding  37:41  
totally agree with that. I can relate to that absolutely. Yeah,

Alex Husner  37:44  
yeah. It's

Speaker 3  37:45  
like

Sara Spaulding  37:45  
what's what's the issue? What's going on? Like, why are we not win? Yeah, I can I can relate to that. Then always like catching yourself when you're having those negative self talks or telling false story, like you know recognizing that and pivoting your mindset. And luckily, I've learned that through sports and business and having a mentally strong, you know, mindset is that big part of it is mindset, and your horses feel everything that that you do, and so that's another big, big part of it outside of the physical.

Alex Husner  38:12  
Oh yeah, yeah, 100% So I'm looking more on like the personal side of things, and I know I feel a lot of what you've described to me in our other conversations, but I mean, what what has coming back to writing meant to you personally, and like, what has it helped bring out of you that maybe you had lost over the years?

Sara Spaulding  38:29  
Yeah, well, we were when we were talking, you know, the name of this podcast. I have felt, especially the last month or two, for sure, it's just brought me back to myself, and so

Alex Husner  38:39  
you know,

Sara Spaulding  38:40  
being somebody that's really successful in what I do, and you know, I have a lot of responsibility because I'm helping, and you know, a lot of people and mentoring a lot of people. So that's a lot of just weight on my shoulders day in and day out. Yeah. So you know, what it's meant to me is, I mean, at first, again, I feel like I'm my little girl self again, and I'm

Alex Husner  38:58  
truly. It

Sara Spaulding  38:59  
hit me when we were talking before we started recording, like I feel, I really feel like I've come home to myself, and I was going through a major transition. I'm not going to dive into all the details, but you know, I went through divorce this past year, and it was a decision that I made about a year ago, and I just knew that I had to cut ties and move forward and move on with my life. And Astro was actually a big, big part of helping me kind of get through that whole journey, but also recognizing things. You know, when I was in Kentucky and around my family and around the horses again, I felt more myself than I had in I don't know how many years-probably 10 years or more. Maybe since I was even playing soccer, I really, again, just really felt myself and that I found this passion, you know, once again, and remembered, you know, why I fell in love with it in the first place. So, and then on on top of that, Astro and having the horses and TJ, my friend, you know, the great people that I've been able to meet, and honestly, inspiring people has helped me too throughout this journey because, you know. When your life is flipped upside down and you have to reconfigure everything, rewire your brain, and you know, kind

Alex Husner  40:05  
of go

Sara Spaulding  40:05  
into your next chapter, it's hard. It's not easy. And having businesses and real estate and assets and going through the whole divorce process, it's like, man, it's not easy. It's not for the faint of heart. But I have no regrets, and so I'm truly the happiest I've been in such a long time, and Astro has just got me through some of the lowest of lows that I've, you know, I've been through in a very long time. Just going through that and kind of figuring out my new identity and who I am as a woman, what I want, what I want my life to look like, and he just brings me so much peace. That's what horses do; they they really are so good for the soul. And I think that's at the end of the day why so many of us are doing what we're doing and why we're so invested is just the what they do for our souls. Oh yeah,

it's really really special. So he's he's truly changed my life forever. He's my heart horse. I'm I'm never I can't even say this on here. I've said it online. Like I'm never selling that horse. I think everybody knows I want to hire him one day and you know, I could sell them. You know, obviously for a lot of money, but it's not about the money. It's

