Horse Industry Trailblazers: What It Really Takes to Ride at the Highest Level

Summary

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Living The Red Life – "Horse Industry Trailblazers: What It Really Takes to Ride at the Highest Level"

Released: December 17, 2025
Host: Rudy Mawer (with Ray Gutierrez hosting the interview)
Guests: Kristen Harden & Zach Harden

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Episode Overview

This episode delves into the inside world of elite horse training and competition, featuring Kristen Harden—a powerhouse horse breeder, trainer, and mentor—and her son Zach, an accomplished young competitor and social media innovator. The discussion explores the physical, mental, and emotional demands of riding at the highest level, family legacy in equestrian sports, the role of social media in modernizing traditional industries, and what it truly means to sustain excellence and community in an exclusive world.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Harden Family’s Equestrian Lifestyle

• "We breed and train horses. That's our lifestyle... That's all we do all day, every day." – Kristen Harden (00:00, 01:32)
  The Hardens share their all-encompassing commitment to equestrian pursuits, with both daily horse care and competition forming their way of life.

• Family legacy & power:

  • Ray Gutierrez highlights Kristen's dual identity as a "woman in power and a legacy maker" (00:07, 02:56).
  • Zach, homeschooled to accommodate travel and training, calls his upbringing “weird but inspiring,” marked by a tight-knit, horse-centered social circle (06:16–07:52).

The Emotional Bond & Intelligence of Horses

• Horses are intelligent, empathetic, and have individual personalities, akin to elephants or dolphins.

  • "They're really smart and they never forget anybody or each other. I can sell a horse, and five years later, they see their sibling at an event... one of them, Winnie's at the other one—it's really cool." – Kristen Harden (02:39–02:56)

• Both Hardens stress that every horse is unique, and training requires adapting to each animal’s distinct temperament.

  • "They're all totally different, but they're all the same. But they're all different." – Kristen Harden (02:12)

Physical & Mental Demands of Elite Riding

• Skillset required:

  • Balance and core strength are non-negotiable ("You can't be afraid at all." – Kristen 00:44; 09:27).
  • "You can't really get fit for riding without riding." – Zach Harden (00:49; 09:37)
  • Depth perception, logical thinking, and calmness are essential, especially during competition jumps (09:47–10:28).

• Mental game:

  • "Most of it is mental... like any sport, a lot of it is mental." – Zach (11:10)
  • Kristen relies on riding alone for fitness after injuries, emphasizing the year-round, relentless physical engagement (11:31–11:39).

The Unique Challenges of Horse Matching & Training

• The process is about harmonizing rider and horse abilities—both must be closely matched to prevent confusion, risk, or injury.
  • "You can get a horse that's better than you... Or more. And then you try to catch up to the horse." – Kristen (11:52–12:03)
  • Proper training is likened to finding balance in any close relationship, requiring constant assessment and adjustment for seamless performance (12:32–13:49).

Protecting Animal Welfare and Ethical Sales

• Kristen ensures that horses aren’t sold solely based on money, emphasizing ethical matching.
  • "You can't let the money override what's morally and ethically correct." – Kristen Harden (14:43–14:51)
  • Horses sold to less suitable owners often return to professionals like the Hardens for retraining and recovery (14:56–15:18).

The Role and Evolution of Social Media in Equestrian Business

• Zach brings modernization through TikTok and Instagram, expanding outreach for business and building community.
  • "It helps the business... we have more connections with people." – Kristen Harden (15:27)
  • Zach shares the volatility of online platforms: "I'll have, like, a week where everything blows up and I have, like, you know, 40,000 views a video... and then it's a slow period" (21:28).
  • Followers can fluctuate without explanation—a shared modern reality (21:44).
  • They note the power of vulnerability: "If something bad happens and I talk about it, then it's like, they love that." – Kristen (22:15)

Accessibility, Elitism, and Community in the Horse World

• While often seen as elite, shows attract a wide spectrum of people from different backgrounds.

