This week’s episode of the Practical Horseman Podcast, sponsored by Seen Through Horses, is with top international eventer and 2023 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5* winner, Tamie Smith.

Mentioned in this episode:

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It's an honor and such a thrilling feeling going over that last jump and knowing that we brought back the home to the United States.

So it was definitely something that was unforgettable and obviously a moment to have for the rest of our lives.

Welcome to the Practical Horseman Podcast featuring conversations with respected riders, industry leaders and horse care experts.

The show is co hosted by Practical Horseman editors and our goal is to inform, educate and inspire.

This is a super exciting episode because Smith is just coming off her historic win with Maibaum at Kentucky.

She and the 17 year old German sport horse gelding known as Lexus in the Barn ended a 15 year wait for an American to win the Kentucky three day event.

During our conversation, Tammy speaks about the excitement of her Kentucky win as well as what it means for women in equestrian sporting.

She breaks down each phase of her and Maibom's performance and recaps their explosive finish in show jumping.

She also gets candid about self doubt and nerves which are feelings that riders of all levels can experience.

Also get to know her training routine at home and her favorite exercises to practice.

Before we dive into the podcast with Tammy, I'd like to thank the sponsor of this week's episode Seen Through Horses and share their message.

One in four people experience mental health issues each year.

This spring you can help support mental health awareness and support nonprofit organizations changing lives through horses by joining the second annual Seen Through Horses campaign.

To learn more, visit horsesformentalhealth.org now.

Enjoy the episode with Tammy.

So we have Miss America here, Tammy Smith, who won the Kentucky three day with Maibom a few weeks ago and it was such a thrill.

So first and foremost, can you just tell us what it felt like to be the first American to win the event in 15 years?

I mean I was so speechless and still it hasn't quite hit me, but it's an honor and such a thrilling feeling going over that last jump and knowing that we brought back the home to the United States.

So it was definitely something that was unforgettable and obviously a moment to have for the rest of our lives.

So I, but like I said, I don't know if it's even really hit me.

I haven't even slowed down enough to just stop and like let it absorb.

So I'm at least home now, so I can do that.

You know, it, it's, it's thinking about it and, you know, kind of just thinking about and watching the video over.

It's like an out of body experience almost.

You know, I'm just looking at this and going, wow, what a, what an accomplishment and what an amazing thing.

But I, like I said, I, it hasn't quite hit me yet, so hopefully, hopefully soon it will.

It's almost like you're watching the video and you can't even believe it's yourself, right?

No, for sure, for sure.

I'm like, oh, that, that girl rides pretty good.

But I'm, I'm looking at it just going, did that really happen?

I mean, I, I always knew it was possible, you know, with that horse and, and I always knew that I had, you know, the ability to execute something like that.

But as everybody knows in horse sports, you know, until you, until you actually achieve something like that, it feels almost impossible because you hit so blocks along the way.

And it's just an amazing thing to think that we did it.

Yeah.

So what do you think that means for women across our sport?

You know, it is an interesting and very honorable thing to be able to do.

I mean, we compete equally amongst men in our sport in the Olympic Games, and, and at the top level, where, at the top level it is predominantly, you know, I would say not, not this month, which is really cool when you look at the FEI World rankings list, you know, it's, it's a woman dominated top five, which is really cool.

But in history and in years past, it's been a male dominant sport.

And so to be able to, you know, say that, that we are holding our own, I mean, I never like to say that I'm weaker than a man, but physically, you know, men are stronger than us and we can't deny that.

And so when you're, when you're dealing with the grueling sport of three day eventing and the endurance phase and what have you, it's.

And you know, these men are, they're good, you know, and so you, you, I feel that in some instances we definitely have a piece to where there's A little bit of a vulnerable side in being a woman, but I think that women like myself have been able to show that we can do it and we are capable of being equal and even better, for that matter.

So I'm, I'm really, I'm really excited and I'm, I'm happy what it shows, you know, to all the other women out there who are, who are looking to do something that's a little bit breaking through the glass ceiling.

