DiscoverPassion to Purpose - Real stories, raw execution - from the paddock to profits.
Passion to Purpose - Real stories, raw execution - from the paddock to profits.
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Passion to Purpose - Real stories, raw execution - from the paddock to profits.

Author: Katie Bird

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Real-time insight form The Ridges - where one woman manages 75 acres, 23 horses, 2 businesses and a rising M&A career. 
This is the discipline behind the chaos! 

89 Episodes
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Day 90.- The finale of a challenge, but not the end of the journey. For 90 days, I’ve shown up every single day — no excuses. Through storms, setbacks, travel, fatigue, wins and losses. In that time, I’ve: – Run the farm and two businesses solo through winter. – Got one month away from finishing an advanced diploma. – Completed an 8-week M&A course and started AI training. – Kept building Equine Sports Therapies, coaching, clinics, and the stud. – Documented it all — the good, the hard, a...
Day 89, and today was all about preparation, for horses, for clients, and for myself. The morning was admin, bookings, and travel prep. The afternoon was follow-ups with young competition horses, making sure they’re ready for the season. I also helped a friend by checking on her horses while she’s unwell, because progress is as much about community as it is about consistency. But the bigger theme was what’s ahead. This holiday isn’t about shutting off. It’s a reset — a chance to s...
Day 88 - Two days from the finish line, it was all about progress made possible by patience. From following up with a young horse who’s just stepped into competition with a new owner (and bounced back quickly after a paddock slip), to working through a loading issue with a horse unsettled by a new environment, today showed how consistency and calm problem-solving create the real breakthroughs. The rest of the day was spent preparing: horses, paddocks, feed, and rehab plans for clients and now...
Day 87 was the second day of our Confidence Club, and once again, the breakthroughs were huge! From teaching a rider on a very experienced horse how to find the right buttons, to supporting a nervous rider who faced her fears and joined the group, then to celebrating the progress of a long-term attendee who has completely turned her horse around — today showed just how powerful confidence and consistency can be. Each rider came from a different place, yet every one of them left with growth, p...
Day 86 was all about confidence, the kind that carries riders through setbacks and horses through challenges. Despite the wild weather, Confidence Club was in full swing. From helping a rider get back on after a fall that had shaken her trust, to watching a high-energy horse and rider pair reap the rewards of months of hard work, the breakthroughs were real. With Mia recovering well at home, and her AI rehab monitor allowing me to keep track even while teaching, today was a reminder that conf...
Day 85 brought a powerful reminder that recovery isn’t just about protocols, it’s about blending compassion, science, and persistence. From helping children’s ponies build strength, to supporting older horses through their later competitive career, to picking up Mia post-surgery and trialing groundbreaking AI rehab technology… today highlighted the full spectrum of what true care looks like. Every case, whether equine or canine, proves that recovery is never one-dimensional. It’s physical. It...
Day 84 was a lesson in balance. While I spent the day in Tauranga working with horses, from long-term rehab cases to young horses with postural transformations, my mind was also elsewhere. Mia, my dog, was in surgery. It was hard to concentrate knowing she was on the operating table, but the commitment to both my clients and my own animals never wavers. The relief of hearing her operation went well reminded me that whether it’s a performance horse, a paddock pony, or a family dog,...
Day 83 reminded me of two powerful truths: you’re never truly on your own, and progress, whether for horses or people, always comes through support. From the outpouring of messages about Mia’s upcoming surgery to the breakthroughs with children’s ponies and the complex SI rehab case I saw today, it was clear that teamwork and trust change everything. This episode is about gratitude, for the people who step up when you need them, for the horses who show us what’s possible, and for the results ...
Day 82 tested me on multiple fronts. Mia’s injury meant urgent vet trips, tough decisions, and the reality of facing surgery just days before we’re meant to leave to go on holiday. At the same time, I still had a full roster of horses to treat and clients relying on me. This episode is about carrying the weight of responsibility, for animals, for clients, for commitments — when life doesn’t give you the option to pause. It’s not easy, but it’s part of the journey, and sometimes resilien...