  • "Every walk of life is at the horse show. It's like a tiny world, so everybody does fit in there." – Kristen Harden (16:01)

• Having a horse can become a family’s shared passion, deepening bonds and lasting memories (17:11–17:23).

Daily Routines, Rituals, and Personal Growth

• Zach rides 10–13 horses a day, favoring routine and volume over superstition—but admits to wearing two "lucky" necklaces after a winning streak.

  • "I started winning when I had these necklaces on... So now I have them on, like, all the time." – Zach Harden (18:27)

• The thrill of competition is compared to F1 racing, with riders advancing through levels akin to motorsport (08:15–08:24).

The Future of Horses in a High-Tech World

• The Hardens are confident that equestrian sport will thrive alongside technology advances:
  • "I think people are still going to ride horses, if possible, for sure. ...Even the people that are in tech, that are the future, are getting horses." – Kristen Harden (20:07, 20:20)
  • Zach notes competitions are getting "bigger and more mainstream," with "more money going into the sport right now" (20:30).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "It doesn't matter who anybody is. It only matters the horse." – Kristen Harden (06:02)
  (On working with actress Kaley Cuoco’s horse, illustrating that status fades at the stable)

• "Horses are like people... probably smarter and more empathetic than people." – Ray Gutierrez and Kristen Harden (02:29–02:33)

• "If you do something wrong on a horse, you can just–" – Zach Harden (10:28)
  (On the real risks and unforgiving nature of equestrian sports)

• "You don't want your horse to get tired because then you have to make up the difference. It doesn't really work the other way." – Kristen Harden (13:07)

• "They love to sip that tea... Jerry Springer was right." – Ray Gutierrez (22:25)
  (On the lure of drama on social media)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–01:32: Introduction, the Harden lifestyle, and horse-centric family legacy
• 02:12–02:56: On horses’ unique personalities, memory, and emotional intelligence
• 03:13–06:02: Kristen’s story about working with Kaley Cuoco’s horse, status vs. horsemanship
• 06:16–07:52: Zach’s upbringing, small-town roots, and navigating modern pressures
• 08:15–10:28: The athletic, mental, and emotional demands of high-level riding
• 11:10–13:49: Matching horses and riders, the crucial role of coaching and mentorship
• 14:26–15:18: Ethical considerations in horse sales and business practices
• 15:27–16:08: How social media transforms and democratizes traditional equestrian work
• 17:11–17:23: The family-bonding power of horse ownership
• 18:17–19:06: Daily routines, luck, and rituals in competition
• 20:07–20:30: Horses in a high-tech, AI-driven future
• 21:10–22:43: Social media realities—the rewards, volatility, and audience engagement

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Ways to Connect

• Zach Harden: TikTok & Instagram @zach_o.hardin
• Kristen Harden: Instagram @kristenharden

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Tone & Final Reflections

The episode maintains a blend of warmth, candor, and expertise, revealing the unglamorous hard work, tight family bonds, and enduring emotional connections underpinning equestrian success. The Hardens demystify what it takes to ride and thrive at the highest level, while showing that true excellence rides on humility, ethics, and love for the animal.

"It's so part of the human journey to always have a horse." – Ray Gutierrez and Kristen Harden (20:12–20:14)

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Transcript

[Kristen Harden]

We breed and train horses. That's our lifestyle.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Right on.

[Kristen Harden]

All we do, all day, every day. That's it.

[Ray Gutierrez]

I got to say, we have a unique situation here. You're both a woman in power and a legacy maker, because you are a powerful woman and mom, and your legacy is right here. How are you leveraging your relationship with your son when it comes to the business where he's modernizing the business with social media, with outreach, we have more connections with people.

[Kristen Harden]

Our job is horse training, and then I fly around and give clinics and teach kids. But through social media, then people can connect with us easier if they need help with their horse or if they want to get into horses because it is an industry that people consider elite.

[Ray Gutierrez]

What kind of skills does it require to do what you all do?