I'm sure you're truly an inspiration to so many women in the sport out there.

Can you go ahead and talk us through your week at Kentucky, starting with dressage through cross country and show jumping.

How did Lexus feel all week and what were your thoughts through all the phases?

Yeah, I mean, he came into the event feeling better than ever.

I stayed home and prepared in California on the west coast, and that's a little bit of not the norm situation, you know, when, when you hear, you know, oh, you know, Tammy's not coming east to prepare for, for a five star, you know, not everybody would agree with that being the right thing to do, but I, I, I was able to just stay home.

And he was really well in his body and his preparation was very ideal.

And so when he arrived, he was in very good form.

He was feeling fit and ready to go.

His body looked amazing.

You know, when you saw him, he looked like the champion.

You know, his coat was black and gleaming and he just, he, it was almost like he knew too because he was more nervous than he has been in years past at big competitions.

Yeah, it was, I felt really bad for him because we'd go to tack him up and he'd start a little bit shaking because he was a little bit nervous, you could see.

But the second I'd get on him, he'd just take a breath and be happy again.

So I didn't know if that was going to be bad or good, but in my preps, I just tried to keep myself in a good mindset and make sure that I didn't over school him and just trust that, you know, we, we had prepared and we were ready and we just needed to, you know, go in and, and do what we do.

So I, I had a level of contentness and just a level of feeling very prepared and I think he did too.

So it's, it's hard to explain, you know, going into one of the biggest competitions, I, I did go into Kentucky really wanting to win.

And that's, that's hard to say because I don't Ever want to come across, like, being cocky or feeling like I'm, you know, being overly optimistic, you know, because in this sport, as everybody knows, things can just happen.

So, you know, you have this pressure to.

I wanted a American to win 100%, and obviously having me do it was even better.

And.

And I just.

I just.

I.

I've known that that horse has been destined for greatness, and he's already.

Aside from winning Kentucky, he's already proven to be one of the best in the world.

So I just.

I just wanted that moment for him.

You know, I said that I wanted his.

I want him to have the moment in the sun for him to really shine and show through, you know, that he was really capable.

And every.

All three phases just felt just right there.

And I couldn't have asked for anything more.

And you were coming off a bit of an uncharacteristic event for him at the World Championships.

Do you think that that affected his nerves or your nerves going into Kentucky?

For sure.

You never want.

I mean, as anyone knows, you know, especially on the world stage, when you have something happen like that, I mean, have two rails.

I don't know that I had had one rail in a few years, and so to have him come through Pertoni and then have those two rails going into show jumping and being in the bronze medal position individually, I really just.

I.

I did.

I felt more nervous going into the show jumping, I think, than.

Than I had in years past.

But also being in first place going into the show jumping also is just on it in its own.

And then you add.

Oh, yeah.

And then you add the, you know, the weight of.

You're either going to be a hero or a zero right at that moment, you know, you just think, okay, it's either.

It's either I'm.

I'm going to be the greatest person of all time, or I'm going to be a complete failure.

So.

So, yeah, I mean, that's.

That's a hard.

The World Championships was a hard pill to swallow from an individual standpoint, because it just shows you right there that the sport is, you know, it.

It totally.

At any given day, it can, you know, it can kind of kick you in the teeth.

And to be fair, like, my horse had sort.

He had lost both of his front shoes, you know, a quarter of the way around the cross country.

So he had to gallop around the cross country with no front shoes, and he was quite sore because of it.

And that was basically the real reason why we were having, you know, this.

You Know, I think that we had those uncharacteristic rails, but still, you know, we hadn't been back in the ring and, you know, since then.

So, yeah, a ton of pressure.

A ton of pressure and just hope and that, you know, it had, it did not, it wasn't going to stick with me kind of thing.

But then you both rose to the occasion and you are the heroes.

So it all worked out, thank God.

So can you, I know it's, you know, a few weeks ago now, but can you maybe recap, like, each phase?

Like, what did you think of his dressage test and then the cross country run?

