Dear Horse World

There is a whole generation of insanely talented young riders who feel like the system is not built for them. You want the top sport, you want the big moments, you want to know what it actually takes to get there, yet the pathway feels gated and the access feels invisible. That is exactly why this conversation with Laura Kraut hits so hard. Laura is a legit icon in show jumping and she shows up here with zero ego, full transparency, and a real blueprint for what it takes to rise in a sport that can feel impossible to break into.
Laura brings us inside Road to the Top, the program she created with Katie Prudent to give hungry riders the mentorship, horsepower, and behind the scenes education they never get access to. She talks openly about the emotional and financial pressure of this sport, how real horsemanship gets built, and what separates riders who make it from riders who burn out. This episode is equal parts wisdom, reality check, and hype. If you're dreaming big, this one will light a fire under you.
In this episode, you will learn:
How Road to the Top actually works and why it gives overlooked riders a real shot
The mindset mistakes that hold promising riders back and how to avoid them
How to think about horse management, horse picking, and building real feel
What mentorship looks like at the absolute top and how it shaped Laura's Olympic career
How to stay grounded when social media makes everyone else look perfect
How owners and supporters can get involved and genuinely move the sport forward
The book that Laura would read to the Horse World - The Perfect Horse by Elizabeth Letts
This episode is brought to you by:
Connaway & Associates Equine Insurance Services, Inc.

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 | @connawayassociates | facebook.com/connawayassociatesequine 
and
YETI
Made for early mornings in the barn and long days in the saddle. Whether you're hauling feed, chasing daylight on the trail, or loading up for a weekend on the road, YETI coolers and drinkware are built to handle it.
No shortcuts. No compromise.
Just gear that works as hard as you do.
Explore more at YETI.com | @YETI | facebook.com/YETI
Chapters:
00:00 Why Riders Feel Stuck
00:24 Meet Laura Kraut
01:47 Road to the Top Explained
04:12 Horsemanship and Horse Sense
05:53 Funding Model and First Riders
11:38 Owners and Horse Rotation
16:47 Beyond the Highlight Reel
19:07 Building Community Support
25:41 Keeping US Talent Competitive
35:26 Mentorship Versus Teaching
42:30 Passing the Torch
44:04 Scarcity vs Sharing
45:55 Road to the Top Vision
47:53 Mentorship and Independence
49:00 Applying Like Harvard
52:52 Grit and Handling Failure
57:41 Mentors Who Shaped Laura
01:05:13 Love of the Horse
01:06:29 Pay It Forward Chain
01:10:33 Rapid Fire and Wrap
And for even more expert-led workshops, in-depth courses, and exclusive lectures designed to elevate your riding and horsemanship, visit NoelleFloydPlus.com 
NF+ brings you direct access to top equestrian professionals, training insights, and a passionate community of riders dedicated to learning and improving.
And you can follow us on instagram too!
Click here 👉 www.instagram.com/dearhorseworld
 
 
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Some horses appear confident while others seem reactive or unsure, but what if confidence is more nuanced than that?
In this special episode from our NF+ Masterclass, The Confidence Advantage, Tik breaks down the five distinct areas where a horse can gain or lose confidence and how each one functions like a cup that can be filled from one to ten.
In this episode, you will learn:
Around Other Horses - Can your horse leave the herd calmly and enter new spaces without anxiety?
As an Explorer - Do the approach new environments with curiosity instead of fear?
In the Relationship - Do they see you as botha trusted friend and a steady leader?
In Specific Skills - Have they practiced their job enough to feel capable and secure in it?
In Their Skills and Sports - Practicing discipline-specific tasks with ease and gaining confidence through repetition and variety.
Tik also explains how these five areas interact and why a horse's confidence in you can help support everything else.
Watch the Full Course:
This episode is just one part of Tik Maynard's full Confidence Course, available exclusively on NF+.
Use code TIK25 for 25% off an annual NF+ membership and start building lasting confidence for you and your horse.
Streaming now at noellefloydplus.com. and follow along on instagram

You might know this feeling all too well. You want to trust your feel, keep growing, and do right by your horse, yet something in the culture makes you hesitate. Questioning a method or following your instincts can feel dangerous, like one honest moment could cost you belonging, spark backlash, or even put a target on your back.
In this episode, Sharon Madere, an equine behavior consultant and cult survivor, brings a special combination of lived experience and scientific expertise to help riders reclaim their clarity, confidence, and curiosity. As a lifelong horsewoman, she understands the mechanics of influence, pressure, and obedience in ways most people never articulate. And she applies that perspective directly to the horse world in a way that is both affirming and liberating.
In this conversation, you will learn:

The clear signs of cult-like leadership in horse communities
Why emotionally charged language like disrespect or naughty derails presence and erodes confidence
How to stay grounded, think critically, and avoid manipulation as a student or owner
Practical tips on training, positive reinforcement, and making better choices for you AND your horse  
Why empowerment and curiosity matter more than any "guru"
Sharon also shares practical strategies for safer, clearer horsemanship, from building boundaries in a herd to teaching effective trailer loading. It is a conversation that blends science, psychology, and lived wisdom into something every rider can immediately apply.
Resources and Mentions:
Sharon's podcast: Feet of Clay: Confessions of the Cult Sisters
Sharon's Website : EquiLightenment.com
International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC)