[Kristen Harden]

Balance. Yeah, a lot of balance. Core strength. You can't be afraid at all.

[Zach Harden]

I mean, you have to be really physically fit. But I think the hard thing about that is you can't really get fit for riding without riding.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Do you have a lot of clients that walk up to you and go, I just want to monetize my horse? What's a good workhorse? Literally?

[Rudy Moore]

Well, my name's Rudy Moore, host of Living the Red Life podcast, and I'm here to change the way you see your life in your earpiece every single week. If you're ready to start living the red life, ditch the blue pill, take the red pill, join me in wonderland and change your life.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Welcome to another episode of the Living youg Legacy podcast for Inside Success. I am Ray Gutierrez. Joining me today is Chris, Kristen, and Zach Harden. Folks, there's something very unique about you. It's horses. Let's talk about horses.

[Kristen Harden]

We breed and train horses. That's our lifestyle.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Right on.

[Kristen Harden]

That's all we do all day, every day. That's it.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Zach, what's it like breeding horses all day? Any unicorns slipping through? Nothing.

[Zach Harden]

Yeah, we've had some really special horses that we've bred. It's finest courts. Fun to see them, like, go from kind of nothing to then riding them to showing them. And it's a different experience for sure.

[Kristen Harden]

Each one has a like a baby book.

[Ray Gutierrez]

So that's beautiful.

[Kristen Harden]

They're born and then they go through the awkward stage and then, oh, then they're a real horse. And then we're trying to let them ride the. We try to ride them.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Sure, sure.

[Kristen Harden]

They're all totally different, but they're all the same. But they're all different. So there's a standard, like, philosophy to training all of them. But every personality is totally different.

[Ray Gutierrez]

That's beautiful that you recognize that horses have personalities.

[Kristen Harden]

Yeah.

[Ray Gutierrez]

And I'm sure have souls.

[Kristen Harden]

And I don't think a lot of people know that, but.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kristen Harden]

They're just like people.

[Ray Gutierrez]

I know it's beautiful in many ways. Are probably smarter and more empathetic than people.

[Kristen Harden]

Yeah, they're very intuitive.

[Ray Gutierrez]

I think of the intelligence of a horse. Very much like an elephant or even a dolphin.

[Kristen Harden]

They're really smart and they never forget anybody or each other.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Right on. That's beautiful.

[Kristen Harden]

I can sell a horse. And five years later, they see their sibling at a event, and one of them, Winnie's, at the other one, and it's really cool.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Right on.

[Kristen Harden]

Actually a lot more empathetic to them.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Sure, sure. I got to say, we have a unique situation here. You're both a woman in power and a legacy maker, because you are a powerful woman and mom, and your legacy is right here. You're literally quite a legacy maker. Tell us about your experience filming your episode.

[Kristen Harden]

Well, it's kind of emotional. Like, I was nervous because I'm super comfortable on a horse. I can be around anybody. I've been in a lot of situations with famous people that I think, you know, it's probably intimidating to somebody, but if I'm on a horse, I feel.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Like, yeah, I'm greater than them.

[Kristen Harden]

Yeah. Can I tell you a funny story?

[Ray Gutierrez]

Please do.

[Kristen Harden]

So years ago, I got a phone call from a trainer and said, I really need help with this horse. I sold it to a really important client and it's not going great. You know, the horse is too much horse and just not the right match. So can you help me validate the horse situation? Sure. So I go to down to LA to ride this horse, and they bring it to me. I had a barn down there that I was working out of, and there was a girl getting the horse ready and putting the protective boots on the horse. And I said, it doesn't really matter to me. But the Michelle, the trainer, said, somebody really important owns this horse. Somebody famous. I said, just curious who it is. Everybody pays me the same, so it doesn't make any difference, really.

[Ray Gutierrez]

For sure. For sure.

[Kristen Harden]

And she said, well, it might be me. And I said, are you famous? And she's like, well, I have a TV show. I said, oh, really? What is it? She said, the Big Bang Theory.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Willie Shatner's daughter.

