FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Beyond the Riding Lesson™: Creating Horse Experiences People Remember
New Educational Series from the Equine Safety and Success Network™ Explores How Horse Professionals Can Intentionally Create Horse Experiences People Remember
TRYON, N.C. — Most horse professionals spend years learning how to teach, train, and care for horses. But what if one of the most important skills isn’t found in the lesson plan at all?
That question inspired Beyond the Riding Lesson™: Creating Horse Experiences People Remember, a new educational series developed through the FREE Equine Safety and Success Network™ (ESSN) Pilot Program.
The series asks a simple question: What if the horse experience is about much more than the activity itself? Whether someone comes to ride, train, board, learn, compete, volunteer, or simply spend time around horses, every interaction contributes to the experience they will remember.
Developed through the FREE Equine Safety and Success Network™ (ESSN) Pilot Program, the series explores how horse professionals can intentionally create memorable experiences—from the first phone call and Welcome Conversation™ to every interaction that follows—while maintaining the safety, professionalism, and quality instruction that are the foundation of successful horse operations. Over the next eight weeks, participants will explore teaching techniques, communication strategies, instructional approaches, and practical management ideas that have been tested with thousands of riders and refined by respected horse professionals throughout the world. Rather than focusing only on what to teach, the series examines how horse professionals can create experiences that strengthen relationships, encourage client retention, reduce daily stress, and help people look forward to returning to the barn.
“The horse industry has done an incredible job teaching horsemanship,” said equine safety consultant, educator, and expert witness Randi Thompson. “Now we’re asking a different question. How do we intentionally create horse experiences that people remember? Every horse professional creates an experience. The question is whether that experience happens by accident…or by design.”
Unlike a traditional educational program, Beyond the Riding Lesson™ is being developed collaboratively through the FREE Equine Safety and Success Network™ (ESSN) Pilot Program. Rather than creating educational resources for horse professionals, participants are helping develop the Equine Safety and Success Guide™ (ESSG) with horse professionals by sharing ideas, experiences, questions, and practical insights that help shape practical resources for the equine industry.
The project is supported by the ESSN Advisory Board, whose members bring decades of experience in equestrian education, safety, management, judging, stewardship, instructor development, and professional leadership. The Advisory Board includes Darla Walker-Ryder, a longtime CHA Master Certifier with the Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) who has spent many years certifying riding instructors and clinicians, helping shape generations of horse professionals, and Laura Kelland-May, who brings decades of experience as an equestrian educator, FEI Steward, Senior Judge and Senior Steward with Equestrian Canada, Working Equitation Judge, and NCCP Competition Coach Specialist (High Performance Trained). Together, they help ensure the Equine Safety and Success Guide™ (ESSG) remains practical, collaborative, and grounded in real-world horse operations while promoting horse welfare, rider development, and professional excellence.
“Strong horse programs are built on more than good intentions. They are built on clear communication, consistent systems, and thoughtful decisions that support both people and horses,” said Walker-Ryder.
“Technical instruction will always be important, but the overall experience often shapes what people remember. Helping horse professionals think intentionally about every part of that experience has tremendous value for our industry,” said Kelland-May.
The Equine Safety and Success Network™ (ESSN) is a FREE collaborative pilot program where horse professionals work together to explore communication, management, safety, teaching, and the overall horse experience while helping shape the continuing development of the Equine Safety and Success Guide™ (ESSG). Participants receive educational resources, engage in weekly discussions, and contribute ideas that help create practical solutions for horse professionals throughout the industry.
Because regardless of why someone comes to the barn, the experience they have may be what brings them back.
About Randi Thompson
Randi Thompson is an equine safety consultant, educator, author, and expert witness with more than four decades of professional experience in the horse industry. She is the creator of the Equine Safety and Success Guide™ (ESSG) and founder of the Equine Safety and Success Network™ (ESSN), a collaborative educational initiative dedicated to helping horse professionals strengthen communication, management, safety, and the overall horse experience through practical, experience-based educational resources.
Horse organizations, publications, podcasts, and industry professionals interested in learning more about the Equine Safety and Success Network™, the Equine Safety and Success Guide™, or the Beyond the Riding Lesson™ educational series are invited to contact Randi Thompson for additional information, interviews, or speaking opportunities.
Media Contact
Randi Thompson
Equine Expert Witness and Litigation Consultant
Founder, Equine Safety and Success Network (ESSN)
Creator, Equine Safety and Success Guide™ (ESSG)
Email: randi@randithompsonlive.com
Website: www.randithompsonlive.com
Phone: (828) 243-1401