#48 Chasing Your Dreams with Gabriela Reutter

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:00:01-00:00:08]
On this episode, we're talking with Gabriela Reutter, Chilean pro show jumper and founder of Lumiere Horses Incorporated.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:00:08-00:00:20]
You know, I think it's so important to be able to flat your horse in the plainest stuff possible because that really tells you how well you're doing your job at the dressage and at the flat work before you jump.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:00:21-00:01:31]
Welcome to the Equestrian Connection podcast from wehorse. My name is Danielle Crowell and I'm your host. Gabriela, aka Gabby Reuter, is the reigning number one female Chilean show jumper. Her career is decorated with accolades, including more recently the team bronze medal at the 2022 South American Games in Paraguay, as well as victories in SEI classes, Nations Cup events, and European tours. is a true testament to her spirit and unwavering dedication. From leading performances at Spruce Meadows and the Hampton Classic to securing top ranks at Junior slash Young Riders South American Games, her career is filled with impressive accomplishments. In 2018, Gabby founded Lumiere Horses Incorporated, a testament to her vision and entrepreneurial spirit. you can find her traveling across the United States, Canada, and Europe, fueled by her ambition to become the first Chilean women's show jumper to represent her nation's colors at the Olympics since 1972. Today, we're going to be chatting about all things ambition, balance, staying on track with big goals, and so much more. Here we go. Gabby, welcome to the WeHorse podcast. I'm super excited to chat with you today.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:01:31-00:01:36]
Hi, Danielle. Thank you so much for having me. I'm very excited too.

[SPEAKER 2]
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So let's get started at the very beginning. How did you get started with horses and what were your first few years like as an equestrian?

[SPEAKER 1]
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I got started because my mom took me to get lessons at this place near our beach house that had like old polo ponies that were then used as, you know, teachers for kids. So I started there when I was four years old and I would only do it while we were in vacations on a beach house. And then it kind of progressed to me wanting to do it, you know, like all the time. And I went from just doing like, you know, like they had like three sessions. It was like the basics, then the intermediate and then the advanced. And then I ended up doing like all three classes and I would have an extra class after. So I was trying to like ride all the time. And then I started riding. So the club is like the where the beach house was like an hour and a half from the city from Santiago where I'm from. So then we were like, OK, I want to ride like all the time. So then we found a club in Santiago and it just kind of like kept progressing from there. And then I got my first course when I was eight. Um, I remember I would like every night before going to sleep, I'd be like, I really want a horse. Like, please can I have a horse? Just like putting it out there and like manifesting it. Um, and then, yeah, I got my first horse when I was eight. Um, and then I did like my first international competition when I was 12. And the first time I came to Wellington, I was 16. And then at 17, I like already decided I wanted to move here. So I officially moved here at 18.

[SPEAKER 2]
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Do you wish you could have a better partnership with your horse but aren't sure where to start? Do you want to advance your riding or horsemanship but don't have access to the ideal resources in your area? Does the idea of learning about horse training whenever and wherever and at a price that won't break your horse bank sound appealing to you? Check out WeHorse.com to access over 175 online courses with top trainers from around the world. We have courses on everything from dressage to groundwork to show jumping to body work. And as a member, you get access to everything in our WeHorse library to watch whenever you want. Oh, and we also have an app, which means you can download a course or video to watch without Wi-Fi, which is perfect for those days of the program when you want a quick dose of training inspiration before your ride. So what are you waiting for? Go to WeHorse.com and check out our free seven-day trial to access our WeHorse library and see if it's a good fit for you. We can't wait to see you in there. And now, back to the episode. And now, when you first started at that initial club, were they jump-focused? Or what brought you into show jumping and developed that passion?

[SPEAKER 1]
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Yeah, actually, it was not show jumping at all. It was very, first of all, it was very basic. You know, I was like teaching kids who had never ridden on a horse. You know, like the first time I just started trotting or the horse started trotting, I started crying and I didn't want to go back. I didn't want to go back. I was like, no, I'm not doing this. I'm just scared. And then my mom was like, oh, too bad. We already paid for lessons for the whole summer. So I went back. And I was like, okay, fine. And then I'm sure my parents at one point were like, oh, that was not maybe a good idea.

[SPEAKER 2]
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To just have her go back because now we're stuck forever.