[Kristen Harden]

No way. No. And I said, oh, cool. And she goes, you haven't seen it? I said, I don't really get to watch tv. So I haven't. But maybe I'll look at.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Sure, sure.

[Kristen Harden]

So play it forward. I won a Grand Prix on her horse, of course. That's awesome. And this is Kaylee Kyoko.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Kay Kyoko.

[Kristen Harden]

The Big Bang Theory. The blonde.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah, yeah, totally.

[Kristen Harden]

So I went to class on the horse, and we are celebrating it. Google her at Pebble Beach. That's where we were. And she's got all her family there, and it's a big moment. And then she.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yeah, William Shatner's daughter, Kelly Kyroco. That's William Shatner's daughter.

[Kristen Harden]

I. I don't think that's his daughter.

[Ray Gutierrez]

I'm pretty sure.

[Zach Harden]

You.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Pretty sure she's a Trekkie? Just Google. Go ahead.

[Kristen Harden]

Anyway, we. We went to celebrate, and she started telling a story about her TV show.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Right on.

[Kristen Harden]

And then she looked at me because now it had been a couple years, and. And she's like, oh, my God, you have no idea what I'm talking about. And I finally.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Someone that has no idea who I am.

[Kristen Harden]

Yeah, that's what she said. I was like, I haven't had time to watch it, but I'm going to.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yeah. That's amazing.

[Kristen Harden]

Funny, because it. It doesn't matter who anybody is. It only matters the horse.

[Ray Gutierrez]

I was going to say, Zach, what's it like? Like waking up and there's literally a horse out your window going, hey, wake up. What's. What's it like?

[Zach Harden]

I'm just really used to it because I grew up out there, so I live on that property, so I'm kind of, like, used to going outside and seeing my horses every day. Like, it's weird to be here and, like, not have horses. And then, I mean, it's weird to, like, not go outside and see them and not, like, go ride.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Did your high school friends all have horses? Did you all pull up in horses?

[Zach Harden]

Yeah.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Really?

[Zach Harden]

Well, I. I go to high school. I've never been in, like, an actual school. I.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Well, the school of life, apparently. Yeah.

[Zach Harden]

I just. Welcome aboard. I did everything online so that I could show and keep. Keep traveling. But all my friends. During high school, all of my friends are horse friends. So we all have horses. We all rode, you know, everything like that. But we live in a really small town, so my high school is not exactly, like, big either.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Wow.

[Kristen Harden]

You.

[Ray Gutierrez]

You, Liv, you're literally like a comic book hero. So what's it like? I got to ask that. What's it like growing up in this generation? In the future, you're in the future, dude. Like, what's it like?

[Zach Harden]

Um, it's hard to describe. It's really. It's weird also because, like, everything that I do is very, like, much related to my sport. And that's hard because you can see everything everyone is doing all of the time.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Sure.

[Zach Harden]

And, like, friends that, like, I went to competitions with and, like, that we hung out together and we were friends are now off doing, like, way bigger stuff than I am.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Oh, no.

[Zach Harden]

That's hard to, like, not feel, like, diminished by, I guess. Like, you got to stay happy for their success. But it is hard to, like, always see everything everyone is doing all the time. Right.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Would you say you've got a small town heart, but no. You want to go essentially big city? Yeah.

[Zach Harden]

Well, I don't want to go to the big city.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Okay.

[Zach Harden]

I don't think I would do well in a big city, but I do. I have big dreams, big aspirations. Like, I want to travel and do the big international competitions and stuff. Like, I. I do want to do that, but, you know, I have friends that are doing that now. Cool. And it's inspiring, but also, like, wow, we were at a competition together, like, three years ago.

[Ray Gutierrez]

I. I got any moment I can take a talk about F1. I'll take it. It very much reminds me of, like, when you start on a go kart and then you go up to F4, F3. And then you're basically your childhood.

