Jenna Knudsen Proven Smart Planning Strategies for Equestrians!

Welcome to Equestrian Journeys. I'm Sandy Colling, your guide to the captivating world of European horse culture. In each episode, we'll talk about century-old traditions, rich history, and the vibrant modern horse scene. You'll hear great stories, get insider travel tips, and meet wonderful guests who share our passion. Whether you're planning your next adventure or exploring from home, Equestrian Journeys offers a unique perspective on travel and equestrian, as well as non-equestrian culture all around Europe. So join me each week as we uncover hidden gems and stories from Europe's magnificent equestrian heritage. And today I'm super excited to introduce you to Jenna Knudsen. And funny story is that I was in Ireland, as some of you know, it's been like 2 weeks now, and I met with a beautiful person, Koch, and she owns Connemara Equestrian Escapes. And we were chatting and You know, visiting the beautiful horses and the scenery. And she said, oh, yeah. She says, there's somebody who's been coming here for how many years, Jenna? 10 years?

7 years now. 7 years.

7 years to ride. And she's in New York. I'm like, oh, I'm in New York. So I looked it up. And lo and behold, Jenna's like, what, a half hour, 45 minutes from where I am? Talking about synchronicity. So, of course, I connected with her. And I'm so glad I did because Jenna, not only is she an incredible person, But she created the Smart Equestrian Planner, and I love that. So, Jenna, thank you for being here today and tell us a little bit about the Smart Equestrian Planner and how did you decide to even create it?

Sure. Thanks for having me on, Sandy. And I have to say, when Koch reached out to me and she said, Jenna, I met this incredible woman, she's totally your energy. And then— and she's like, she lives in somewhere, I think it's near Rhinebeck. And I thought, Rhinebeck's minutes away. So I knew we were destined to be friends. Thanks for having me on your podcast.

Of course.

I love connecting with equestrian people around the world, which is really, for you and I, what social media and the internet is. You know, we're so grateful for that. So the Smart Equestrian Planner is 10 years old this year, which is huge for me. Like, a decade of this planner really just fills my heart. But it came out of really a dark, desperate place, as many amazing things do. So 15 years ago, I went through a divorce. I lost my horse farm in that divorce. I got my car repoed. I was living like a really bad country song, and I had 2 tiny little kids, and we moved into a very dark, desperate place. I did not have child support, and my life was just dark and desperate, just to be honest. Like, it was the lowest point in my life. My parents were gone. I had no family. And I didn't know what to do. I was really in a desperate place. So the only thing I could afford was listening to tapes on personal development. I became a sponge. Like every chance that I got, I would put headphones on and I would listen, listen, listen. And something kept coming up about planning, about having a vision, but I couldn't even do it. It was such a dark place. But eventually I started writing a few things down on a piece of paper, like I mean, basic, Sandy, like feed the kids, clean the house. Super simple because that's how dark it was. And then from that point, I got a little more inspired and rambunctious and said, you know, walk a mile today or put out 5 job applications. And what I realized was at night when I would write and have something the next day, One, it helped me sleep better. And two, when I woke up, I just felt— because sometimes you don't feel motivated. You know that feeling where you're just like, okay. So the planning gave me the motivation and it got me into action. Sometimes you need to get into action and then the motivation and inspiration comes. So I started with these super small building blocks. And literally from there, I built my way planning. I'm a big writer. I believe in writing things down. I know some people love their phone. phones, and I'm on board for that too. But for me, it was the act of writing. Then I got a job in insurance. I did real estate. I did all the things to get my life back on track. And through that, it's too long of a story, but I got into coaching, and I got into coaching women with health. So that's where my coaching career started. And then one day, my daughter said to me, Mom, why don't you just coach equestrian people? Like, make them your people. And I said, honey, because that's not a thing. This was, you know, 10 years ago. She's like, but make it a thing. And I thought, why are kids just so innocently smart?

Mm-hmm.

So I started coaching equestrian women in all the different areas of life, just basic life coaching. And what I realized was they would stay on track and do great while we were coaching. But normally you coach for a certain amount of time and then you move on. And as soon as we fell off the phone calls, they would call me and say, I'm not staying on track. I'm not accountable. without you, or I would go to Barnes and do goal setting and get everyone super inspired. But when I left, the instructor would call me and say everyone fell off accountability. So I thought, okay, what's the missing piece? And then I looked and I was like, it's planning. So I created the planner. And I have to say, year 1 was like really an experiment, Sandy, but it's a start. Like you start where you're at.

