Lessons from an FEI dressage rider for $5? What's the catch? That was my reaction - and the reaction of lots of other riders - when they saw Meghan Laffin's post. But on further investigation, this was an approach to a multi-pronged problem that Meghan identified in the dressage industry: 1) Many riders are feeling the financial strain of pursuing their goals in their sport, 2) Many riders felt alone, or too embarrased to seek help and 3) There's not always a clear path to improvement, let alone success, so having a fresh set of eyes and a professional take on your situation could prove valuable. Besides, Meghan had spent most of her career in horses riding, and wanted to improve her coaching skills. It was a win-win. She's now taught over 100 of these lessons and in this episode shares what she's learned from the wide array of riders that she was able to support over this 4-month experiment. Meghan Laffin is a 31-year-old dressage rider who is also the assistant trainer for Olympic dressage rider, Kasey Perry-Glass. Meghan has taken Diane Perry's mare Stina from First Level to I-1 and aims to start doing the small tour in 2025. Meghan also has her MBA from UC-Davis, is a former producer at CBS News, and was a division 1 volleyball player at Coastal Carolina University. This is the story of what $5 lessons taught Meghan, and the students who took her up on her crazy offer. Thanks for listening. This episode is proudly supported by We Ride Together, a nonprofit organization created to cast light upon the endemic issue of sexual abuse in youth and amateur sports. Their mission is to make the youth and amateur sport environment safer for all athletes. To access the blog post mentioned in this episode, click here. This episode is also supported by Nikovian - equestrian riding apparel for home or for shows that feels and performs like luxury, but without the luxury price tag. Use code horseperson15 at checkout for 15% off your purchase.

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