[Zach Harden]

Exactly.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yeah. It's very much like, talk about that culture and how it's still very inclusive. Like, not a lot of folks will wake up one day and be like, hey, I'm gonna go get myself a horse and live this an amazing, lavish life. Like, what's that? What's the lifestyle like versus me with a car heading to work?

[Kristen Harden]

Well, the horse is 24. 7 needs. If you have a horse in a stable or small area, sure. You have to have somebody there 24. 7. Absolutely take care of the horse. Dogs are easier. Horses are not that easy.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yeah.

[Kristen Harden]

You know, if it. If they can, they will. Like, if they. You look at a place you're going to put your horse and you start seeing all the little things they could get hurt on. So it's not. You can't just put them anywhere. It has to be sure. Totally safe. Because they are going to get bored and they're going to mess with stuff and break things. And so it's a constant. It's all day, every day.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Right on. And what kind of skills is it required to do what you all do, like, I'm sure, balance.

[Kristen Harden]

Yeah, a lot of balance. Core strength. You can't be afraid.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Right.

[Kristen Harden]

At all. You have to, I don't know, describe.

[Ray Gutierrez]

It well, Zach, describe it.

[Zach Harden]

Put me on the spot. I mean, you have to be really physically fit. But I think the hard thing about that is you can't really get fit for riding without riding.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Sure.

[Zach Harden]

Like, I have a friend who took a couple months off to, like, go do something in college or outside of college, but, like, through the school and she said she worked out every day and she came back and she was like, winded. Right. Wow. It's just. It's not the same. So you have to be fit. You have to do it a lot. You have to have really good depth perception because, like, when you're doing what we do, when you're jumping, it's all depth perception and measurement and you just have to be really, like, calm and think really logically and kind of just. You have to just be chill so that you don't make bad decisions in the moment. Because it is life or death. I mean, because if you do something wrong on a horse, you can just.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Oh, yeah, yeah. I. I apologize. Every time I think of horseback riding, you know, I think of Christopher Reeve.

[Kristen Harden]

Superman.

[Zach Harden]

Yeah.

[Ray Gutierrez]

You know that. That's the. The peak story of the pinnacle can happen. It can happen to anyone, including Superman.

[Kristen Harden]

Yeah.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Talk about how much of your training is on the horse versus off the horse. And when you speak of training in the sport, for folks that don't quite understand, give us a quick 60 second montage of what you do.

[Zach Harden]

Do you mean like training what I do personally or training what we do with the horses?

[Ray Gutierrez]

You bro. Both, because you're on the horse, but I'm sure you're not constantly training on said horse.

[Kristen Harden]

Well, you do work out.

[Zach Harden]

I do work out, but that's for me personally. Sure. Just like a.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Because that was my leading question to how much of it is spiritual versus physical. Because when you're on the horse, you got to read the horse and the horse is reading you back.

[Zach Harden]

Yeah, Well, a lot of it is ment. Most of it is mental. Like. Like any sport, a lot of it is mental. Um, it's maybe not as. Like, once you get fit for riding, you're kind of there. It's maybe not as physically taxing as a lot of other sports, but a lot of it's mental. And like, I work out to have a stronger core and, you know, whatever you kind of need, but I don't.

[Kristen Harden]

So my whole thing Is mental.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Oh, right on, right on, right on.

[Kristen Harden]

I don't work out. I just ride all the time.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yeah, that's great.

[Kristen Harden]

I've had too many injuries to do anything else but ride.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Right.

[Kristen Harden]

So my friends are like, let's go do this, let's go do that. I'm like, no, no, not doing that.

[Ray Gutierrez]

I got to ask, when you said a horse is too much horse, what is exact. What does exactly?

[Kristen Harden]

Just a lot of power.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Just a lot of power.

[Kristen Harden]

You have to kind of match. It's like a scales. They have to be. You can get a horse that's better than you.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yeah.

[Kristen Harden]

Or more. And then you try to catch up to the horse.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kristen Harden]

You don't want to get a horse that is not up to your level.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Sure, sure.