And I know you touched on show jumping a little bit too.

Yeah, the dressage, I'd really worked a lot this winter with my coach just working on getting more throughness and more uphill balance.

And him, you know, he is kind of a delicate looking type horse.

Very slight in, in his confirmation.

Like, he's, you know, you don't look at him like you do at Tom McEwen's horse, where it's a, a big, strong type, you know, powerful.

He, he has a very light way about him across the ground.

And so we'd been working on getting him stronger and more through and getting his, his medium trots wouldn't be his strongest movement.

And so just trying to get him to where he could really show off every, you know, every movement, the best to the best of his ability.

And I'd actually gone to some dressage shows and worked and competed in the pre St.

George because it really gave me a good sense of how to get more throughness from him.

And so that was, I would say that was a very good exercise because going into Kentucky, I had a very good feel of what I was after and what I was wanting to achieve.

And I was ecstatic with his test.

I was not ecstatic with my score necessarily because I felt like there was some points kind of left off the table that, you know, to me didn't make sense.

Like I.

My halt and rein back, he was perfect.

He halt perfectly square, his rein back.

I got a nine from one judge and the other two judges gave me, I think, six and a half and seven.

And, you know, it's what's difficult in this sport, you know, because it is a subjective, a subjective, you know, phase.

But so I would say that probably coming out of my dressage test and seeing that I got a 78 from the judge at C and then a 74 from the judge in the corner at M or whatever that was, and then At B.

I.

I wasn't.

I wasn't thrilled, I must say, to be honest.

But also, I can't imagine being a judge and being in that position.

So I, you know, it.

It's all, you know, it's all, you know, I.

I haven't done it, so how can I, you know, really judge?

So.

But I felt like that was my mom's best test to date.

The overall feeling of how he felt just felt phenomenal.

And then going into cross country, just knowing, you know, like, where I needed to be up on the clock to in order to make the time.

I knew the test of the cross country, the jumps and what have you, I knew that it was going to potentially be come down to who could make the time.

And I will say, going into the cross country, I wasn't so much thinking that I would be going into the lead, because I honestly felt like Tom and Yasmin would hold their position and go double clear.

It was mostly holding on to that third position and then knowing the same going into the show jumping that I could just.

I wanted to end on my dressage score.

And so to get through the finish and be under the time, I mean, going out on the cross country, the actual jumps themselves were never a question for us.

Like, the horse, just him and I are like a hand in a glove.

And I felt like just where I looked, he went.

And there was no scary moments.

There was no question about the execution of anything, but, you know, he's not a blood horse.

And so getting him home.

At that last water, he was quite fatigued, and I got a little bit worried, like, oh, goodness, we're, you know, we're.

I could feel the fuel kind of going on, E.

But then I went away from the first water and gave him a tap and said, come on, Betty, we still have some ways to go.

And he dug deep and he put back up, you know, open the burners.

And I was able to make it just a few seconds under the time.

So that was.

That was really.

I was really pleased with that.

So, yeah, and that horse, I mean, it proved quite difficult for a lot of the, you know, top contenders in the division.

So, you know, for him to turn those burners back on and get it done for you must have been an incredible feeling.

It was, because you.

And that's what is so special about it, is being able to feel a horse, like, really dig deep at that moment, you know, and know that, I mean, that's what takes a real champion is just not necessarily.

Did.

Did he want to I'm sure.

But, but I was, you know, I was like, come on, we gotta, we got our workout out for us.

And he, he took, you know, a couple strides where I just said, you know, I let him, I let him get, get his breath and then I said, okay, we gotta go again.

And he, he did.

And it's, it's, it's just a, it's such a, an amazing partnership to feel that he just gives all he has, you know, and it's, it's a really special feeling.

And how did he come out on the morning of show jumping after such a grueling course?

Did he feel fresh again on show jumping morning?

You think he was ready to go?

Yeah, he did.

And you don't expect, you know, it's amazing what a good night slide sleep can prove.