Alex Husner  41:05  
not not for sale. No, I totally totally get it. And I've said the same thing to to my trainer Andrea. I mean, her barn is mostly a lot of horses that are for sale. And somebody asked her, "Are all the horses in your barn for sale? And she said, "Yes, except for one. She was like, I don't think they'll ever sell them, and and she asked like not for any price, and she was like, I don't think so, like because you know I think that's just an interesting situation of chapstick for me, for my husband, for my dad, who was my biggest supporter as a kid in this, has just ignited something that was missing that you know not all of us knew was missing, but I I did, or I had that feeling, and it's really powerful. And I totally feel all of that. Of like, he is my heart horse, and I hope that we have him forever. We don't live on a farm. We I don't know that we can put a barn out back someday, but we'll figure out something. But it's the same way, kind of with all animals. I like you're close to all of them. If you have dogs, you love them all, but some of them are like they are really, really tied to your heart. And you know, for the horse side of things, it's like I totally understand what you mean on brings you back to yourself. And I know whenever I go to the barn, for me, like the early months was it was just such an escape from the day to day of like I tried to keep my phone away. If I had my phone out, it would be taking pictures or videos of chapstick, and it's so funny. Like he is a ham and a half, but he gets frustrated when I try to take videos of him. And I think it's him telling me, "Put the phone down. Like you're here to see me, you know. And it's like it wakes you up. Like okay, fine. Like I won't get any footage of you, and it's gonna make me angry later because I just I want everybody to see you, but they they have a way of. I think the horse is really they're a mirror of yourself in a lot of ways, and like it's just it's such a motivating thing to have in your life. And you know when things are difficult in business or whatever it is, I'm like still have chapstick. About horse, constant. You know, it's a

Sara Spaulding  42:59  
horse. It's a constant. They don't know what we're going through. It doesn't matter what we're going through. They don't judge us. Right. And I really believe animals are like a gift from God. They're angels on earth. Like not all of them, but like you know these these animals that are in our life. And I also believe they're in our life during the seasons that we're in because no matter kind of how they act or how they are, like for a reason to teach us things and mold us and shape us. And Astro, I go in there and I just hug him. Like I spend a ton of time in his stall. Yeah, he. I think he knows he's Instagram famous because anytime I pull my camera, he puts his nose up to it and yeah, he knows grab it. But we obviously take a lot of footage and it's fun. So I kind of wish I had somebody just to kind of follow me around more. Yeah,

Alex Husner  43:40  
exactly. That would make it easier. Yeah, right. Like I do want to have

Sara Spaulding  43:44  
my intimate time and like be unplugged, but it's a balance in a way, kind of doing both. But because it is an escape, you know, it's an escape, and it just is so fulfilling. Well, and they

Alex Husner  43:54  
connect into your energy, like you know, when you're around a horse a lot, like they really do connect into that. And it was it was funny last week when we were at the barn, and also a similar side note: the video that you had posted of getting your new suit last year. I remember seeing that, and I went to I can never say the name

Sara Spaulding  44:13  
Degen Root, Degen Root,

Alex Husner  44:15  
yes, yeah, Doreena, Doregana.

Sara Spaulding  44:18  
Am I saying it wrong now?

Alex Husner  44:19  
It's the hardest name to say, but I'm sure people know it's the day name. They make the love you, but we're sorry. But and they were amazing to work with, and and we actually we picked out my and I almost I did this knowing our first show that we took Chapstud to practice with at was J D Massey, and they came down basically to that show just to meet me. Like flew in to get me fitted for my suit, and but I knew going into that, I'm like, I have to get my suit now because like that's another commitment to like this is gonna happen. Like I, you know, you you there's certain things like you gotta get the horse, you gotta get the saddle, you gotta get the suit. Like then you gotta figure out all the other things, but like those are. Critical parts of being able to get in the show ring, and and I'm so glad I did. But we picked out this like really really pretty rich like blue. It's it's blue. It's like it's like a really pretty royal blue. And and his his color is similar to Astros. I think he's like a little more maybe a little bit darker chestnut, but like but pretty close, I'd say. And blue is my favorite color as far as like pink sometimes, but normally I'm wearing like blue is good on on blonde, so I was excited about it. But we also had ties made for my dad and for my husband, so that on steak night when I show in a championship someday, they can wear the ties that match the suit. So yeah, and here's a funny story too. Before I get to the loop of it, but when I was telling Michael, my husband, about it, he said, "What's steak night? I said, "That's when you show in the championship. And and bless his heart, he said, "Well, what if I want to eat sushi that night? Oh my gosh! It's not like you just you have to eat steak that night. It's just it's it's not spelled the state the same way. It's S D A K E. The funny stories of him learning all this stuff. Of there's like the bloopers are hilarious, but so anyways, we I got my suit and I finally got it. I had to go back for alterations and got it back last week, and it fits like a glove. So you know it's ready in the closet. Just gotta get it steamed. But I took one of the ties. Yeah, I know. I can't wait. But I took one of the ties up to the barn last weekend because I just wanted to. I'm like, I have a feeling this is gonna look really good with this coat. I want to see it for sure. So I had just finished riding, was about to leave, and then I got back in the car, and I remembered I had that tie, and I was like, "Oh shoot, I got to go back in. So I go back to his stall, and he's still in the cross ties, and I put the tie over over his like back and his neck. And for a horse that like normally he gets frustrated if I'm like trying to take a video of him, he just looked over and stared, and like it was like he knew, like, "Oh, okay, that's like this is this is that's what you know. That's the color that's going to be on me when you ride, Mom. And he just looks so happy and excited, and like the color for sure looks spectacular on him. So they they they they feed off you, you know. And like I think he knew in that moment that was like an exciting thing to see. Yeah.