Absolutely.

You start where you're at and you go from there. And that first year I sold 50 planners. So whatever.

That's great. That's amazing.

But the feedback was what inspired me. And all of these women said, oh my God, yes. Like the writing it down, the seeing it in black and white, the looking through my vision pages, all of the things that were really working in my life. So to me, there's inspiration and then there's application. So it's great to be inspired. I've done Tony Robbins, I've done Martha Beck, like I've done all the things. Where I excel and what I'm passionate at is helping people take that inspiration and apply it to your life. Because if you never do that, I'm sure you feel that way, right?

It's going to the events. It's all fine and dandy. But then a lot of people walk away and that was a great 2 hours, a great 2 weeks, and then boom. So it's that constant. And I love the planner idea. I love that you have the, you know, the visualization with it. So like quote unquote vision board. I mean, you know, there's so many different ways to have a vision board and that direct accountability. I mean, I, like you, I hugely believe in personal development. I see this in the equestrian world. I feel like a lot of women, just because they are so busy and they have the barn and then they have the kids and then they get so busy and they put themselves on the back burner. And I feel like the planner can really help them themselves because they have it every day to pick it up. So has it evolved over the years?

Oh my gosh, we've evolved so much. So from year 1 through, say, 3, it was really about me and my experience because that's all I had to offer. And then what happened at year 3, so the planners are going out, but I'm not connected to these women unless I work with them coaching-wise. So I would ask for their input, and the input was still, okay, I have the planner, I love it, but I still need you, Jenna. Like, you're the, the connector, and you can only be so many places and talk to so many people. So I thought, okay, what's next? And then it hit me. Community. Like, community is the piece that was missing. So era Facebook, I started a Facebook group and the Smart Equestrian, we became Smarties way before Taylor Swift was Swifties. We were Smarties. And that was really the clincher. That's when things really took off because now you have all these like-minded women globally, we all love horses. It doesn't matter what discipline, it doesn't matter how old you are, none of that matters. Our thread that really keeps us together is our love of all things equine. But then when you go into Facebook, someone's there 24/7. I started coaching in there for free every single day— inspiration, guidance. That was where I really saw the winning formula. So no matter if someone's retired or a student, we all have different goals. And that's why I always say to everyone, this is about living the life you love. There's no competition. We're for each other. We're not competing against each other. We save that for the ring. The planner is the tangible piece, and then the community is what keeps you laughing and keeps you getting back on the wagon and teaching each other what works, like how to use the planner. You know, what's the best way? That's really when I saw this is a winning formula. And so that started 7 years ago. And then when COVID hit, Sandy, like, that Facebook community saved our keisters. I mean, we really just locked arms and said, we're going to get through this. And we did. And we were stronger. And now, no matter what happens in the world, equestrians, we're a special breed of people. We have so many demands. Like you said, it's different than any other sport because we're a lifestyle. We are in it fully. And so what has changed over the years is I listen to what everybody wants. How can I change it? How can I make it so that whether you're going to the Olympics or you're just trying to canter a circle or you're recovering from an injury, the planner is adaptable? Vision pages, intention setting, gratitude. Meal planning. So the fundamentals are all there, but how you want to use it can be super personalized. And that's what I changed along with bucket list, because travel to so many of us is so important. And so, yeah, it has morphed.

I can't wait to get mine. It's ordered. I can't wait to get it. I wish there'd been like an express shipping situation.

Publishing. There's nothing express about publishing. I've learned so much about the publishing world. That's Yeah, that's all I can imagine.

Yeah, I'm so excited. And to just back you up on the Facebook community, I haven't had too much time to spend in it, but what I've seen, I love your posts, your inspirations every day, and it's such a warm, positive community. And a lot of groups and even other equestrian groups that I'm in, it's like, you know, the dressage riders and the jumpers and the Western, and they're all like blah blah blah blah blah. And this is just— I don't even know who rides what, and I don't even care because we have that common denominator. We're horse lovers. And some, like me, may not even currently own a horse, but I'm still so immersed in the horse world because, like you, I lost them during the divorce. Our stories are very similar, which is kind of ironic. I love that, and I can't wait to get mine. I'm really excited. So you touched on travel. What are some challenges you think equestrians specifically have with with travel and how do you think this planner could help them?

