Meet Your Host

Lily with her favorite pony, Chance, on her 26th birthday

Welcome to Heart Of The Horseshoe — a podcast all about getting into the whys of horseback riding!

I'm your host, Lily Freiberg. I'm so excited to... pun intended... get into the heart of the horseshoe, and talk about my experience in riding.

In my intro episode, I talk a little bit about the meaning of the podcast, a little bit about myself and a little bit about how this podcast will look now and into the near future.

About Heart Of The Horseshoe

I explained the meaning of this podcast in my intro blog post, so I'll try my best to summarize here.

Heart Of The Horseshoe won't be a "how to" podcast. I'm not here to teach you how to ride.

This podcast will be about truly getting into the heart of riding — hence the name "Heart Of The Horseshoe."

I want to get into the whys of horseback riding, and I want to offer a unique listening experience for riders of all ages and levels. Whether you're a beginner who's just starting out, or an advanced rider who has been competing for years, I believe we can all benefit from going back to our roots.

My goal is to bring the riding community closer together. In a world where the community can be labeled "snobby" because of the egotistical advanced riders, I want to be able to talk to encourage each and every rider to look into their own whys.

About Your Host

As I mentioned above, my name is Lily. I turned 26 this past May, and started riding in November of 2025.

I used to ride at various summer camps, but never fully got into it due to my commitment to dance.

I picked up horseback riding as a hobby because I was going through some things that was affecting my mental health. I figured it was something that was different, something that would challenge me and something that would get me away from my phone.

Since starting riding lessons, I have taken a series of privates on top of a weekly group lesson. Once my privates ended, I signed up for another group lesson. I am now taking two lessons a week, and I have moved up to an intermediate level.

I am working on sitting my canter better, and my main goal is to jump.

Here are some fun facts about me:

• When I'm not at the barn, I'm usually binge watching a TV show

• My favorite color is mint green, though I'm allergic to mint

• My favorite TV show (right now) is Love Island and Bridgerton

• My favorite movie is Knives Out

• My favorite food is Italian

• I love wine

• I love all kinds of music — country, pop, musical theatre and K-pop to name a few

• I used to dance and was involved in professional ballets as a child

• My favorite pony at my barn is named Chance

• My favorite places to travel are New York City and Washington, D.C.

A Short Guide To The Podcast

You'll find out very soon that I can be a little scatter-brained, so I'm hoping I can provide a small guide for both you to follow as a listener and me as the host, so I don't get too sidetracked during episodes.

1. Intro — A little life update from me. This can be general life updates, horseback riding-related updates or a little bit of both. I believe it's important to do some check-ins with each other.

2. Episode Topic — This is when I get into the nitty gritty, and really talk about the topic of the episode.

3. Final Debrief — This portion will be short and sweet. I'll be promoting socials, and ways to interact with me and this podcast. I want the riding community to get involved.

This is just a rough outline of what episodes will be like. I am hoping to add interviews and Q&As into the mix as the show grows.

The only rule I have from you as listeners is to be kind and considerate to each other. Keep your egos in check before commenting. Remember that your words can affect people, even if it's behind a screen. Instead of trying to lift yourself up by putting others down, lift yourself up by encouraging others!