Sara Spaulding  47:17  
Yeah. They know. They know. Blue is a great color. Yeah, especially you said with your blonde hair and his color, it's gonna look great. Oh, I can't wait to see you, Sean. Oh

Alex Husner  47:25  
my God, I know it's it's it's gonna be a long, slightly long time coming. I'm definitely gonna cry. I did well. That's a good question too. Like for me, honestly, I worry about that. Of like the first ride, I think is gonna be emotional for me before it, but then after it, like, did you get emotional the first time that that you showed?

Sara Spaulding  47:44  
After I did, yeah. After I did, it just it was just such a surreal feeling. I I don't want to say I don't think I was super nervous. Oh, maybe I. Oh man, I sometimes I kind of black out because the adrenaline and you know, and I'm like trying to think, but um, but yeah, it was a really emotional time for sure, especially my my few first classes, and and then when I had a good ride and I got my first you know blue ribbon, I think actually I did cry when I got my first blue ribbon. Oh, I

Alex Husner  48:11  
bet, yeah, yeah, like

Sara Spaulding  48:14  
lucky fall class. Like I I cried after. I think I might have been in the stall. I don't think anybody saw, but I went in, walked on him, and yeah, it was just that alone. Again, just getting that alone. The journey, just getting getting in the

Alex Husner  48:28  
ring, no

Sara Spaulding  48:28  
ring. Yeah, yeah. So many have no idea, you know. And just that moment is so special. So it will be emotional for you for sure.

Alex Husner  48:38  
Yeah, I'm probably gonna be calling you beforehand and be like, okay, anytime. Yeah. So to wrap up, and I definitely want to have you on more on the show. And I've had some people that I just kind of want to have as regular commentators on here because I think there's there's so much to talk through of what's going on, both in your journey and also what's going on in the industry, but for right now, you know, still focused on on you and Astro for this one. You're about to head to Louisville. This episode's going to air, I think, a week or two before Louisville actually happens. So, tell us about what you're feeling going into that show and and what you're most excited about.

Sara Spaulding  49:18  
I am. I don't even know how to fully describe it. I still feel like I'm in a dream. I don't want to sound like too corny with that, but I really do feel like it's not even happening. It's not real, honestly. I don't know if I want to call it like imposter syndrome or what, but I'm like, wait, this is happening. This is happening.

Speaker 4  49:36  
Funny,

Sara Spaulding  49:36  
funny gif of like, or no, that one clip of The Office of that guy, like it's happening, it's happening. Like that's how I feel.