[SPEAKER 1]
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Yeah. But yeah, there was no jumping. It was like all dressage based and very... It's actually super fun because it was... very like teamwork oriented and she would like divide us into groups and then we'd have to do like stuff like mirroring each other. So I learned like all like basic, very basic dressage and like moving around the arena, like diagonals, circles, figures, figure of eight. And then again, like doing stuff in teams, which was really cool. But there was, I mean, I think there was one little bit of jumping that only like the advanced people would do. And it was like a cross rail at like 60 centimeters. Like, you know, that was it. And it was like, whoa, you jumped a cross rail. And then I obviously really liked doing that. And then, but she didn't teach jumping per se. And then when I moved to Santiago, I like went into lessons that had jumping. Actually, I should ask my parents how I started jumping because I don't really know. But I know that...

[SPEAKER 2]
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off for jumping and I like to jump basically that was it and then I just progressed yeah I love the origin story of like people's discipline like how they how they chose the discipline that they're in and so it's interesting it's like one of those things where you just you were just drawn to it obviously like just something about it brought you there Yeah, I guess jumping those little cross rails.

[SPEAKER 1]
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Right. It got me into wanting to jump. I don't know.

[SPEAKER 2]
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Yeah.

[SPEAKER 1]
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I do remember I have this very vivid memory. The first club that I was in in Chile was called the Pepper Cheese Club. And I have this very vivid memory of standing, like, sorry, sitting, watching what I thought was the biggest jumping of my entire life. Now, looking back, it was probably like a meter, 10 meter, 20 like course. I just remember watching and being like, Oh, I want to do that. Like, that's what I want to do. I remember sitting on the grass, like looking at the ring. It was a beautiful grass field. And I was like, okay, I want to do that. I think I must've been like seven, six or seven at that point.

[SPEAKER 2]
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Yeah. It instilled that memory.

[SPEAKER 1]
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And yeah, it's like in my head. And I mean, that's the first image I have of somebody like show jumping and me being like, okay, I want to do that.

