Episodes

In this episode of The Long Ride Home, Alex Husner sits down with Hannah Padgett, founder of Phoenix Accounting and EquiAssist, to talk about the business behind the horse world and how decades spent inside the industry shaped the work she is building today. After 20 years as a horse trainer, Hannah brings a rare perspective to the challenges facing barns and equine businesses. From hiring and outdated systems to the many roles trainers are expected to juggle, she has seen firsthand where the...

In this episode of The Long Ride Home, Alex Husner sits down with Sara Spaulding for a conversation about returning to the saddle after 22 years away and what it means to come back to something that has always felt like part of who you are. Alex and Sara share a similar path. Both stepped away from horses for decades as life, work, and other priorities took over, and both eventually found their way back to the Saddlebred world they had never completely left behind. For Sara, that return be...

In this special bonus episode of The Long Ride Home, Alex Husner sits down with Chapstick’s trainer, Andrea Harry of Meraki Farm, following his show ring debut at the Blue Ridge Classic in Asheville. Recorded on-site just after an important milestone in their journey, the conversation captures Chapstick at the beginning of his career: still young, still learning, and already carrying himself as though he belongs in the ring. Alex and Andrea talk about the early stages of developing a young...

Lauren Magee never stopped loving horses. After nearly 30 years away from the American Saddlebred world, her daughter’s interest in riding created an unexpected path back to the saddle. In this episode of The Long Ride Home, Lauren joins Alex Husner for a conversation between two returning adult riders finding their way back after decades away. As Alex continues her own return after 26 years, she and Lauren connect over the physical challenges, mental shifts, small breakthroughs, and deep sen...

Send a Message In this episode of The Long Ride Home, Alex welcomes Kelly Berry, owner of KB Media Equine and creator of the docuseries Inside the InGate, for a conversation about storytelling, visibility, and the real side of equestrian sport. Kelly grew up in the hunter jumper world and built a creative career around photography, marketing, and content strategy before bringing that expertise into the equestrian space. Through KB Media Equine, she is helping tell a fuller story of horse spor...

Send a Message In this episode of The Long Ride Home, Alex sits down with Key Waller for a conversation about family legacy, motherhood, and what it feels like to return to the Saddlebred show ring after 11 years away. Key grew up surrounded by American Saddlebreds at Blythewood Farms, where horses, breeding, and the show ring were part of everyday life. As a third-generation Saddlebred owner and breeder, she has always understood the beauty of the breed, along with the pressure that can come...

Send a Message In this episode of The Long Ride Home, Alex Husner sits down with Brody Hickman, founder of Brody Hickman Riding Academy, for a conversation about horses, horsemanship, and the experiences that shape a rider across disciplines. Brody’s path began with Saddlebreds and Morgans, then expanded into Quarter Horses, reining, Western pleasure, and teaching. Through each chapter, one theme has stayed consistent: before riders choose a discipline, they need to understand the horse. T...

Send a Message In this episode of The Long Ride Home, Alex reconnects with fellow Saddlebred rider and amateur exhibitor Dr. Amanda O’Keefe for a thoughtful conversation about horses, confidence, trainer trust, and the lessons that come from a lifetime in the sport. Alex and Amanda used to ride together at Cricket Hill, and their conversation brings a shared history to the surface, from the influence of their mothers to the memories, horses, and people that shaped their early years in the Sad...

Send a Message In this episode of The Long Ride Home, Alex Husner is joined by Jack Latorre, Founder and CEO of Equibody Fitness, for a conversation about rider fitness, body awareness, and what it really takes to come back to the saddle with strength and confidence. As Alex continues her return to riding after 26 years away, she has quickly realized that remembering how to ride is only part of the journey. The body changes. Tension shows up in new places. Strength, mobility, and stability ma...

Send a Message In this episode of The Long Ride Home, Alex Husner sits down with Emma Hudelson, author of Sky Watch, for a conversation about horses, writing, and the lasting pull of the American Saddlebred. Emma shares how her fascination with Sky Watch deepened after seeing footage of the legendary horse at the American Saddlebred Museum, and how that moment led her into years of research, interviews, and writing. What began as a search to better understand one of the breed’s most iconic ho...

Send a Message In this episode of The Long Ride Home, Alex Husner sits down with her trainer, Andrea Harry, Owner of Meraki Farm, for a conversation about horsemanship, timing, and the journey that brought them together. As a key part of Alex’s return to the saddle, Andrea shares more about her own journey in the American Saddlebred world and the road that led her to become a trainer. She reflects on her early start in the industry, the horses and experiences that shaped her, and what it has ...

In the very first episode of The Long Ride Home, Alex Husner shares the deeply personal story behind her return to the American Saddlebred world after 26 years away. From her final memory of walking out of Freedom Hall at 15 years old to the moment she realized it was finally time to come back, this episode is about far more than horses. It is about identity, timing, courage, and what happens when something that shaped you never fully lets you go. Alex opens up about growing up in the Saddlebr...