Making It Work: Training Non-Purpose Bred Horses w/ The Blonde and The Bay

This week on No Bucks Given, we have special guest Maddie Houser from The Blonde and The Bay on to talk about her unique journey with her quarter horses in dressage. Tune in to hear Maddie share her story of transitioning from a seasoned purpose-bred dressage horse to embarking on a new path with untraditional breeds. She opens up about her experiences with her horses, including achieving milestones like earning her USDF silver medal and navigating the challenges of training her western pleasure reject and ex-roping quarter horses for dressage. We delve into the realities of training untraditional breeds, the mental and emotional aspects of competition, and how we can use dressage as physical therapy for horses.    Maddie began riding at the age of 3 and from the moment her foot slid into the stirrup, she never looked back... Her dressage career started in 2004 with her Welsh Pony, Brightwood. Since then, many things have changed, but one has remained the same: her fire for this sport. Maddie is a United States Dressage Federation Bronze and Silver Medalist with her mare, Ulfilia DG "Leah", a 22-year-old Dutch Warmblood. Leah is the true star of The Blonde & The Bay show.   As of December 2019, Leah fully retired from FEI competition and transitioned into living her most deserved best life without the rigors of a performance horse schedule. She'll be with Maddie until the end of time, and happily enjoys her days in the paddock underneath the Texas sun. Most recently, Maddie has been working with quarter horses and taking them up the levels of dressage.  ​ The Blonde & The Bay is Maddie's passion project where she shares her journey with transparency, honesty, and a look into what's next for her and her herd of sport horses. You can find Maddie on social media @theblondeandthebay and online at www.theblondeandthebay.com For more graphics, video explanations, and behind-the-scenes bites, give us a follow @NoBucksGivenPodcast on Instagram. This episode was executive-produced by Maija Liisa Luttinger and Allie Watson Bayne. Special thanks to our editor and sound mixer, David Dalton of Driftwork Sound. This podcast is brought to you by Freely Forward Bodywork. Our mission at Freely Forward Bodywork is to make equine bodywork accessible to any horse, no matter where you are in the world. If you are interested in learning more about my online catalog of courses designed to help you bond with your horse through the art of massage, give me a follow on Instagram @freelyforwardbodywork or click this link to check them out yourself! https://freelyforwardbodywork.mykajabi.com/ USE CODE NOBUCKS10 to get 10% off any of our online courses!