[SPEAKER 2]
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Yeah. So as you progress through your career, I'm going to ask you about the bad and then I'm going to ask you about the good. And the reason why is because, you know, sometimes it's it's it's like, do you want the good news or the bad news first? Always give me the bad news first so that I can end on a good note. So as you've gone through your career, what are some like obstacles that you faced? Some of the challenges, the harder things. And then how did you overcome them?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:07:54-00:13:02]
I feel like in this sport, there's so many obstacles. Again, it's like a pun. Pun intended. Very much actually not intended, but it happened and it was great. But yeah, there are many obstacles. One, because it's a frustrating sport. You know, you're working with somebody who doesn't speak your same language and that's your partner. And while you're learning to communicate properly to your partner and, you know, learn this language to be able to communicate, it's frustrating because sometimes they don't understand you, you know, and you ask them something and you think you're asking them correctly and either they don't know how to respond or you're actually not asking correctly. So it can be very frustrating. It's not like you can be like, okay, I want you to do this and jump this in the same way. You know, you actually have to learn how to communicate that and then actually communicate do it well so there are a lot of steps um so i think some of the obstacles were first i struggled a lot and i'm still working on it like my mental game because i'm a super perfectionist and i need to let go of that and just ride with feeling and not think about it so much so that you know you go through ups and downs in your mental game and that's a whole other thing because you can be so perfect and you know know everything then you get in the ring and it's just like a block like I had this moment when I was young that I would fall at the last fence every time my competition after competition because something about me being anxious about being the end and going being going clear and then at the last fence I would just not put any distance you know I had to go through that and work through that with sports psychologist um So that was part, you know, I think the mental aspect of the sport is an obstacle that I think everybody has to keep working on the whole time. I think another thing is that, you know, it's a sport that you can get further if you have more means, further, faster. especially the faster part because you can ride more if you have a bigger budget you know you can get better horses that can you know give you more confidence so I think that's also a struggle because you know everybody has their own their own budget and my budget was very limited so in order to be able to get nice horses and all that and also I don't come from a family of horses so trying to like everybody understand the costs and the investment. I think that is an obstacle, you know, and trying to find the best possible opportunities with what you have. And that is a big range. You know, I know there's people that have much less. I know there's people that have much more, but everybody struggles to find, you know, the best with what you have and being able to allocate those funds accordingly. I think it's also an obstacle for the families because, I think, you know, my parents and my siblings and my whole family, like really, you know, invested their family vacations and coming to Wellington and their time, their energy, you know, all of these things. And I think that is an obstacle too. And that's something that I've also had to have had to work with because I feel a lot of guilt sometimes on how much, you know, my parents have had to sacrifice and my siblings have had to sacrifice. And that's something that's, like currently i'm working on because i feel that like heavy and then i have to like you know give back and be able to like get good and get you know you know money back to be able to pay everyone back which they've told me a lot of times that i don't have to do but it's just something that's you know yeah me so that's something that i'm also working on currently um I don't know. I think I also struggled with an eating disorder when I was young. And I think that didn't come from the horses or from the horse world. I know I've talked to a lot of people here that with the equitation with the hunters, that's kind of a struggle with body image. I didn't feel that because we don't have equitation or hunters, so you don't have to look a certain way. But I feel like as a woman and with every media pressure and everything, you kind of A lot of people just fall into it. So that was a big struggle because I got into this deep, dark place. When I was little, I got my eating disorder when I was 12. So it was hard, but also horses got me out of it because it was having to be strong and and i i was like okay i either have i'm either going to go down this hole or if i actually want to ride and complete my goals like i can't not eat i can't you know be focused on this i have to switch my focus yeah so i would say that of course it saved me from myself because of that um but yeah i mean those are some of the hard things and it's a frustrating sport so i think dealing with frustration all the time is is hard and it takes you know a lot out of people Yeah, absolutely.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:13:03-00:13:08]
So you had mentioned the sports psychologist as well. Do you do you currently work with a sports psychologist?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:13:09-00:13:41]
Yeah, I work with a performance coach. His name is Jim Hickey, and he's really great. He's helped me a lot. I started working with him a couple months ago. I used to work with a sports psychologist from Chile, and he was also amazing, and he gave me all the base for all the stuff. I worked with him for two years, I think. And then Jim is here in Wellington, so it kind of seemed like it made sense to have someone in person And yeah, he's been really great and I'm very happy with him.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:13:43-00:14:48]
And in what ways do you feel that like focusing on your mental game has helped you and. Because, I mean, that's such a big part of it. And it's interesting. My husband and I, we've been watching the Netflix documentary Full Swing. It's with the golfers. And I find it so fascinating. It doesn't matter what sport. I find it so fascinating to see the behind the scenes of how they got to the top of their game. And so there's one who his whole thing that he talked about was about how he's been working with a sports psychologist and it's completely changed his game in the best way possible. And there's another guy on it who is struggling and he refuses to see a sports psychologist. And everybody wants him to go to it because it's the thing that they think is going to make the difference. And so anyways, we haven't continued to watch it, whether or not he goes or not. But how have you found working with a sports psychologist has helped you with your performance?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:14:49-00:17:04]
Yeah, I mean, I think every athlete should be working with a sports psychologist because whether you're struggling or not, it's just a person that, you know, is always there to motivate you to talk through things with you. And it's such a tough, frustrating sport that having someone to remind you every day that, like, you are good enough, you know, you can do this, you know, like, to teach you different ways to get you out of your thinking, to get you into your feeling, like, I think, I mean, it's tremendous the amount of help that they give. And I think just like I said, like having someone reminding you, you know, that you're good enough, that you can do it, that like you can achieve your goals and helping you guide you through that. I mean, Jim does such a great job of helping me in all aspects. And yeah, Just being there, you know, if I if he feels my energies, he knows when I'm nervous and he's like, OK, let's breathe. Like, OK, let's, you know, he just like just having somebody to to be there with you. And, you know, that for me has been a huge help. And every time that, you know, I have a not so great round or when I end, when I have a great round, like I call him after and he'll be like, okay, what was great? And what could have been better? But first tell me what was great. You know, and the first thing I want to do is tell him like, I could have done this. I could have done that. Like, he's like, no. Tell me what was great because like there are things to be around that were great. And I was like, okay. And it just makes me feel better and like keep myself motivated and not go down that path that like, Oh, I did this bad. I did this bad, this bad, you know, like definitely wasn't good enough. You know? So just having that support is, is amazing and having new ways to deal with different problems that arise, having somebody, um, I think the most important thing here is having a good team, a good trainer that you trust, good grooms, a good support system. And it's all part of your team. For me, I want to get the best people I can, surround myself by the best if I want to be the best. So that's what I've been trying to do and I keep trying to do all these years.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:17:05-00:18:20]
That's such an important point to make. I feel like And perfectionism is like this inherent trait in so many equestrians. And I don't know why, but it just seems like it's something that so many of us, myself included, deal with. And the ability to reroute that immediate desire to explain what went wrong is so important. Because I just I feel like it's something that so many of us do where immediately we're like, oh, well, this went wrong. It's like, yeah, but like what went right? Like there's and our brains don't go that way. It seems like it's and it's not even just a question. It's just anything like I can go to a social function and like maybe I talk and have all these really good conversations and maybe like one conversation doesn't go that way and like go the way that like. felt really good. And that's the only thing I focus on. You know what I mean? Like it's, it just, it seems like it's, it's something that so many of us deal with. So I love that. I love the fact of immediately starting with what went right so that you don't go down that rabbit hole of what went wrong. That's great.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:18:20-00:18:28]
Yeah. I mean, even with social media and comments, you can have a billion positive comments, one negative one, and that ruins your day.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:18:28-00:18:33]
Yes, you're so right. You're so right. That's so true.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:18:34-00:18:37]
You have to have a billion positives just to overcome one negative.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:18:38-00:18:59]
So speaking of which, you have a very large social following. You're super active on social media. I love your reels, and they're great. And with that, I'm sure you've come across the dark side of social media. How do you deal with that? Start with what's good.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:18:59-00:20:13]
What's the good thing about social media? Okay, so social media, yeah. Honestly, social media for me has opened a lot of doors and that's what I think is great. And I've connected with really amazing people. And I mean, just, it's awesome. And I love making people laugh and I love educating horses. I love educating horses too, but I love educating people about horses and horsemanship and all the positivity, positivity in the sport. And that has been really, really great. And it's just, I mean, it's something that, went from being like a fun pastime to a job, but it's something that I love doing. So that's really great. And it compliments, you know, my writing and all of that. So whenever I learn something that helps me, I share it. And I think it helps other people too. Or if I'm like, Oh, this is such a struggle. Like, I'm sure other people struggle with. And then I post it and then everybody's like, yes. It's really fun to connect with people. But I actually feel like I haven't gotten as much hate as I would have expected.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:20:13-00:20:14]
Yeah.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:20:14-00:20:27]
Just because I'm doing a really great job at ignoring it. Yeah. But yeah, I mean, obviously I get like the occasional comment or message and I either ignore it or erase it because I do not have time for that.