Sure. So the beginning pages of the planner are your vision pages. So basically I did it that way and I'll just show you. I do a lot of pictures.

Nice.

And it's more of visual of what you want. So I always have visuals of trips. The point of your vision pages is that every day before you go do the do, you look and you say, what inspires me? Why am I even doing what I'm doing? So if someone wants to travel, which we We all know with horses, it's a lot to get away from our farms, to be away, the financial part of it, all of it. This is a way for you to just put it into your soul and look at it. After that, there's all the goal setting. So different equestrian goals, health goals, relationship goals, but part of it is financial goals. So to plan a trip for 2025, we're starting this year. And then we break the yearly goals down into monthly goals. So I help people set, you know, if your trip is going to cost $5,000, let's back that up. And here's what we do monthly. So you make things obtainable for those who want to travel. And in the back of the planner is a bucket list where I encourage people like, where do you want to go later in life? Just to always be looking ahead. But when I met you, Sandy, one of the things that really inspired me is what you're doing, because in our group We have so many people who want to go see other parts of the world, but it's just not possible for physical reasons, for the farm, for financial. So I'm really excited to learn more about what you're doing because I think in the equestrian world, you are filling a niche that is so sorely— like, it's truly needed. I'm totally on board to be a part of what you do.

I appreciate that. And so a little plug for myself here. What Jenna's talking about, I'm in the process of creating, and I have a priority waitlist for a virtual travel experience to Europe. So it's going to be a 6 plus 1 bonus week. I don't want to call it a course because it's more like a virtual journey through Equestrian Journey to learn about the highlights, itineraries, cultural things. So it's not just equestrian, but heavy equestrian. So I'm really excited for that. And I love what you said because like You know, there are a lot of people who just can't get away. That information will be in the show notes. So if you want to hop on the priority list, that will be great.

Oh, Sandy, I'm seriously— what you're doing is freaking brilliant because when people complain about social media, I get it because it does have its downside. But its upside is that you get to share amazing adventures with people. Like, this is a real once-in-a-lifetime journey that Someone's gonna feel like they really went there with you. When I'm with Koch in Ireland, we put so many things out and it's because like sharing each other's adventures, it's an amazing thing. You get to do and see things that you wouldn't be able to do. So what you're doing is brilliant.

Thank you. Yeah, I'm super excited about it. My passions are horses, travel, language, culture, and I just really wrapped them in a, in a package, put a bow around it and getting it out there. So I'm excited. So talking about Ireland, you've been to Ireland, what, 7 years now, you said?

7 years.

So we know you love Ireland, which I do too. I've been to Ireland multiple times. I was married to an Irishman for 28 years, so we traveled to Ireland all the time, and I absolutely have a soft spot for the country. But do you have any other places that you'd like to go to?

I do. So I will be leading retreats eventually to Scotland, Portugal. I am planning to do something in the United States out west, either Montana, Wyoming, Smart land. So what you and I do is very high tech, and I do love that. But there is something super special about meeting other equestrian people somewhere else where the whole focus is just us and connection and horses. And it's just such a rare thing in life that you get to have that really intimate experience. COVID made me realize that personal connection is special, and I want to do more retreats while I'm young and vibrant and healthy. All of those good things. So, yeah. And Europe for me has a very special place in my heart. So, yeah, there's lots of good things on the horizon.

That's awesome. I was in Germany. I led a group of ladies to Germany, to southern Germany, and we incorporated the kinesthetic riding simulator, Joker's Pluto, which is amazing. And I work closely with Dr. Marcela Vega, and we're doing trips there too. But Ireland is one country, and then France is another country that is just so horse-heavy.

I'd like to do France with you, Sandy. Maybe you and I can do France together. Next year!

Next year! Doing France next year. Versailles, possibly some— in the Normandie, there's actually, and I forgot what it's called, there's a classical school and they have a hotel that's on the school and it's in the field and it's surrounded by all the pastures and all the rooms have a view to the horse pastures.

That sounds horrible.

I know, right?

I wouldn't want to do that.

There's so many great places to go travel. Travel is life.

And whether people are doing it in person or doing it cyber through you, it's all such a beautiful, like, journey for real.