[Kristen Harden]

But if you start out here and you're learning.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yeah.

[Kristen Harden]

Then it can be scary and intimidating because the horses really. You have to know how to manage that kind of personality.

[Ray Gutierrez]

I was just gonna say, who chooses. Who does the horse choose? The rider.

[Kristen Harden]

That's why they're. Well, that's why there's trainers and coaches that know that this is going to work. And it might not work this month, but you're going to catch up next month.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yeah.

[Kristen Harden]

But you don't want to catch up in longer than that because then the horse is going to get confused in the middle or somebody might get hurt. So. And when you're jumping, if you don't. You want to feel. It should feel seamless. If the horse is pulling you too hard, then you can't jump a course of 14 intricate little jumps that you can't touch. It has to be, or the person's going to be tired. So as the course goes, say there's 14 jumping efforts. The horse starts out strong, like they're an athlete, too.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yeah.

[Kristen Harden]

And then typically, midway through, people, somebody gets tired. Horse. If the horse gets tired, the person has to make up the difference. It doesn't really work the other way. You know, the horse can't make up the difference for the person. So if the horse gets tired, you can kind of pull them together and ask for more. So it's. You know, when we teach, when I teach and coach you, you can't. You have to understand the. The whole process so that as a person, you can start to feel like your horse needs help, and then you can help at the end of the course. So it's a tough sport. It's an Olympic sport for people because of that.

[Ray Gutierrez]

For sure.

[Kristen Harden]

For sure. At the highest level, it's. They. You Know, the humans, people think, oh, they're just sitting on the horse. No, that's not what's happening.

[Ray Gutierrez]

That's. That's. It's crazy that you recognize that symbiotic connection I think of. You know, a good example that folks can relate to is maybe avatar window. The avatar is putting the braid to the horse. I mean, to the.

[Kristen Harden]

That's the perfect thing, is when you have, like, your horse and then it's. Nope. You're. It's the perfect. But it's like any relationship, we have to make concessions one way or another.

[Ray Gutierrez]

So are you into horse breeding or. Yeah, so. So how do you protect the horse from someone that is a bad buyer?

[Kristen Harden]

Let them buy the horse.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Well, obviously. But how do you vet them? Is there a profiling process or kind of.

[Kristen Harden]

I mean, if they're gonna come ride your horse, then I want to see them ride before they come, because they can scare your horse and then.

[Ray Gutierrez]

And you could get yourself hurt.

[Kristen Harden]

Yeah.

[Ray Gutierrez]

It's a whole mess.

[Kristen Harden]

Yeah.

[Ray Gutierrez]

And you don't want.

[Kristen Harden]

So you have to be liability to be really sure. Careful. And then you can't let the money override what's morally and ethically correct.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Correct. Yes. And is that primarily your job to protect the horses from that?

[Kristen Harden]

That's what I do. I mean, there are a lot of. That's an expensive sport. So a lot of people are. Or have to maybe sell their horse to somebody that's not the right person. Sure. And then as that plays down, then that horse might, through connections, end up with somebody like us to retrain, get their confidence back because they haven't been with the right person.

[Zach Harden]

Right on.

[Ray Gutierrez]

How are you leveraging your relationship with your son when it comes to the business where he's modernizing, you know, the business with social media, with outreach.

[Kristen Harden]

Well, it helps. It helps the business. Then we have more connections with people.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Sure.

[Kristen Harden]

So it's because we. Our job is horse training. And then I fly around and give clinics and teach kids. But through social media, then people can connect with us easier if they need help with their horse or if they want to get into horses, because it is an industry that people consider elite. Except.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Which is nothing wrong with that, by the way.

[Kristen Harden]

Yeah. What is true. Except it isn't like every walk of life is at the horse show.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yes.

[Kristen Harden]

It's like a tiny world, so everybody does fit in there.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yes. But you yourself said you feel a little.

