Laura Bruner: Making the Barn the Classroom, Not the Reward

This Week on In Stride  Sinead Halpin-Maynard sits down with Laura Bruner to talk about the education gap she saw across 25 plus years in the horse world and the college preparatory academy she built to close it.Meet the Guest: Laura Bruner  Laura Bruner is the founder and executive director of Equis Amare College Preparatory Academy (EACPA), a nonprofit college prep high school for equestrian students opening in Penn Valley, California this fall. She spent 20 years on the Hunter/Jumper A circuit, training under Olympians Peter Breakwell and Miguel Leal, and has started more than 350 horses over her 25 plus year career. Laura built EACPA to close the education gap she saw across the industry, pairing core academics with hands-on horsemanship and industry credentialing.Equis Amare College Preparatory Academy"Every horse, every student has a story... The question is: what part of that story do you want to be?”If you want to learn more about EACPA, check it out here.In This Episode, Sinead and Laura Discuss:Why Laura built a bridge between the "real world" of school and the "real world" of the barn instead of asking students to choose oneHow EACPA's no phone policy protects the soul to soul connection between horse and riderTurning the horse industry's biggest staffing problem, professionals doing 17 jobs with no time to train the next generation, into a pipeline of educated working studentsWhy the "bombproof horse" doesn't exist, and how a fundamental level of education protects parents and clients from costly mistakesEpisode SponsorsConnaway & Associates The friendly and knowledgeable team at Connaway & Associates brings together more than 30 years of experience to offer a wide range of insurance services, including horse insurance, farm insurance, and liability insurance.Visit www.connaway.net or call 501-868-8084 to explore your options.Equine Emergency Vet Care Guide Created by equine veterinarian Dr. Erica Lacher, the Equine Emergency Vet Care Guide app helps horse owners recognize the signs of a true emergency, know when to call the vet, and understand what to do while help is on the way.Download from the App Store or Google Play at EquineEmergencyApp.comIn Stride Is Brought to You by Ride iQRide iQ helps everyday riders ride with more clarity, confidence, and purpose through on-demand audio lessons from world-class coaches.Members also get:Weekly live Q&As with equestrian expertsExclusive podcast episodesDressage test prep resourcesA supportive learning communityStart your free 14-day trial at Ride-iQ.com