[SPEAKER 2]
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Yeah.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:20:28-00:21:07]
You know, I know to ignore it. And I do 99.99% of the time. And there's an occasional one that I be like, you caught me on a, you know, enough on a time. I'll just have to respond to it and then clap back and done. But it's very, I think I've, I can only think of one time I've done that. So yeah, I either ignore it or just if it's something shitty, like erase it. I'm like, I'm not dealing with it. Like if you want to go, just go. I'm sure I get a lot of like people talking behind my back and all of that, but I couldn't care less.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:21:08-00:22:41]
I love that. I love I love the mentality of like, I don't have time for this. Like, it's not this isn't the energy that I feel like spending my time in. I love that mindset. And I also love that having as large of a following and being as active on social media as you are, that you haven't been experiencing anything negative. And I. It's. I also think it's the way that we approach social media. If we go into it expecting, I'm going to get a bunch of trolls. If I post this, people are going to say this. I feel like then it's like if you focus on it, then you bring it in. And if you go into it with the mindset that you had said earlier of like, You've made so many great connections, like you share things and you feel this sense of community and, you know, all of those different things that social media has is also very good for. Then we experience that. And like I used to be like, oh, my God, social media is such a necessary evil. Like, oh, I don't want to be on it. Like, it's all blah, blah, blah. and I've instead started approaching it being like, I have made so many friends on here. Um, there's so many people I've connected with from all around the world. Um, there's like this fun sense of like, Oh my gosh, that's so cool. Like what you're doing. And like, you just, I don't know, like it's this cool sense of community, like you said. And when you look at it from that perspective, it clicking on the app brings up a whole different feeling. Um, so I love that. I love that you said that.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:22:41-00:23:10]
Um, Yeah, like you said, I'm trying to focus on connecting with really great people and building a community. And I mean, I love it when people come up to me and are like, oh, my God, your video is so funny. Or I know you because of Instagram and like, I love your posts. And, you know, that for me is like such a like it makes me so happy to make other people happy and be able to show what's positive and what's great about myself.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:23:10-00:23:46]
the horses and this and this life but also it's bad and like take it with humor and you know I don't know just just trying to like have a kind of like where I you know post my struggles and post my you know the good but uh yeah I mean it's been it's been really fun and I hope it continues to be that way I love that Talking about competitions, how do you prepare yourself and your horses, both mentally and physically? Do you have a certain routine or approach that you take when you're getting ready for competitions?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:23:48-00:26:30]
Yeah, well, I try not to change too much. I have a routine, and when it's a competition, you don't have to just go in and change everything. But obviously, there's some things that I do a little bit more of. So I work I work out a lot. I work out every day and I work a lot on my balance. I work a lot on my strength, on my endurance, like all of these things so that when I am on the horse, I feel strong. I feel in balance and I feel like I don't like not out of breath after I jump a Grand Prix. And so in that aspect, I also, you know, I eat really healthy, make sure I drink enough water. I make sure I eat enough before and after the competitions to make sure I have enough protein. I am on a plant based diet, so I have to be really careful to be able to have enough enough fuel so that I don't feel drained at the end of the day. And in regards to my horses, I base it a lot on flat work. I work a lot on the flat because that translates directly into jumping. And we don't jump much at home at all. And if we do, I mean, if we're jumping a 160 Grand Prix, we won't jump more than a meter 30 to a meter 35 at home. If anything, you know, like it's very low impact on the horses. Like we all know that they can do it. So we try to, you know, save jumps and all that and just prepare a little like gymnastics or something simple, you know, and try to keep it as simple and as little as possible to, you know, make sure they're happy and we're happy with how they're feeling. Um, but yeah, I would say, you know, prepping for a competition, the biggest things is being able to have a horse that's, you know, rideable and listening to your aides and working with you, you know, that they feel and that they're, they're lean, they feel good. They're, you know, they, we work on their endurance, like the same thing that I work with them. I work on myself. I have a chiropractor go over them to make sure that everything is good. But yeah, my vet will sometimes do electro-acupuncture or acupuncture, either or, so that really helps throughout the competition. I work a lot on different therapies that we use daily. Like with response systems, I use the magnetic blanket every day with my horses, twice a day. And then we laser the parts that either are sore or I have a horse that has a little bit of arthritis, so I use it there and just maintenance so they all feel good. But yeah, I would say there's not like an exact...