Speaker 4  49:42  
I'm like, okay,

Sara Spaulding  49:43  
how I feel. But I feel very ready, especially after our last class and show that we did. I did a little small class, like show here in Shelbyville, just to get back in the ring one more time. We had a solid ride, and then my last few rides, you know. Astro have just been the best that we've had, so I feel like we're we're ready as ready as we can be, and you know I have a lot of peace and confidence with that. You know I've done I've done my work, he's done his work, and and then it really just comes down to how you do under the pressure, under the lights, and the ring. But my I'm most excited for we're gonna do a training ride in there, so I'm excited for that. I'll probably just cry.

Alex Husner  50:22  
Yeah,

Speaker 2  50:22  
just train ride

Sara Spaulding  50:24  
going going in the arena. But know anything about Freedom Hall? You know, I just I can't wait to just enter that arena for the first time. I think honestly, that's what I'm looking forward to the most because I will never forget when I'm gonna cry. Oh, when I was 10 or 11, like you know, like I was actually going to show my equitation horse, but we ended up selling her right before, and and I have green shavings saved from back when I was like 10 or 11 years old in my little box of all my own. Oh my gosh!

Alex Husner  50:53  
Wow!

Sara Spaulding  50:54  
And I'll never forget being up way up high, looking down. Like one day I will show here, and so I've attended a lot of these shows and watched, you know, on the sideline there, and it's just it's just the best feeling in the world when when you truly live out a dream and you make it a reality. So I'm going in there to do the best that we can, but I also know that we're young and we're going up against the best, right? And I'm going to win. I'm going to win. Okay. Super grateful, but it's it's a surreal pinch me moment because there's a lot of riders that never even ever go into that ring or ever even show in there,

Alex Husner  51:32  
right? That just dream about it. Yeah, yeah.

Sara Spaulding  51:34  
So and one day you're gonna be in there next year. Oh,

Alex Husner  51:37  
absolutely. Yeah, I mean, and because literally, you know, I have, yeah, yeah, but multiple times as a kid, yeah. So like, I and it's, have you ever ridden in the ring on the years you've been?

Sara Spaulding  51:50  
I I haven't even ridden in the ring. Okay, so I

Alex Husner  51:53  
will, I will tell you this. The one thing I remember, and it's crazy because it's like you know, 26 years ago, that was actually my last show was Louisville in the year 2000, but like when you're at that show and you're watching the classes and you're around the show and everything else, when you're in the warm up ring and then when you go down into the shoot, it feels totally different, like than what you observed watching the shoot and everything else. And maybe that's the same with every horse show, but I mean, I think it's probably the most dramatic at that show of like all of a sudden everything that you thought you knew about that ring it just it hits you of like I think it's the impact probably that it's like it's just it's a lot and I mean that in the best of ways but like it just when you actually are on the horse and going down there you're like okay it's game time it's like the most exhilarating feeling in the world but and in episode one of this podcast, when I came back, like that was my first reel I did in the first episode. I said, you know, my last time there, I got fourth in a very competitive class, and I'll never forget this. I went up to the after I'd shown, went back to the arena to get my videos from Richfield, and was standing at the top of the shoot, and I was still, you know, my vest and my my jaws and everything, and looking down and thinking like I knew this was the end for foreseeable future, but I said to myself will be back, and like I remember, cry. I remember saying that to

Sara Spaulding  53:15  
myself. We knew we were.

Alex Husner  53:16  
But I remember saying it to myself, and I think you you obviously did the same, and it's like you know, that's the cool part about this is you know doing what you said you were going to do,

Sara Spaulding  53:26  
doing what you said you were going to do, and then ultimately this ripple effect that we can have in people's lives and inspire them, you know, to go do big things.