Day 81 was a day of contrasts. Professionally, I spent the day with eight horses — from older horses needing TLC, to competition horses building on their winter conditioning, to eventers coming off their first cross-country runs of the season. Progress, strength, and resilience everywhere I turned. But the drive home brought a very different reality. Sophie rang to say Mia had ruptured her cruciate ligament, devastating after all the rehab I’ve done, and just a week before we’re due to ...
Day 80 — an inside day of study, admin, and business strategy while the storm raged outside. But the real lesson came from a supplier who fumbled the ball: a great product, let down by poor communication and short-term thinking. It’s a reminder that in business, it’s never just about what you sell — it’s about how you show up for the people who rely on you. Plus, an update on our lambs (they’re thriving!) and prepping everything on the farm before holiday mode begins.
Day 79 was all about shifting gears — not with horses, but with myself. After a heavy week, today brought a much-needed reset. A morning at Pony Club schooling across country with the young horses, storm prep on the farm, new lamb arrivals, and then — the barn spring clean I didn’t want to start but couldn’t resist finishing. Sometimes the best way to clear your head is to clear your space. Fresh air, fresh perspective, and a reminder that even when weeks get tough, you can always shift gea...
Today was full on, from rehab follow-ups, quick turnarounds, and even dodging a van crash on the road. But the day ended with a pony named Hope — and her story is one I’ll never forget. Rescued from neglect, skin and bone, with old injuries and scar tissue left untreated, yet still standing there with the kindest soul and complete trust in the people now helping her. Her new owner had the guts to do what no one else would: step in, take responsibility, and fight for her future. Despite everyt...
Today’s episode is about firsts. I had the privilege of treating two horses for the very first time in their lives, no bodywork, no adjustments, no history. Just the raw, natural baseline of their bodies. Seeing that unfiltered foundation is a gift. It shows you where the true weaknesses lie, where atrophy exists, and where the potential is waiting to be unlocked. But it wasn’t just about the horses today. After months of specialists, tests, and MRIs, I finally got the all-clear to start rec...
What a start to the day! At 7am, I was digging for a missing dog thought to be stuck in a rabbit hole. Half an hour later, I found him… safe, but accidentally shut in a stable. Stressful? Absolutely. But a good reminder that sometimes the problem isn’t where we’re looking. The rest of the day was back to the horses: Checking progress on a youngster back from the breakers.A rehab case where we’re finally seeing results.And a show horse where a strained muscle explained the weekend’s perf...
Day 75 — Today was about milestones and commitment. My youngster went on his first solo hack, a huge achievement and a step forward in his journey.I treated everything from a three-year-old starting out to a 22-year-old still thriving, and once again it reminded me how important early intervention is, the little changes made when horses are young can shape their entire future.And on the other end of the spectrum, I worked with older ponies whose owners remain deeply committed to their comfort...
Day 74 — Every Horse Deserves Dignity Today wasn’t about ribbons or results. It was about responsibility. I worked with a long-term client whose pony will never compete again, but she refuses to let that mean neglect. Instead, she’s committed to keeping her comfortable, happy, and respected in her paddock years. This episode dives into what true horsemanship looks like when performance isn’t possible, and why dignity must outlast competition. Plus: sponsored rider progress, youngster sessio...
Day 73 — no horses worked today, but that doesn’t mean no progress. Behind every session, every result, every transformation is the unglamorous but essential side: strategy, systems, and discipline. I spent the day in the office, marketing, advertising, accounting, and wrestling with new software that tested my patience (including redoing two hours of work that never saved). Not my favourite kind of day, but one that matters just as much. Progress isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s buil...
Day 72 - Today was proof that even the best routines get tested. I’ve built a solid 5 AM rhythm while Sophie’s been away, but now that she’s home, it’s about finding a new groove. This morning, I couldn’t record without waking her, so I ended up driving down the airstrip in my truck just to get it done! And then the day unfolded… newborn lambs reunited with their mothers, five horses worked, a reset ride out the back of the farm, and by evening, rescuing another lamb from a rabbit hole and nu...
After 10 days on the road, I’m finally back on the farm, and after 3 long months, Sophie is home too. Today was about shifting gears: catching up on admin (the unglamorous but essential part of running two businesses, navigating barn renovations, and reconnecting with the farm as lambs continue to arrive. A highlight was meeting face-to-face with a local vet I’ve been collaborating with on cases; it was fantastic to strengthen that professional relationship and share insights for better...
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