Let’s Define Win

The ups, the downs, the not fairs, and the not fairs in your favor. We are your people to talk about them so buckle up for another episode with Angela and Maddie.

Episode 32: Where we've been, where we're going and another time we lost our tails... This week we talk about where we began, where we are at and the journey to getting here! We reflected on whether or not we think our beginning stages would be proud of us/happy with where we are, and we discussed what we would have done differently. We also discussed the last time we felt we were just living in our horses worlds (who DOESN'T?!) and of course... yet another time we lost our tails.... and all of our supplies!

This week we talk about perspective and how important it is to keep it. Ever just look at someone and think they just woke up that morning ready to be crowned a world champion? No. Or maybe just assume since they're at a certain point in their live they've purchased a horse that just has a right to be a world champion? We dissect this notion this week and work to bring the perspective pack into the picture. We also discuss how that perspective can change and how it's so important to remember that everyone has different starting points and different abilities right out of the start. We keep is light with talking about social media stalk... I mean scouting and bring back a time honored segment that everyone loves!

It's the Dirty Thirty! This week we discuss if it's the trainers job to encourage and build you up or if it is their job to push you to do better and improve and never settle. Or, are these the same thing? We toss our two cents out there per usual. Then we hit the highs and lows of our first show together for the year. We rehash the miles walked, the late nights, the dashed dreams, and success stories. Per usual, we cover it all in typical LDW fashion with a sense of realism and a dash of humor. As always, keep winning and see you next week!

This week we talk how important it is to try new things... you learn, you sometimes back track, but you always grow! Sometimes the road is long and confusing and is filled with more downs than ups... but that leads to incredible growth, new skills, new passions and new goals, which is the most important piece to finding your niche! Then we discuss horse scaries, trailer loading escapades and the ultimate shame...... losing your tail in the pen

Do you ever find yourself caught between cheering yourself on and holding yourself to your standards? Whether it's coming off a rough go and reminding yourself of how far you have come, or going to a certain show for a confidence boost. We know we have! And truthfully, sometimes it feels like we are falsely cheering ourselves, sacrificing our goals and standards, to keep ourselves motivated. We tackle this, how to keep your goals in mind while cheering yourself on. We take bets on what items we will forget. Go big or go home, someone might forget a horse or need to last minute purchase a new outfit. It's episode 28 and life is great and we coming hot out of the gate.

Last week we discussed what we can expect from trainers at the client, but this week we turn the tables and discuss what trainers can expect from US as a client. We talked everything from not airing your dirty laundry out on social media to being open and receptive to the coaching that your trainer is providing! If you're looking for an added bonus - try lending a hand at shows! Filling buckets, sweeping the isle, being on vet-wrap duty - it all goes such a long ways! Speaking of shows - Maddie recaps her weekend at the Iowa Paint show and Angela revisits the great trail dumpster fire of 2020. But that's not all- make sure you give it a listen for some exciting new additions to the horse show family and if you make it to the end and still wonder why you're showing horses... we have an alternative for you! 

"The Day Fee" leaves a lot up to interpretation, and no two trainers do it alike. This week we talk about what you can expect as client. We polled out listeners, and as usual gave our input too. We discuss from our experience and others, what we think is reasonable to expect from a trainer, different ways we have seen things done, and a few things that would be nice to haves too. Is what you expect on par with everyone else?

What's something you wish was more normalized in the horse industry? This week, we talk normalizing wearing helmets, talking up the class winners and being happy for each other.

Episode 24 is knocking on the door! This week we are shouting our praises for open shows! We are talking all the pros that these shows offer, from heavy traffic to great desensitizing opportunities to some pretty dang stiff competition. Open shows don't always get the credit they deserve, and this week we are here to change that! Have you ever offended a judge, either by something you did, something you didn't do, or maybe something you said? Well we're pretty sure we have. This week we share those stories of badly timed questions, literal close encounters with judges, and not always understanding what they are saying. We have done it all, and we hold nothing back this week. You'll leave feeling either much better about yourself or that you aren't alone.

