Sandy Colling grew up riding in Germany from age five and noticed no one was covering European horse culture beyond elite dressage. She's starting this podcast to explore centuries-old traditions across Europe, mixing travel tips with stories from riding clubs and historic studs like Haupt- und Landesgestüt Marbach.
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Welcome to Equestrian Journeys Podcast. I'm Sandy Colling, your guide into captivating world of European horse culture. And each episode, I'll bring you century-old traditions, rich histories, and vibrant modern equestrian scene information. You'll hear captivating stories, get insider travel tips, and meet fascinating 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 culture. Join me as we uncover the hidden gems and stories of Europe's magnificent equestrian heritage. So today is our kickoff podcast. I'm so excited. And before we dive into our introduction, let me tell you a little bit about myself and why I started Equestrian Journeys. So I am originally from Germany. I started riding at the age of 5, like so many little girls in Germany. with bolting and then lunge line lessons and then on to the group lessons before I mucked stalls and did the barn chores, as so many of us, right, before I got to lease or in exchange ride a horse. And of course, once a horse girl, pretty much always a horse girl, right? So moving fast forward, I have never let the horse out of my heart. And although I currently don't own any horses, I'm very, very connected in the horse world still. And so I wanted to do something really, really fun. And I was digging a little deeper and saw that there's so much horse training information out there and so many great courses on horseback riding and training and just wonderful, wonderful stuff. But I didn't find anything about travel to equestrian Europe. Of course, we all know about the classical dressage schools, the 4 in Europe, but there's really so much more. Anything from the Reiterklause, the little bar, the little restaurant that looks— that where you sit and you look into the arena, to, you know, our vaulting lessons that we start with as little girls. And when you travel through the German countryside, pretty much every village has its own indoor arena. A lot of my friends and a lot of people still board their horses at a farmer who lives in the area, and then they ride to the indoor arena. Of course, in Germany, a lot of times it gets cold in the winter, and that indoor is really something that we need. So I woke up one night and thought, man, I really want to bring this rich culture, rich history, all these traditions to people in the horse world. And it doesn't matter if you're a dressage rider, a hunter jumper, or, you know, a hobby rider, or somebody who's even interested in horses. So I wanted to talk about the European equestrian culture that is so much more than just horses and riding. It's truly a window into the history, into the art, into the evolution of how European horse culture developed. And in future episodes, we'll be exploring all these various aspects of European equestrian culture. And I'm gonna be offering travel tips and really mesh those things together. Because again, it's not about training. It's not about any of that. It's really about European equestrian travel. And funny story, I actually had called this European Equestrian or Euro Equestrian Connection at first, but I was deviated. Then I came up with Equestrian Journeys because it is a journey. It's a journey into the heart of the people who love equestrianism so much. So I'd love to hear from you. You know, what aspects of European equestrian culture are you most interested in? Do you want to learn about the schools? Do you want to learn travel tips? Do you want to know how to even find out about what's happening? I just recently got back from my inaugural trip to Germany, to equestrian Germany. We were in Baden-Württemberg, which is in the south of Germany, and we went to the Haupt- und Landesgestüt in Marbach, the oldest state stud farm in Germany. We also visited a riding club, and the participants were able to see how a riding lesson in Germany, how it's gestaltet, how it's, you know, how it's done. So I'm just super, super excited to bring all this to you. So I just wanted to come on today and introduce myself. This will be a weekly podcast, and again, if you want to learn more about what European equestrian culture and tradition is about, just shoot me a message. And this wraps up the first episode of Equestrian Journeys. I'm Sandy Colling, and I want to thank you for joining me on this exploration of European equestrian culture. And if you are interested in learning more, why not share it with a friend who loves horses and/or travel? And don't forget to subscribe to Equestrian Journeys on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. And for more in-depth content, travel tips, and beautiful beautiful images and videos from our equestrian adventures, visit our website linked in the show notes. And again, if you have questions or suggestions for future episodes, reach out to me on social media @EquestrianJourneys. So until next time, keep your passion for horses and travel alive.