[Kristen Harden]

When I'm. When I'm on the horse, somebody can own a horse, and I guess you're right. And they can fit. Right. It doesn't matter who they are. There's everybody there. Famous people, not famous people. Young, old, everybody. I have some clients that don't leave their home too much anymore. They're older, but they have a horse. And everything's livestream. So they keep up watching their horse and they don't miss a moment. And it gives them a lot of joy to have. Be able to see their horse.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Very cool.

[Kristen Harden]

Do stuff.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Is it kind of like a rite of passage doing a horse, especially in a small neighborhood? You know, it's. It's a completely different. I would say a tax bracket or neighborhood that I grew up in, but.

[Kristen Harden]

I feel like, well, not most horses are in. If you're in a city, they're at a. A stable.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Sure, sure. But I mean, like, the families you sell to, like, it's almost like, oh, it's time to get you a horse. You.

[Kristen Harden]

You're 12 years old. It depends on the. The people. But some people mortgage their home for it, and some people don't have to. So it's totally. Every situation is different.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Do you see someone's lifestyle improve when the horses within.

[Kristen Harden]

Oh, I think so, yeah. Especially the families, because they. They have something in common that the. It's not just going and watching a soccer game. It's. They're really invested as a family.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Sure, yeah.

[Kristen Harden]

Their child and the horse. And the horse is like part of the family. They end up on the photos on the wall and, you know, it's like a. It's part. It's like adding a family member.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Do you have a lot of clients that walk up to you and go, I just want to monetize my horse. What's a good workhorse, literally? Or is that to some people do.

[Kristen Harden]

That want to sell their horses?

[Zach Harden]

Right on.

[Ray Gutierrez]

I see.

[Kristen Harden]

Yeah.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Very cool.

[Kristen Harden]

We have people that maybe their kids went to college and they need to sell their horse or There's a multitude of different things, but.

[Ray Gutierrez]

So you're world traveling and you're an athlete when it comes to horse racing, so. Or horse jumping. All right, sorry. Speak to me about what you do when it comes to horse jumping. And what I like to. When I speak to athletes, it's like, what's your daily superstition? Do you wear a specific pair of underwear when you want to have a good day of practice? Like, walk us through your routine.

[Zach Harden]

I try so hard not to have superstitions, because I do. I do believe in that. So I try really hard. Like, if I win in like a show coat I try to not be like, this is my lucky coat.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yeah.

[Zach Harden]

Because then if something goes bad in the coat that I'm like. But I do like, I wear. I have like a bunch of like, crystal stuff on. And I do wear that every day. And I do, like, I have these two necklaces that I. I did get off Etsy, and one's turquoise and one's jade. And I'll tell you though, like, I started winning when I had these necklaces on and I took them off for a little bit and I forgot about them and I stopped winning. So now I have them on, like, all the time. So that's my superstition. But I try to just wake up and like, I prefer having multiple horses at a horse show. And once I can, like, get in a roll, I kind of stay in a roll. I. I don't love the pressure of having like one class or one horse to show a day.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Right on.

[Zach Harden]

So I do like that. And I am used to, like, riding a lot. Cause I ride 10 to 13 horses a day at home. So I prefer to just get in, like, the groove and like, keep riding and riding. Um, so, yeah, that's kind of my routine. I kind of just wake up and start my day, go to the show, figure out what I have to do, plan my day. Cause it's all on a schedule. And then make sure the horses are good. Take them out, stretch them out.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Are you watching this Netflix? Like, we need the F1 ride to survive, but just on what you do, I can already see the different personalities and you bragging about your horses. Yeah. Yeah. Right here. I would have watched your show.

[Kristen Harden]

Very cool.

[Ray Gutierrez]

So how are you all keeping future proof? Like, you know, like, we're clearly. It's 2025. I'm not expecting AI horses or Tesla horses, but it's definitely a very Western way of living that is, you know, dwindling slowly but surely.

[Kristen Harden]

I'm not sure that AI has any.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Oh, no, this is a joke.