This week we talk with Leonie from The Showlife and learn about showing horses in Europe! Did you know they have in hand trail for 3yo's or that they have some of the biggest paint shows in the world? We certainly learned a lot this week and sure you are too. In typical Let's Define Win fashion, stories are shared, pants are ripped, and we keep it relatable. For more information on The Showlife check them out on their website linked below, or follow them on Facebook or Instagram! www.theshowlife.de

On this weeks episode, Maddie and Angela hit ya with some budget hacks! Whether it be to bring your own food, share a room with a friend or even try your hand at banding! That leads into tips for successfully surviving a show by yourself! Tips for getting ready ahead of time, keeping your go bag stocked, pre-arranging as much as possible, etc.! And finally, we ask the question: Why are sirens coming for you at a show?

If someone is rude towards you, it means they are threatened and they need to go to the barn more.  And that's their problem.  Watch out 2021 show season we are coming for you, full speed ahead.

Do you struggle with making friends at horse shows? Well shocking - so do we! Maddie and Angela talk through some tips and tricks, some trial by error stories and of course some side stitching funnies that will have you laughing, cringing and taking some notes from the future!

Welcome to Overcoming Setbacks 101!  Whether you are at the PhD level or just starting out this class is for you!  A highly requested topic, and boy is this one we sure feel we are versed in.  We will walk you through how to understand what a setback is and how we use this as a building opportunity for the future.  Speaking of building, we look back on a few childhood cringe-iest moments that we luckily overcame to get here.  

So this week we take the plunge and talk politics....horse politics! We admit what no one wants to - politics play a piece on the judges card and while that sucks, it doesn't really matter at the end of the so long that you are showing horses for you and not for the satisfaction of being number one on the card. We also point out another hard truth- sometimes trainers and exhibitors have worked so hard for their reputation- they deserve to have it! We also switch gears and get humble and say our apologies to all the show staff we've wronged, stalling partners we've ruined dinners for and all the times we've cringed as a result of our horses actions!

DIY'ers (and really anyone) this one is for you! We talk resources that you can use besides full time training to continue progress! Lessons, books, articles, videos and friends! We are discussing the pros and cons of each and how to approach them. For example, don't watch the World Champion go's unless you are fully prepared mentally to feel blown out of the water. Possibly the best advice on this episode, if we are qualified to give any at all, is how to handle non-horse friends at horse shows. You know the story, it's the friend that isn't into horses but wants to come see you show. You can't say no to that! Listen to the havoc and embarrassment of our stories this week and how we did - or didn't - handle it.

In episode 16 Angela and Maddie tackle Materialism in the horse show world. They discuss their thoughts on necessities and how they've gotten where they are. They discuss some of the new facilities and showing over the holidays while also wrapping it up and giving a shout out to the chicks who do it themselves! Give it a listen!

So...social media. It's the best! It's the worst! It's somewhere in between. It's a highlight reel. People put their best foot forward on social media. The post their best pictures, their best go's, their best wins. But in reality life is not about winning, so this week, we talk about that! We also talk about some budgeting tips and strategies and of course, share the usual funnies!

This week we are talking gratitude, off season rehab and of course, your weekly dose of funny! Maddie and Angela share the greatest lessons they've learned from horses, what they're most grateful for and the areas of their lives that have been impacted the most by horses. It's a good one - give it a listen, share with us your off season tips, gratitudes and let us know what you want to hear!

This week we talk about down playing success, why we do it, and why we should not. We want you to do the only thing you can to those who look down on your success: Gate Card. We are celebrating all our successes, including our superlatives! We ask you what your superlatives are! Are you the most likely to miss your class? The least likely to smile? It turns out there is some competition!

We made it! Through 2020, through 12 episodes, through another week of learning things are a lot harder than originally expected... this week we take a look back at the high points of 2020, share some goals for 2021, Maddie shares some foaling class nightmares and Angela again shows that she probably shouldn't do horse related tasks herself....

This week Maddie and Angela discuss the importance of recognizing and respecting the fact that not everyone you're competing against has had the same journey as you. Some people started out on a horse before the could walk. Some people swung a leg over a horse for the first time in their thirties. Some started on a Shetland pony. Some started on a horse with 15 world titles to their name. Each person should be proud of the journey and how they got to be the horseman they are today.

