By Tania Millen, BSc, MJ

If you need a break from listening to music or the news, consider tuning in to a free podcast. With thousands of episodes available, you should be able to find something that grabs your interest. From horse industry news to expert help, insider tips to business ideas, there’s a program for everyone.

There are lots of times in the horse world that are perfect for listening to podcasts, too. You could tune in when you’re traveling to and from the barn, mucking stalls, cleaning tack, or hauling to horse events. You might hear the latest in training, feeding, stabling, or veterinary care, be inspired to interact with your horse differently, or find out what top riders are up to.

Not sure where to start? Here’s a curated list of 18 free horse industry podcasts that will inspire, teach, encourage, and entertain. Check them out on Apple Podcasts, Audible, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or directly from their webpage. 

Happy listening!

1. Equestrian Adventuresses

This podcast has over 270 episodes on horse travel and adventures for and by women riders. Riders can learn about travelling by horse from those who have done it in countries around the world. The 40-minute episodes include how-to tips and interviews with everyday riders who have ventured out with their horses for weeks or months at a time. Their journeys are inspiring.

2. Equestrian Author Spotlight

In this podcast, Carly Kade interviews equeustrian authors and writers about their books, characters, writing process, and all things horse. Whether you want to hear about how to write for the horse industry, interview horse industry legends, work in Hollywood, or write your memoir, this podcast is fascinating, helpful, and unique. There are over 100 one-hour long episodes.

3. The Whole Horse Podcast

Author, teacher, Equine Sport Therapist, horse lover, and rebel Alexa Linton explores the horse-human partnership with special guests, with 96 (and counting) one-hour podcasts. Together, they shed light on all the different ways of relating to and being with horses, learning how to cultivate optimal health for horses and their riders, uncovering the many facets of horse training, and sharing about the rather bumpy ride of becoming an advocate for horses in our current horse industry. 

4. Best Horse Practices

Cohosts Jec Ballou and Maddy Butcher share an endearing chemistry in this podcast including special guests such as Warwick Schiller, Jim Masterson, and others. Featuring topics ranging from horse fitness to saddle fit to horse psychology, there are 90 episodes to absorb, ranging in length from 20 to 60 minutes. Author of 101 Dressage Exercises for Horse and Rider, and owner of Jec A Ballou Fitness & Performance, horse trainer Jec Ballou offers a space for riders and horse owners of all disciplines to learn best practices and discover ways to connect better and make progress with their horses. 

5. Feed Room Chemist

Hosted by equine nutritionist Dr. Jyme Nichols, this podcast combines science with feeding advice for your horse. There are over 100 episodes which last about 20 minutes each and hone in on one particular topic. Nichols summarizes the latest research, addresses myths, and suggests how the information can help your horse. It helps riders figuratively sort the wheat from the chaff. Topics range from hay cubes to teff, amino acids to hemp, and more.

6. Heels Down Happy Hour

This podcast is billed as “what’s happening in the horse world, over drinks” and it delivers just that. The hosts conduct serious interviews with horse industry insiders in an informal setting and often share their favourite recipes for a (usually alcoholic) beverage. The lighthearted approach with serious timely interviews make this podcast fun to listen to. There are over 100 one-hour long episodes which address topics such as the affordability of horse shows, arena footing, and putting your horse in your will.

7. Horse Chats

Australian-based International Horse College has produced almost 900 episodes of this podcast, all of which contain interviews with horse industry experts. Episodes are about 30 minutes long and those voted favourites by listeners are often republished. Individual webpages for each episode are particularly useful, providing background about the speaker and the times when the interviewee discusses specific information. Topics range from improving show jumping competition results to 10 steps for bringing horse back to fitness, and everything in between.

8. Horse Training in Harmony with Karen Rolfe

In this podcast, Karen Rolfe provides insights and suggestions on how to balance relationship-building with performance progression. Rolfe is a horsemanship-based dressage rider and addresses one topic in each episode by sharing her thoughts, answering questions, and interviewing experts. Her relaxed manner and tight topic framing help impart useful information. Topics include boundaries, communication, connection, and purpose. There are over 100 episodes of 30 to 60 minutes each.

9. Horses in the Morning

This podcast is the largest in the world, airing every weekday morning on the east coast of the USA. By August, 2022 the hosts had recorded 3,000 episodes of light entertainment and interviews with horse lovers and equine experts across the globe. The podcast includes monthly episodes about endurance, sales and breeding, sidesaddle, and rider instruction, plus host Horse Illustrated and Sidelines magazines.

10. Practical Horseman Podcast

Cohosted by Practical Horseman magazine editors, this podcast offers conversations with respected performance sport riders and industry leaders. Interviews include horse industry icons such as show-jumping Olympian Anne Kursinski, top hunter rider Liza Boyd, and eventers Buck Davidson and William Fox-Pitt. Recently, they’ve also offered five-minute mini-podcasts that quickly explain one topic such as overcoming show nerves or how to walk a 12-foot stride around a show jumping course.

11. Ride On with Julie Goodnight

Julie Goodnight produces this monthly podcast that provides Western-based training and horse management how-to for amateur riders. She chats for about an hour and a half about what’s happening in her life, a specific training issue, plus answers questions that followers have sent in prior to the show. Topics include training setbacks, rearing, getting ready for a show, grooming tips, and safety, among others.

12. Stall and Stable

In this podcast, host Helena interviews experts and horse business people about horsekeeping and horse business how-to. It is surprisingly informative, providing interesting business tips for the myriad small operations in the horse industry. There are over 100 episodes, each lasting about 45 minutes. Topics range from the pitch of your barn roof to marketing tips and business planning.

13. The Equestrian Podcast with Bethany Lee

Bethany Lee interviews horse industry insiders in over 260 episodes of this podcast, which gives listeners a peak into unexpected corners of the horse industry. Lee’s interviews cover a whole gamut of fascinating topics from wild horse management to judging equitation, polo player fitness to fashionable backpacks for grooms, riding blind to equine law. Each episode is about 40 minutes long and offers a behind-the-scenes view by a niche expert.

14. The Horse First: A Veterinary Sport Horse Podcast

In this podcast, Dr. Audrey DeClue discusses sport horse injuries. In over 50 episodes, she explains a specific injury or area of injury, how it occurs, and summarizes the latest research on the topic. Occasionally, she’ll bring in another expert as well. DeClue’s entertaining manner and nontechnical explanations make this podcast really accessible while the information about how to prevent injuries is useful.

15. The Humble Hoof

Alicia Harlov is passionate about hooves and in this podcast she interviews professionals from across the horse industry whose work affects horses’ feet and soundness. Topics include transitioning shod horses to barefoot, asymmetric hooves, soft tissue injuries in the hoof capsule, and how to trim elephant feet (because we’ve always wanted to know, right?). There are over 70 episodes, each less than an hour long.

16. The Journey with Warwick Schiller

There are over 80 episodes of Warwick Shiller’s podcast, most of which encompass interviews with well-known horse industry experts. The experts discuss how their journey in the horse industry evolved and Schiller shares how they contributed to his own life journey. Each episode is one-and-a-half to two hours long.

17. The Willing Equine

Adele Shaw offers more than 60 podcast episodes ranging from 30 to 90 minutes each. She narrates stories, leads discussions, and interviews experts about how to improve the horse/human relationship while encouraging science-based and ethically minded horse training. Shaw has tackled the practical aspects of using positive reinforcement to more esoteric topics such as how our horses teach us. 

18. Train Your Own Horse with Stacey Westfall

Stacey Westfall has produced almost 200 weekly podcasts which are about 30 minutes long. She shares tips on how to be a better rider by focusing on mental issues, discusses how riders tend to view their horses, and provides alternate ways of thinking. Each episode is clearly framed and provides listeners with new ideas to ponder or actions to take to become a more effective rider.

More by Tania Millen

Main photo: Shutterstock/Spaxiax and Shutterstock/Galative