You know, we try to take very good care of them and ice them and give them, you know, massage and magnetic blankets and you know, you do everything you can to help kind of, you know, nurse them back to feeling themselves.

And so often on a five star, they don't always come out on Sunday and feel as fresh as they did.

But he did, he, he was, I mean he, he just rises to the occasion when he sees a crowd and the trot up.

He, I couldn't even keep up with him.

It was quite, it was quite funny.

I made the turn after he saw the photographers and then he just extended trot.

I'm like, I wish you'd extend the trot like that.

And you're just.

And you know, you just said when he sees the crowd and you've mentioned in the past that that atmosphere really bolsters him.

Like he loves the crowd, he loves the energy.

When you finished off that last jump and the crowd just exploded, do you think that he could recognize, you know, the excitement that was happening for you guys?

Yeah, he, he just like shot out of a cannon when he did that.

It was so funny.

I, I just fist pumped.

And he, it was like a racehorse on a racetrack.

He just like zipped around in his, I mean you could see him as he was walking out of the arena.

I look at the video and how proud he looks and he is just like walking on his tippy toes.

He's so, you know, he was just so thrilled, I think, to have had that moment.

You know, I think he knew, he knew what he did.

Yeah.

And can you walk us through your relationship with him?

He's been a long time partner of yours.

You've known each other for a long time.

Long time.

And like you said, your fit is kind of hand and glove.

So can you walk through these years of your relationship with him?

Yeah, I want to make sure my phone.

Sorry, doesn't.

Can you hear me still?

Okay, good.

I just wanted to make sure I didn't do anything weird.

You know what, it, it's, I think, I think what's really interesting and maybe unique and I would say not every top rider has, has the same type of relationship that I've felt is super important to have with these horses.

And like, it's, you know, like I'm in the barn mocking my stall.

Sometimes I'm grooming.

You know, at times I spend, try to spend a lot of time horses and you know, some people that, they don't feel like that's necessarily as important, but I feel that's always been a super important piece to the puzzle.

I feel like the horses are our partners, not, you know, not machines.

And, and so with, with my bomb, I feel like him and I have a bit grown up in the sport together at the top level.

Even though he wasn't the horse that took me back to the five star level.

But he and I have just had this very funny, you know, almost like a marriage, if you could think of it, and growing, like almost getting married when you were too young and then kind of going through, going through your marriage and growing together and so.

But we've also had some very triumphant moments and very sad, devastating moments and there's been many, many nights I've, I've cried in his neck and been so sad and we've all been there, you know that.

Yeah.

I mean, so it's, for me, it was just.

I always like, deep down just thought I'd even questioned like, am I good enough to even, to even like be able to put this horse on the, in the place where he deserves to be?

I mean, I would question myself a little bit at times, like, is it, am I the right person that's going to showcase him in the, in the way that he deserves to be?

And like, could I be the person that actually gets him to the, to the place where he deserves his moment in the sun?

And so just to be able to achieve that, you know, you always have self doubt in your mind and, and I don't, I never discount a partnership.

You know, I think that that horse, I don't, I don't know that he would do for anyone else what he's done for me.

Because we had, we had in new.

In our partnership, he was quite careful and spooky and, you know, he's not the traditional five star event horse.

You know, he's.

He's more careful than what you'd, you know, what you'd pick, and he's less blood than what you'd pick.

And so I think that just you being able to see how him and I interact together, it's.

It's a very endearing partnership.

And he is funny.

He's a quirky horse.

Like, he doesn't necessarily have the greatest work ethic.

He doesn't like to have to work that hard, and he is very sensitive.

But then he is.

Can be lazy and dull in a way that makes him, you know, kind of tricky to ride.

And so throughout the years, I've had to just learn how to navigate, how to, you know, kind of be on his side, but also still encourage him to have this work ethic.

So it's, it's been, it's been so very special to have a horse at that.

At that level for that long and to be able to, I mean, he's taken us all over the world, so it's, it's such a dream come true.

I mean, he's, he's a horse of a lifetime.

And can you talk a little bit about how you got the ride on him from Alex Ahern?

And, you know, obviously she was at Kentucky.

She watched that when it must have meant just as much to her as it meant for you.

It was actually kind of something that nobody knows is Alex wasn't at Kentucky until she flew out and surprised me.

She flew out on the red eye that night, on Saturday night, and she wasn't planning on coming to Kentucky, but her and I communicated over the weekend.

And, you know, she was like, oh, he looked amazing in the dressage.

And then after cross country, she was like, I'm so proud of you guys, and said, I wish you were here.

Like, he was so incredible.

And he, he feels like a million bucks.

And then I walked into the sponsor tent and I looked up and I saw her in my mind, like, was like, that's Alex.

But, like, I couldn't believe that it was her.

And so she, she came out and surprised me.

And I was so.

I was so happy that she could be there because, you know, she's experienced, you know, the ups and downs as well.

And so that's just kind of a funny.

Yeah.

What a wonderful surprise.

It was a wonderful surprise.

But that night that, you know, I've always Been really careful with the people that I help that I don't ever pressure them to ride their horses.

Mm.

And, and I think at that moment it was, they were very promising.

I remember a lot of people saying, would she ever sell the horse?

You know, several top riders would, you know, would she ever sell the horse?

And what a horse.

And, and I, I was like, no, she's not gonna sell the horse.

And if she was, it wouldn't, it would be to me, not to you.

You know, we kind of, we kind of joked around about it, but she had decided that, you know, it wasn't, maybe the riding as a professional wasn't going to be for her, but that she wanted to go to college before she, you know, really made a decision.

She knew that I was lacking on top horses and the quality of what Lexus was at the time.

I had some upper level horses but you know, not to his caliber.

And I remember her call, her texting me and saying, hey, can you meet me for dinner?

I need to talk.

And I remember thinking, gosh, the dreaded, we need to talk, you know, because she was a working student for me at the time, so I figured she was going to say, I don't want to be a working student anymore and you know, I'm going to go back home.

So I had no clue that she was about to tell me this life altering change.

We sat down for dinner and she said, I, I have something to tell you and I think you're going to really like it.

And I, I, and she's like, I want you to take the ride on Lexus.

And I, I just said, you know, I don't, I don't think you know what you're saying to me.

Like, I think you need to just take a minute and you know, take a deep breath, pump the brakes and, and let's just, you know, think this through a little bit.

And then she did.

Her mom called me that night and was just like, oh my gosh, I can't believe this is happening.

But I'm, I'm excited and I'm, you know, I'm excited for you.

I'm excited for Alex to want to go to school and, and so I was just like, I think I should just take him to a show and Alex should come and Just make sure that this is really what she wants, because it's a little different than, you know, doing it.

So we went to a jumper show and.

And she was like, no, I really want you to ride him.

So I said, okay.

And.

And so it was really.

It was.

It hadn't really sunk into me because I think I felt like I was just going to ride the horse, give him some experience, and then at some point she would then decide, no, actually, I do want to ride him, you know, so.

But as the time went on, I think after we won Fair Hill, and I knew that, you know, we were really.

We had a really good, solid chance of riding on team together.

I.

And she was enjoying, you know, kind of the journey of it.

It was.

I mean.

I mean, can you imagine?

It's just like the most remarkable feeling.

I remember talking to a friend of mine and just going.

She just said, I get the ride on my bomb.

And they're like, you deserve it.

And I said, I know, but I don't know if it's actually gonna be real.

Like, is this really.

Is this really gonna keep going?

And anyway, it was.

It was.

It's been such an incredible feeling to.

I mean, he's like a magic carpet, definitely with some bumps in the way, but he's just been a really incredible creature to produce and, and grow with.

And I want to go back to something you said before about the.

The self doubt, because I think that that's something that a lot of riders struggle with.

So I'm curious, when you had moments like that where you were doubting yourself, how do you work through something like that?

Yeah, I think, you know, it's not something that a lot of top writers will probably talk about.

It's.

That's a hard thing.

I mean, I don't really have an ego, so I am maybe to a fault, a student of the sport at times.

And I also know that as much as I want to be the best rider in the world and I want to be ranked world number one, I also know that I always have a lot to learn.

And so, you know, you watch, you know, the likes of, you know, Tim Price and Christopher BURTON and Kevin McNabb and, you know, Rosalind Cantor, and you see these, like, people in the top of the sport, Tom McEwen, and just go, I mean, I want to ride like that someday, you know, so.

So just stopping and looking at their experience, you know, my journey is very, very different than all these other people.

And so, you know, I just.

I just thought, you know, am I going to have the experience.

Am I going to be able to attain the experience and the knowledge that I need to be able to get him to the place where I ultimately think he's capable of being?

And so that happens, you know, and you.

You get knocked down, you have some failures.

I had a uncharacteristic 20 on the cross country at the Pan American Games.

You know, I never questioned that my cross country would have ever had any trouble, but there was a very kind of a difficult situation that happened at that moment.

And then I have a 20, and then I'm, you know, at the bottom of the list.

And so, you know, these things happen.

And I would say that the hardest thing is not.

Not necessarily riding a horse that you don't expect or you don't have expectations of, but riding a horse that.

Where there is expectations of winning and then having that repeatable success is very difficult.

But in addition to that, when you have failure, not taking that failure with you to the next, you know, situation.

And so, you know, that's.

That's been really tough.

It's been, you know, it's been something that mentally, I think you have.

I think we all, all experience, you know, when you.

When you have something happen that.

That knocks you down and then not to take that with you and to go home, do your homework, and move forward with confidence.

But that's not always how we operate.

So I would say that most often it's not how we operate.

I think mentally our mindfulness and our mental focus is more the key piece of our success than even our physical ability.

So, yeah, it's.

That's been that.

That was a thing that, you know, I.

I said that to somebody, actually, because I ride another horse that I actually feel very strong about.

I think he's really talented and he has kind of all the ingredients and.

But he hasn't quite had his.

Had this.

He hasn't had his success yet.

And I said it's way easier to ride this horse where nobody even knows his name and the people who own him know what he's capable of, and every competition is an improvement, and they're fine with that minute improvement.

Yeah.

My bomb is expected to win, and he's expected to show up and be a contender.

And that is mentally, you know, something that you have to really learn how to, you know, navigate through.

And do you.

I'm just curious.

You know, some riders, they have a sports psychologist or they have kind of a routine to get themselves in, you know, a positive mindset.

Like Boyd, for example.

He has his guru.

Do you have anything like that that helps you through these moments of, you know, doubt or nerves?

Yeah.

You know, I have spoken to sports psychologists a couple times throughout my career, but funny enough, I don't have a guru, which maybe I should.

I think it's really cool.

I, I love.

Ruby Boyd's guru is the coolest guy ever.

But I, I do have a routine of giving.

Getting myself in the zone, I would call it.

I've read many books about, you know, being in the zone and getting myself prepared and being in a mindful place, in a calm place in competition.

And I've studied that myself and I've listened to books on tape.

I've read books.

I feel like I'm really.

That's what I mean by being a student of the sport, like, understanding what that means to be in, in such a calm state in competition.

One of my best friends, I, I call her, my wife, Frankie Terry at Suits, but she is a very naturalist and, and, and I always, I always joke around and call her a tree hugger because she's, you know, everything, you know, everything is healthy and, you know, the, the sprays and the natural stones and all this stuff.

But she, she really, like, said, you know, you should learn how to meditate.

I think it would really help you.

And I'm like, yeah, whatever, meditation.

But that has been a very pivotal, A pivotal thing that came into my routine that I think has really helped me is really making sure that I learned that when I get in a place of stress or anxiety by meditating, it.

It kind of puts me back in my zone.

And so, you know, everybody kind of has their, their routine.

I, I commend Boyd for.

I think he is such an incredible competitor and, you know, like, being able to see how he, what he's been able to do, you know, and, and the success that he's had, it's been really.

It's been actually an example to myself as well to be able to watch him but also watch other people at the top of the sport.

And I've just kind of.

I've kind of just adopted the things that I felt really worked for me.

And I, I've talked to it, you know, and I talked to it psychologists.

I find that, you know, that type of thing helps me.

And I would say when I was really struggling with the US Team type feeling and feeling kind of like the odd man out, I did talk to somebody and was just like.

Because I had this just like almost desperation feeling of, am I ever going to make it, you know, and I remember talking to somebody about that and then, and then basically just being able to have me talk through my own, you know, my own thoughts.

And I think that that's all super important.

For sure.

I appreciate your honesty about all of it because, you know, like I said before, I think it's something that a lot of riders struggle with.

So to hear from someone of your caliber and to see that, you know, even the people at the top of the sport go through these things, I think a lot of our listeners will really resonate with it.

So I appreciate your honesty about it.

Yeah, of course.

And I want to get a little bit into your training here.

So when you're just, you know, back at home on the west coast and riding and training your horses, could you talk a little bit about your, your training philosophy or your training style?

Yeah, for me, I think it's, it's just a very important piece.

You know, I do a lot of my own work.

Like I, you know, I hack my horses, I do the gallops on them in a pinch when I am traveling and I can't, my daughter or my head girl, Savannah, will ride them.

But for the most part, I do all the work myself on them.

Um, I find it, you know, hacking out every day is a very important piece.

I feel like we're really lucky because we have a lot of hills around our farm that we are able to, you know, go out and just.

I always call it mountain goating because, because, you know, we're in California and we have mountains around our, our farm.

And in the summer it's brown and so it, it, it's you, you'd maybe see a mountain goat out there, if you can imagine the imagery of that.

But I think that that's super important and, and just knowing, kind of reading and, and, and listening to your horses, I think is, is to me the, the most important thing.

Not always.

You know, for instance, I had a horse entered in the five long at Kentucky.

That was my original plan with him.

But as I was preparing him this season, I kind of went, you know what?

I, I don't think he's quite ready.

And he was, he was in peak performance.

He was fit.

I was galloping him, he felt great.

But I decided to push him back to do the four, another four star.

So, you know, I, I think that it's really important for you as a rider and a horseman to really be able to listen to your horse and you know, they can't say words to us, but they do talk and they do communicate with us.

And I think that that is such an important, an important element to the success of the horses and the longevity of them.

And so every day is, you know, kind of, I might have a horse come out feeling extra anxious.

So I changed my plan.

I mean, I always have kind of a, I always feel like I have a very base level plan of what I'm planning to do that day.

Like I'm flatting today, but sometimes I have a horse that they're having a bad day and so I might do pole work or I might take them out for a trot hack or, you know, or maybe I'm having an off day and so I change it up a course.

But I would, I would say I, I really enjoy the natural horsemanship of the horses.

Like I, I like working with them on the ground.

I do a lot of lunging over fences to get them their own confidence.

You know, I try to work them without them using anxiety and momentum to do their job.

And I would say once a week I really work very stringent on my flat work in the dressage arena, but typically only once a week I do that.

And I'm always working, you know, on my flat work in whatever I'm doing, but not quite for the, you know, the movements of what I do in practice.

I usually just do that like once a week.

So.

And do you have any specific exercise that you think is super important, important or like a favorite exercise that you like to put into your routine?

I really enjoy working over poles and cavalettis.

I feel like it serves many purposes.

I feel like it helps with, with not only their, their overall building strength and muscle, but it also helps them become more supple.

It also pulls out like the rideability or lack of rideability that they have.

And so I really like to work with poles and cavaletti's at least two or three times a week.

And I have a couple more wrap up questions here.

So is there any advice, looking back that you would give your younger self?

Yeah, I mean, I think it's funny that you say that because there's that Frankie runs that athletics.

Yeah, I know Frankie and yeah, and she had me do a letter to myself a few years ago and it was really.