You know what they don't tell you about growth? It's hard. It's uncomfortable. It never happens when you want it to. It never happens how you want it to. So we're here to talk about it. Let y'all know it's okay when you're not feeling like you're moving forward and offer some pieces of wisdom that will hopefully help! We also talk about some social media scaries and times we gave ourselves the scaries by going rogue when we definitely should not have... tune in, learn, laugh and let us know what you want to hear more of!

Ever feel discouraged or out of place when you realize your horse isn't the most high dollar animal in the pen or maybe your shirt doesn't have the most shine - we're here to tell you that it's okay! Winning doesn't require the highest price horses, tack and clothing. To prove that, we take a walk down memory lane and share a few questionable outfit choices and share some tips and tricks to getting an affordable and well put together look for the pen!

This week we're talking things we are thankful for in the horse industry. 2020 show season was a little different but there was still so much to be thankful for. From our trainers, to the motivated individuals we compete against, our horses who we don't know we lost, and the lessons we've learned.

All the funniest topics are talked about this week!  Possibly the funniest episode yet!  Maddie and Angela answer some of the pressing and important questions, were my pants unzipped in that win pic, is that the shirt I should be wearing, is there a more accurate name for a win pic, when is the best time to get run away with, am I driving a shark or a mare, and can you please stop rationalizing why you should have gotten first place.  All of these and more are answered, but first they tackle:  how do you handle embarrassment - a topic they are well versed on.  They share some tricks and tips and stories as to why you should not be embarrassed.  Episode 7 won't disappoint.  Make sure you check out previous episodes as well!

We are talking N E R V E S this week.  How we handle them and why we think they are perfectly normal and dare we say it....encouraged.  This has been a requested topic among a lot of our viewers so here it is!  We also give a quick recap of the first half of Pinto World.  We'll hit you with some warm up ring stories and some other funnies from Pinto World!  

Episode five takes a deep dive into the feels when Angela and Maddie talk about the feeling of guilt when at a horse show and not being the best competitor in the pen. But, don't press skip - as they also give real and honest take aways that will help listeners to get away from the guilt mindset and see horse shows from a different perspective. If nothing else - stick around for their trailer packing nightmares and take it as a lesson on how to be more prepared than Maddie and Angela!

This week Angela and Maddie get serious and talk about all sides of pressure at horse shows as a DIY-er and going with a trainer.   Sound relatable to some degree?  Then they bring the funny back and talk about Pinto World next week.  They sure didn't realize it was this close, but they sure have predictions.  Listen in to hear what patterns they think they will forget, get run off with, and funny stories on why they don't full send their way on that trot-in any longer.  The biggest question is:  will they actually look decent in a single photo this year?  If you ever felt unphotogenic listen to episode four (and check out Let's Define Win on Instagram) to feel way better about yourself as they walk through their photos from last year's Pinto World.  These pictures fit right in here during this Spooky Season!

Ever look around and try to figure out who's going to catch your horse when you eat dirt in the arena? Well, Maddie and Angela both experienced that fear this weekend. Fresh off the Iowa Pinto show with wins on the score card, redefined wins and good stories that will be sure to get you laughing!

Have you ever felt isolated at horse shows? Or maybe just felt left out or out of place? This week we're here to share our own experiences with isolating feelings when it comes to horse shows and offer some words of encouragement. We're also here to tell you how NOT to build an arena, share some funny stories and of course, define win in our own terms!

Join Maddie and Angela on the first episode of Let's Define Win!  This episode sets what we hope to be the tone for our podcast.  We want this to be a fun place where we can talk more about showing and riding horses to go beyond just the trophies and buckles.  Anyone, and we mean anyone, whether you do open shows, 4H, breed shows of any kind, or world shows we have something for you!  Whether you are full time with a trainer, haul in to lessons, or do it completely on your own this is the place for you!  We'll tell you about our horses, how we came up with the name,  some of our funny stories, introduce ourselves and our journey here, and let you in on how we became two best friends, proving that awkward first impressions can sometimes lead to great things.  Welcome and get ready for your new favorite podcast!