From the Horse's Mouth

With its roots deeply intertwined with the rich tapestry of South African history, this remarkable breed embodies the spirit of the nation in its hardiness, versatility, and indomitable character. Whether you're a seasoned equestrian enthusiast or a curious newcomer to the world of horses, the Boerperd's unique heritage and exceptional qualities are bound to captivate your imagination. Join us on Wednesday night to discover the captivating story and enduring legacy of these extraordinary horses, and prepare to be enchanted by the "proudly South African" Boerperd breed and all that they can offer riders as we are joined by Vice-President of the SA Boerperd Horse Breeders Society, Jan Joubert.

Regenerative medicine is booming as an active area of research focused on developing and applying new cell and tissue therapies for equine optimisation, recovery, and performance. Regenerative veterinary medicine involves collecting a horse's naturally occurring, healing cells and growth factors, concentrating them, then returning them to the damaged tissue where they are needed most to accelerate repair. This week we speak to Alexandra Miszweski, founder and CEO of Novita Biotechnology and Regenesis Vet, about the different regenerative therapies on offer, the benefits they can offer us and our horses, as well as what is in store for veterinary medicine to come...

Neurofeedback takes advantage of the brain's ability to change and adapt in response to its environment, known as Neuroplasticity. By repeatedly training the brain towards more balanced patterns, Neurofeedback promotes healthy neural connections, neural flexibility and overall brain function. This leads to improved mood, reduced anxiety and enhanced competitive performance whilst eliminating riding fear in equestrians. This week we speak to neuroscience executive coach Natalie Fourie, who holds a BA Honours in Psychology, majoring in Cognitive Neuroscience and Sports Psychology, as well as currently completing her Masters in Neuropsychology on her thesis "The Effect of Neurofeedback on the Cognitive Rehabilitation of Equestrians Following Concussion in Horse Riding". Discover how this science can improve your riding, competing, and stress! 

Show jumping is an incredible sport for riders and spectators looking for an exciting, yet accuracy-driven sport. It requires skill from both horse and rider and shows off some of the best athleticism in the horse community as riders must balance speed, precision, and control while jumping over a variety of obstacles, often against the clock. We welcome competitor, coach, and president of Gauteng Showjumping Belinda Martin in studio this week to explain this sport in more detail to us, some basic rules and regulations, and how you can join the biggest discipline in South African equestrian sport.

Arena Stewards & Competitive Tack Invigilation - What YOU Need To Know! In this episode we dial in to the South African National Showjumping Championships, being held this week at the Stokkiesdraai Equestrian Centre in Brits. Arena steward Barbara Lovell takes time out from overseeing this massive show to speak to us about not only what goes into the incredibly tough but essential job of stewarding, but also takes us into the legalities of what stewards are checking in and out of the arenas, and what is allowed to keep our sport safe, fun, and horse-centric!

DISCIPLINE SPOTLIGHT: SHOWING This week we speak to national judge, competitor, president of Western Cape Showing and all-round equestrian enthusiast Taryn Stebbing about the beautiful discipline of showing, and what it stands to offer all horses and riders. Showing is an equestrian discipline which strives to exhibit perfect examples of particular types or breeds of horses and ponies. It encourages attention to detail and pride of presentation, and offers a wonderful opportunity to develop a good grounding in horsemanship, sportsmanship and a love and appreciation for horses from an early age into adulthood. We talk about the basic classes and rules, how you can get started, and what skills you and your horse need to enter the gritty and glamorous world of showing! Find out more at Showing South Africa - https://showingsa.co.za

ProBreed Interview with Equine Reproduction Specialist Dr Anna Grabowska We will be discussing comprehensive, advanced, diagnostic and therapeutic methods for efficient and safe horse breeding, and looking into what goes into this incredible process for an ideal outcome for all. Equine reproduction particularly refers to the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed to produce specifically desired characteristics, but we will be discussing so much more including mare selection, potential problems, and niche details like frozen embryos! Email Friederike Koep for more information on the ProBreed seminars at [email protected] or to book your spot!

With so much myth and madness circulating about pony heights and the impacts thereof, we are engaging national and FEI veterinarian Dr Sheelagh Higgerty, along with SAEF judicial representative Peter Swanepoel to help us understand it all. Please join us Wednesday at 7pm with all your questions, and be sure you get it From The Horse's Mouth!

Working Equitation is a thrilling new international discipline currently sweeping across the equestrian world, and it was so wonderful to be able to interview international coach, trainer & judge Jorge Parreira, all the way from Portugal where this sport has its elegant and exciting roots.South African Working Equitation (ZAWE) president Jonothan Harrison explains how this fills a gap in equestrian sport by providing a challenge at which a variety of breeds, with backgrounds from many disciplines can compete while promoting classical training principles, all under the umbrella of FUN!We discuss the phases, levels, requirements, the benefits of team competition on morale, and how YOU can partake in this exciting new addition from the South African Equestrian Federation. https://www.zawe.org.za/ - "The fun way to train seriously!"

Shows are a highlight for many equestrians, but in order for the competitive amongst us to enjoy this element of our sport it requires a team of tenacious, experienced, and insightful administrators to facilitate this experience. We don't often realise the effort and demands that go into this... until things go wrong, that is! So tonight it makes sense that we speak to the backbone of one of the biggest showholding bodies and competition venues in South Africa, Heather Mpofu from Kyalami Equestrian Park, about what goes into the organisation, promotion, management, and structure of big equestrian events. Be sure to tune in at 7pm to hear what Heather has to say about not only streamlining but optimising the competition environment to ensure a happy, successful, and SAFE experience for all horses, riders, and spectators!