And she just sent it to me right after Kentucky and she was just like, I love you, I hope you, you did it.

You know, and it was before I, it was before I'd done anything.

It was before I, before I made the Pan American team.

It was before I'd even ridden on any kind of nations cup team.

And it was really enlightening.

And I read it and I was like, yeah, right on.

Like, it was just like I had so much self doubt and uncertainty and I think learning, like looking back, just having the confidence to know that it will happen when it's time, I think is probably the best, you know, because I already knew I had, I already knew I had the work ethic, which to me, to me the work ethic and the mindset of how you compete are the two most important ingredients.

And, and then making sure that you're a good business person and you know, with, with the people that are supporting you, but just knowing that, you know, it, even though it felt impossible and like it was never gonna happen, I would talk to people and they're like, it's, it's gonna happen.

It's just a matter of time.

And I just never believed that I never, I would say that.

Eric Markell, who I call my life coach and he's part owner of Lexus, he's, he's the dad and husband of Ellen and Alex.

And he would always say to me, you belong.

And it's taken me a long time to believe that.

And he has been the person that's kind of said that to me since day one.

And, and he, we joke about it, you know, he's like, I told you you belong.

And he goes.

And I can tell you know it now, you know, so that's beautiful.

That's a really.

I.

And that, that letter was, was, you know, you could see like when I read it, that was, that was the.

Definitely the gist of what, you know, I wasn't certain that I really belonged.

Right.

I spoke with Eric a couple years ago at, I think it was Jersey Fresh.

And he just, I remember him saying like he just had the utmost faith in you and he was just such a great guy.

So I can imagine what a big part he's played and a big support system.

He's been a huge support, not just with my bomb, but me, you know, me just in my career and just me developing as a person, you know, he's been wonderful.

And just.

Last question, wrapping up here.

So what is next for you and for mybomb?

What does the future hold if you know.

Well, we were just named to the OCAN team in July, so I'm very excited about that.

Obviously, like he's on vacation right now and he's looking great.

I got home and he's already gained weight and I took him for a little bareback ride.

And I promptly got off of him because he wasn't feeling tired at all.

So I was like, okay, just kidding.

Maybe we're not going to go for a bareback ride.

So I think as long as he comes back into work and he's feeling strong and healthy like he's looking then.

And I put him back into work and he, he's happy.

Then we will go to Aachen and then I think, you know, put our eyes, you know, our, Our sights on Paris next year.

So, you know, it just going to.

Be my next question.

Yeah.

In your sights.

Yeah, he is.

It is.

I mean, he's.

He's going to be 18 next year.

He will definitely tell me what he wants to do.

Yeah.

There are no signs of him saying, you know, waving the white flag.

So I'm, I'm really excited.

I've.

I think I've taken the approach with him that every competition is a gift and, and I take every competition as a, you know, like, is.

He.

Is.

Does he want to do another one?

And, and he'll tell me.

And so far, he's.

He's been gung ho and ready for it.

So, I mean, after the World championships, I was like, you know what?

This might be, this might be it.

He's 17.

He's coming 17.

And, you know, I, you know, who knows what's going to happen when he comes back after his vacation.

He was just raring to go.

So I, I can only hope that, you know, he has another Rolex Kentucky or Land Rover Kentucky, you know, competition in him to where he can.

He can go create another performance like he did there.

And it would be so special to have him at the Olympic Games.

But if he's not ready and he can't, then he doesn't owe us anything.

He's.

He's literally just taken us beyond my wildest dream.

So I'm, I'm happy either way.

Well, I'm looking forward to watching you in Aachen in a couple months and fingers crossed for, for Paris.

Really.

Thank you so much for getting on with me.

It's been a wonderful conversation.

I really appreciate your time.

Oh, thanks for having me.

Thanks for listening to this week's episode with Tammy Smith.

And a big thank you to the sponsor of this week's episode, seen through Horses.

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I'm Julia Murphy, and you've been listening to the Practical Horseman podcast.