[Kristen Harden]

Yeah. But I don't. I don't think.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Are you future proof? Do you think this will ever be there? Like, even when we have flying cars in 20, 30 years, I think people.

[Kristen Harden]

Are still going to ride horses, if possible, for sure.

[Ray Gutierrez]

But it's important for the. I guess what I'm trying to land on it.

[Kristen Harden]

It's.

[Ray Gutierrez]

It's so part of the human.

[Kristen Harden]

Yeah.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Journey.

[Kristen Harden]

Yeah.

[Ray Gutierrez]

To always have a horse.

[Kristen Harden]

Yeah, I think so. I mean, that's from the beginning of time. Correct.

[Ray Gutierrez]

That's what it'd be.

[Kristen Harden]

So I don't I don't see it going away. Even the people that are in tech like, that are the future, are getting horses. They're getting horses. They're in horses.

[Zach Harden]

Well, our competitions are only getting, like, bigger and more mainstream than. There's only, like, more money kind of going into the sport right now, for sure. It's not like it's getting smaller and dwindling. Like, it's getting bigger, bigger, and, you know, like, bigger stages, bigger people there, you know?

[Ray Gutierrez]

Yeah.

[Kristen Harden]

We have one client in particular that is way up in Microsoft in the AI thing, and all she wants to do is ride, so totally get it.

[Zach Harden]

She's completely get it.

[Kristen Harden]

Yeah.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Right on, man. I remember growing up in my 20s and 30s and thinking rock stars are cool, but now I'm in my 40s, and I think you're cool, my friend. So with that, how can people discover you? How can people find you on the Internet?

[Kristen Harden]

He's on TikTok.

[Zach Harden]

I have a TikTok. It's Zach O'. Hardin. Same thing on Instagram. She's Kristen, I think Kristen Harden on Instagram. So you can find our social medias on there. But if. If you look up just our names. Yeah.

[Kristen Harden]

Find us.

[Zach Harden]

Yeah.

[Ray Gutierrez]

How are things on TikTok, Zach? You're doing well.

[Zach Harden]

It fluctuates. Pretty hard functions pretty hard. I'll have, like. I don't know, I'll have, like, a week where everything blows up and I have, like, you know, 40,000 views a video, and everything's good. And then, like, right now, I'm in, like, a slow period and I don't really get, like, any views.

[Kristen Harden]

How many followers do you have?

[Zach Harden]

266,000.5. It wasn't. How come it drops by 2? I don't know, actually. I don't know.

[Kristen Harden]

Where did they go?

[Zach Harden]

I don't know why people are like. I don't know if they're specifically seeking out my page and unfollowing me. I don't know if it's TikTok getting rid of fake followers and bots.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Sure, it probably is.

[Zach Harden]

I don't really know what.

[Ray Gutierrez]

It's definitely not your charisma, my friend.

[Zach Harden]

Well, every time it drops, I'm like, what did I do?

[Ray Gutierrez]

What did I do today?

[Zach Harden]

I. I'm like, I know. Maybe I have.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Are you listening to this Twitter lift today? I don't know how they do it.

[Kristen Harden]

Social media is crazy. I get a lot of views. If something bad happens and I talk about it, then it's like, they love that if something good happens, they want.

[Ray Gutierrez]

To sip that tea. It's always the tea. Jerry Springer was right.

[Kristen Harden]

Just don't read the comments. That's what I'm always telling the comments.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Are always the best. There's a great Are you on Reddit? Jump on Reddit. That's gold.

[Zach Harden]

I have enough with what people comment to me on social media without knowing anything.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Dude, look at you.

[Zach Harden]

Of course they're so.

[Ray Gutierrez]

They're going to love to hate you, dude. You're on the right track, my friend.

[Zach Harden]

I hope. I hope so.

[Ray Gutierrez]

Get out of here. And with that concludes another amazing episode of the the Living youg Legacy podcast for Inside Success. This is Kristen and Zach, and I am Rigatiers.