Alex Husner  53:35  
Oh,

Sara Spaulding  53:35  
yeah. And I've heard from a lot, you know, I've seen a lot of comments of just wait till you step foot in there with the air conditioning. You know, you kind of go downhill, and I'm really looking forward to that. And you know, one thing we didn't really even touch on what to do it in the future. Just there's obviously a lot of haters out there and people that don't understand the American saddleband, and so that's another whole goal. And I know you have that that goal as well. It's just to educate more people and just show the brilliance of these just magnificent these horses. They're just they're so different than any other breed. And so, you know, to any of you guys listening, if if you are someone that wants to post more and you want to show off your horses more and inspire others, don't worry about you know the hateful comments or the people that are uneducated. Because if you can leave an impact in one person's life, you know, that's so worth it, and that's how I view the social media stuff, right? Because look at us-we're here crying about going and showing our our horses, and that's power behind, you know, these just these American saddlebreds, and so it is just truly incredible what what they can do for us. Like they do so much for us that they don't-they don't even realize how much they do for

Speaker 2  54:44  
us. Oh,

Alex Husner  54:44  
not at all. Yeah, I mean, show your horse. Just like the announcer says, show your horse. Show show what you're working on. Show what you're working through. Show the good times. Show the bad times. Show the learning moments. All of it. Because to your point, I think that's where you know the impact that that can. Have on this industry is is massive because I mean that is where we're in you know modern marketing and our businesses and that's where things are and that's how people are discovering every kind of brand or any kind of service and you know every time I post a video of chapstick now I have people that don't know anything about horses and they'll say you know that's the most beautiful horse I've ever seen is they've never seen a saddlebred before, but the more that we can get people to know about the breed and how amazing they are, and and if they, you know, not everybody has to get involved in them, but like just to want to see them and want to go out to a show, you know, I mean, like just to go and support and sit in the stands, like there, there's so much more that I think we can reach from a visibility standpoint, and I'm excited by what you've done and and inspired by what you've done, and for me, the podcast was my way of kind of trying to do something similar because that's that's what I do in my daily work. So it's it's it's going to be fun. I can't wait until the first show where we're both there and I can cheer you on and vice versa. And it's going to be a lot of fun and just you know tracking these journeys together and and we're adult amateurs returning to something that we love a lot. Exactly, a lot of ups and downs. The upsurge. If we can do it,

Sara Spaulding  56:08  
if we can do it, other people can do it. You know, we're just proof that that that they can do it. You know, down to the side. So, well, you're an inspiration, Alex. Too. It's been great, like getting to know you and talking to you. And I love what you're doing. This podcast is just-it's gonna be epic, and I can't wait to spread the word and help you continue to grow it.

Alex Husner  56:27  
Yeah, thank. I appreciate that. My follower count went like through the roof as soon as you posted the other day, so it's-it's cool. Well, if anybody wants to get in touch with you, Sarah, what's the best way for them to reach out?

Sara Spaulding  56:39  
Yeah, you can follow me on Instagram, just Sarah Spalding underscore, or Sarah Spalding on Facebook. No H and Sarah, H's aren't you, but no, I'm guessing you'll put it in the bio too of the podcast. But you can just contact me there, shoot a DM, comment on my stuff. If I don't get back to you right away, I will eventually. I get inundated, but please reach out, and if you see me at a show, or if you see Alex around, like come up to us, say hi. I love when you guys, you know, come up and say hi. You know, don't don't be shy. Okay, I'm I'm friendly. I don't bite. So I try and tell people that, like, come up and say hi. I love when that happens. So it means the world to me. So

Alex Husner  57:16  
yeah, it it does, especially when like you've been away for this for so long. I mean, and you're well ahead of me at the at this point. But it's like you know, I I know the people I know from back in the day, but I haven't been at shows with actually really many of them at all. But it is, it's like you can feel a little bit lonely. So you know, and part of that was why I wanted to do the podcast was to meet more people and connect. And you know, I'm far away from a lot of stuff. But yeah, no, I think the more like-minded people that you can connect with, and there's a lot of us in this journey together, the better, and just makes the whole experience more fulfilling. So, thanks for tuning in, everybody. If you want to get in touch with me, you can go to the website. It's thesaddlebredpodcast.com, and also follow us on socials. So, it's the same handle for Instagram and Facebook, the Saddle Bread Podcast, and until next time, thanks everybody.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai