#MeToo In the Horse World: Mollie Bailey’s Story of Courage
Release Date: 04/05/2019
Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association Founder, Bob Cacchione
Because of Horses
Today’s guest on Because of Horses is Bob Cacchione — a living legend in the horse world — and one to whom so many owe immense gratitude for founding the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA)!
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An Incredible Story of Healing and Transformation: The Horse Boy, with Rupert Isaacson
Because of Horses
Following one’s passion isn’t always about making our own life better — sometimes, we get a very unique opportunity to fully harness the skills, talent, experience, connections, and interests we possess in the service of someone we love. This is precisely what happened in Rupert Isaacson’s case when his young son, Rowan, was diagnosed with autism. And in Rupert’s very real quest to help his little boy, he discovered a therapeutic approach that could help others who are on the same journey
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Listeners’ Choice Collection: Excerpts From Our Most Popular Guests
Because of Horses
This week Elise is bringing you an especially fun episode because it’s all about you — the listeners! This episode will be featuring the four guests that listeners have chosen as their favorites from the 103 episodes that have aired in Seasons 1 and 2 thus far! Elise will be sharing the best excerpts from these incredible episodes as she counts down the top favorite guests, including Stacy Westfall, Through Rider Gillian Larson, Guy McLean, and King Ranch's James Clement
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Helping Our Horses Dance, with Visconte Simon Cocozza
Because of Horses
Elise’s guest today wondered about the difference between the horse that moves so beautifully it’s like dancing vs. a horse that doesn’t… or possibly can’t. He recognized that it’s all about the horse’s inner strength and balance and that the way to help the horse achieve this difference is through applying yoga principles, designed and intended for humans, to our equine partners!
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What Science and Experience Tell Us About How Horses Learn with Dr. Stephen Peters
Because of Horses
Elise’s guest today, neuroscientist, author, and horseman, Dr. Stephen Peters, was frustrated by the many often opposing views about training and working with his own horses. Dr. Peters decided to apply his knowledge of the human brain to developing science-based horsemanship to understand how a horse’s brain and its behavior are related and how they, in turn, affect learning
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EQUUS Film Festival: Horses in the Arts
Because of Horses
Lisa Diersen is the Founder and Director of the EQUUS Film Festival, recognized as the largest showcase of equestrian film, art and literature in the world. An avid horsewoman and movie lover, Lisa believes in the power of telling stories through film. She founded the EQUUS Film Festival with the mission of showing the world how horses can bring everyone together regardless of race, age, gender, ability or disability
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Shawn Flarida: NRHA $6 Million Reiner
Because of Horses
This week, the Because of Horses Podcast is celebrating its 100th episode with a very special conversation with legendary reiner, Shawn Flarida! Shawn is the winner of five gold medals at the World Equestrian Games, winner of the All-American Quarter Horse Congress nine times, and the first person to break the $6 million mark in Reining, which he did at the 2017 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Futurity.
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Mark Rashid, Considering the Horse
Because of Horses
Mark Rashid is an internationally acclaimed trainer, clinician, and prolific author, renowned for taking the guesswork out of communicating with our horses. His ability to understand the horse’s point of view and solve difficult problems with communication rather than force is unmatched.
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Desert Flight: A Love Letter to Show Jumping, with Filmmaker Samia Staehle
Because of Horses
"Desert Flight" is an award-winning film documentary that explores the horse-human bond through the world of show jumping. Filmmaker Samia Staehle’s goal was to capture the visceral way horses enrich our lives and our senses. The film provides an honest look at how much the sport of show jumping means to its participants through the perspectives of equestrians from different walks of life.
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The Hampton Classic Collection: Talking with the Greats
Because of Horses
This week is a very special edition of Because of Horses! Your host, Elise Gaston Chand, talks with some of the horse world’s most accomplished equestrians — sharing their riding and training philosophies, their insights into horses, advice for aspiring competitors, and their fondest memories of the Hampton Classic Horse Show! These featured guests are Georgina Bloomberg, Kelli Cruciotti, Peter Wylde, Joe Fargis, and Chief Press Officer Marty Bauman
info_outlineElise's guest on this episode is Mollie Bailey, senior reporter at The Chronicle of the Horse, and the author of “#MeToo: The Story of A Trainer, A Trophy and An All-Too-Common Betrayal.” The article, which ran one year ago, continues to rattle the horse industry as abuse survivors from across the country share their stories.
Mollie’s investigative reporting connected the #MeToo movement in the broader community to the world of equestrian sport. Through her tactful interviews and powerful writing, Mollie helped to give voice to women who for decades had held their stories close to their hearts. She kept the needs and stories of the women at the forefront while maintaining the highest standards of journalistic integrity.
For 28 years, the US Equestrian Federation presented a silver cowboy hat called the Jimmy A. Williams Trophy to the winner of its lifetime achievement award. Williams, who died in 1993, was a prominent horseman based at the Flintridge Riding Club in Southern California. But in 2017, the organization quietly removed Williams’ name from the trophy. Mollie heard rumors connecting Williams to possible sexual misconduct, and she began to investigate.
Williams worked with as many as 37 future top professional riders during his career. Among these riders were U.S. Olympian Anne Kursinksi and US Equestrian Federation chef d’ équipe DiAnn Langer, both of whom accused Williams of inappropriate sexual behavior and agreed to tell their stories to Mollie.
Mollie’s article received widespread acclaim both in and out of the equine industry. It inspired stories and was referenced in both The New York Times and the online newsletter Deadspin.
“#MeToo: The Story of A Trainer, A Trophy and An All-Too-Common Betrayal” prompted countless other women to come forward to share their own stories of sexual assault and misconduct. It helped to initiate necessary dialogue around a difficult subject that for too long has remained hidden within the industry.