Chapters:
00:00 Is the Horse World Acting Like a Cult?
02:10 Sharon's Story: Growing Up in a Religious Cult
08:45 How Cult Psychology Works
15:20 Authority Culture in Horse Training
21:30 The Danger of "Disrespect" in Horsemanship
28:40 When Riders Stop Trusting Their Intuition
35:15 Science vs Dogma in Equine Behavior
43:00 Reclaiming Critical Thinking in the Horse World
50:00 What Needs to Change
This episode is sponsored by YETI
Made for early mornings in the barn and long days in the saddle. Whether you're hauling feed, chasing daylight on the trail, or loading up for a weekend on the road, YETI coolers and drinkware are built to handle it.
No shortcuts. No compromise.
Just gear that works as hard as you do.
Explore more at YETI.com | @YETI | facebook.com/YETI

In Part 2 with Dr. Dennis Brooks, we step fully into the world as horses see it. This episode unpacks the five emerging immune mediated eye diseases he is treating around the world, why one of them is more alarming than moon blindness, and how tiny changes in the cornea can trigger sudden behavior shifts.
We explore how horses process color, motion, and depth, why their optic nerves move information faster than ours, and how they can perform at an elite level with one eye or even with no vision. We also bridge ophthalmology with neuroscience to understand how the equine brain reads emotion, remembers experiences, and navigates the world with extraordinary sensitivity.
In this episode, you will learn:
• The five types of immune mediated keratitis and the one specialists worry most about
• How to spot early signs of cloudiness, floaters, or subtle vision changes
• What colors horses truly see and how this affects training and jump design
• Why horses detect motion in low light far better than humans
• How elite horses perform with limited or no vision
• How the equine brain processes emotion, memory, and spatial cues
• When sudden behavior changes may originate in the eye and what to do next
Connect with Dr. Dennis Brooks : 
• Facebook: Dr. Dennis Brooks, Equine Ophthalmologist
Book they would read to the Horse World - Veterinary and Comparative Ophthalmology, published in 1914 by Eugene Nicolas 
Episode sponsored by:
Total Feeds
Our mission to provide quality nutrition to people and animals puts us in contact with all manner of interesting folks. Whether you're interested in our animal feed, or the people involved in the animal industry: you'll find it at Total Feeds!
Check out our line of Quality Animal Feeds here: https://totalfeeds.com
YETI
Made for early mornings in the barn and long days in the saddle. Whether you're hauling feed, chasing daylight on the trail, or loading up for a weekend on the road, YETI coolers and drinkware are built to handle it.
No shortcuts. No compromise.
Just gear that works as hard as you do.
Explore more at yeti.com | @yeti | facebook.com/YETI
And for even more expert-led workshops, in-depth courses, and exclusive lectures designed to elevate your riding and horsemanship, visit NoelleFloydPlus.com and use code 'DHW' for 15% off annual memberships!
NF+ brings you direct access to top equestrian professionals, training insights, and a passionate community of riders dedicated to learning and improving.
And you can follow us on instagram too!
Click here 👉 www.instagram.com/dearhorseworld

When you meet Dr. Dennis Brooks, you understand why horse people around the world talk about him with a kind of reverence. He is one of the most influential equine ophthalmologists of our time, the OG of horse eye care, yet what makes him unforgettable is not just the medicine. It is the heart behind it.
In this episode, Dennis takes us inside the world of horse eyes with the clarity of a teacher, the soul of a storyteller, and the honesty of someone who has spent a lifetime caring deeply for horses and the people who love them.
In this episode, you'll hear:
Why Dennis became the original pioneer of modern equine ophthalmology
How breakthrough surgeries changed what is possible for horses with severe eye disease
Why Appaloosas are genetically more vulnerable to uveitis
The simple eyelash position test that instantly tells you if a horse is in eye pain
How the immune system and the eye communicate and why that matters
What immune mediated keratitis is and the 5 emerging types Dennis is seeing worldwide
Why one of those new diseases is more frightening than moon blindness
What every horse owner should know to protect their horse's vision
This episode blends science with story, medicine with emotion, and legacy with practical takeaways. It is a rare chance to learn from the man who shaped an entire field while reminding us that the best medicine always begins with human connection.
This episode is brought to you by Total Feeds
Our mission to provide quality nutrition to people and animals puts us in contact with all manner of interesting folks. Whether you're interested in our animal feed, or the people involved in the animal industry: you'll find it at Total Feeds!
Check out our line of Quality Animal Feeds here: https://totalfeeds.com
And for even more expert-led workshops, in-depth courses, and exclusive lectures designed to elevate your riding and horsemanship, visit NoelleFloydPlus.com and use code 'DHW' for 15% off annual memberships!
NF+ brings you direct access to top equestrian professionals, training insights, and a passionate community of riders dedicated to learning and improving.
And you can follow us on instagram too!
Click here 👉 www.instagram.com/dearhorseworld