Well, for me too, because a lot of people that I know love to travel, but they can't do everything. So the virtual journey gives them a little bit of a feel for, oh, maybe Germany, maybe France, maybe Portugal, maybe Austria, Ireland, whatever. It'll give them a little more overview on which country that may really work for them or that they're more interested in than others. Like my friend Sarah, who was in Germany with me in July this year, she came to Ireland with me because it was kind of like a sussing out trip. And she says, oh my God, sorry, Sandy, but I think I have a new favorite country. She'd never been to Ireland. So yeah.

Ireland is magic.

It is magical. It is magical. So do you have anything else that you'd like to say before you wrap it up? And then I do want you to talk about where the audience can get your planner if they're interested. And I'm also going to link the link in the show notes, but can you just let them know where they can get it and if it's available yet for '25?

Sure. So 2025 is available, and it's thesmartequestrian.com, just that, or /shop. Either one will get you there. And basically, you know, this is a community that has A planner. We have an app launching also in 2025, so that will be coming soon for all the people who are only phone people. People have been asking for an app for like 6 years now, and I just was so staunch paper person. But now I'm realizing in the end, I want to help everyone who wants to live a life that they love. So if the phone is the way that you want to do it, I will get you there. But planning is for people who want to live intentionally. I mean, yes, it's about being at appointments on time and being organized and time management. That's all in there. You can be very specific if you want to. But Sandy, honestly, what I've learned in a decade is that planning is about who you become in the process. It's about finding practices and rituals that are sustainable. Like, you want a healthy body. If you don't want to go to the gym, don't force yourself to go to the gym. Make a plan to do other things. So I think some people, like a lot of my artist friends who are horse people, say, Jenna, planning isn't spontaneous enough for me. You can be as spontaneous as you want to be, but planning helps you— planning helps you make every moment count instead of letting years go by and you don't know why you haven't obtained the results you want. So it can be confronting because planning also keeps you accountable. It's in black and white. It's like you did it or you didn't do it. Jenna, look in the mirror. It makes you feel responsible for your own life, which I love because that puts the reins in your hands so you steer your life where you want it to go. So those are our people, people who want to live intentionally. Gratitude is the foundation of all planning. Being healthy, having healthy habits, having an open mind. We're big on growth mindset. So it's putting personal development into action so that you align with your values. Because if you're living your values, your life naturally unfolds the way that it should. And that's different for everyone. And that's what I love. There's really— there's so many beautiful paths to living amazing lives. And These planners and our community help you find your authentic path, which is different from everyone else's. And then we support each other and have a whole lot of fun.

I love that. I absolutely love that. And I love that you've mentioned intentionality a few times, because for me, a lot of it is about setting that intention, making a decision, and having that on black on white or in a phone or whatever does make such a big difference. I mean, I'm the stereotypical German that is a planner, that is Maybe a little too rigid at times, but it's helped me really stay on target for most things. Obviously, I'm human.

But it's not too rigid, Sandy. If it— that's what— and I say that if it works for you, it's not too rigid. It's your method. And if someone else is just writing poetry on their time slots, but it works for them, it works for them. So it's, it's really what you want. And that's what I want. I don't want people shoulding on themselves. There's no should. You don't should this.

Yes. So you could have.

Exactly. But you are intentional. And when your life is on track with being intentional, it just feels so good.

And that is so true. And being in alignment, like you said, with your values, which is huge. So I actually every year have an exercise where I set values for the year and new values for the year. And not a mission statement, but that's a little corporate, but like a vision mission that I wanna work towards. It guides you.

We do that inside of Smarties.

I love it. I cannot wait to get this planner.

I teach inside of the group every part of the planner. It's all there recorded. I tell people, if you have questions, ask. Some of these women have been in there all the years. Like, it, it's just, it's an incredible— people are generous. It's really good. We're so happy to have you.

I love the community, and I cannot wait to get my planner. I know I've said that 10 times, but I'm really so excited. Thank you so much for being on.

Thank you for having me.

Absolutely. I will link the link in the show notes, so for anybody that wants to get it. And this wraps up another episode of Equestrian Journeys. Thank you all for being on today with Jenna and I. If you enjoyed your journey, why not share it with a friend who loves horses and/or travel and/or planning? Don't forget to subscribe to Equestrian Journeys on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. For more content, travel tips, and beautiful images from our equestrian adventures, visit the website Equestrian Journeys, also linked in the show notes. And if you have questions or suggestions, For future episodes, please reach out to me. Until next time, keep your passion for horses and travel alive.

Thanks, Sandy. Bye, everyone.