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:26:31-00:26:50]
plan but it's more like maintaining what we do and fine-tuning before the competition yeah what flat work like do you have like a go-to flat work routine that you find or some certain like flat work exercises that you find most beneficial for jumping oh that's a good question good job

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:26:54-00:28:20]
You think I did this before. I think, okay, first, it really depends on the horse you have. But I say overall, working on transitions is a big one. Like even basic transitions, like making sure that they're crisp. Think overall. you know, in the, like, if you have a long time for the competition, like, the transitions don't have to be, like, super perfect, but I'd say, like, as closer, the closer you get to competition, the more you want to fine-tune all these things, so basic transitions going from walk to halt then uh you know walk to trot trot to halt halt to back you know walk to canter like all of these transitions and then going from there to you know lengthening and shortening and making sure your horse stays round throughout those transitions i also do a lot of like turns on the forehand, turns on the haunches, because that really gets your horse to bring the balance behind and use the power of the hind legs. And I do a lot of that work. You know, it's also what we need to do for turning in balance and then doing short turns and jump offs and all of that. So I'd say, and that encounter canter also really helps to like work with your, your horse's balance. Um, but I'd say, yeah, the biggest thing is your transitions and then getting your horse's body supple.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:28:23-00:28:43]
Yeah, I, it's, it's interesting. We have, um, so many dressage focused courses on WeHorse and, um, And a lot of people will think, well, it's just dressage. It's like, no, like we like there's so much importance in this foundation for jumping. So that's really interesting.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:28:43-00:30:15]
Yeah. It makes your life so much easier. I mean, if you can't turn or lengthen or shorten your horse, I mean, it's horrible. To jump, you know, it's like frustrating because then the distances all get messed up. When you're able to have your horse round, to have them pushing from the hind end, you know, to have them light and responsive and all of that is all flat work. It's all working in the flat. you know, to be able to fine-tune these things so that when you get to jumping, you don't have to think about the fact that you can't turn or that you can't lengthen and shorten. And you can just feel your horse out and work the distance and you know that you have the lengthening and shortening. And I think a lot of people sometimes just rely on bigger bits, bigger spurs and all of that to be able to get that. And it's not, you know, that's not how you get your horse responsive. The opposite. If you go to bigger and bigger and bigger, you're going to get your horse less sensitive and less responsive and just fighting you instead of working with you. You know, that's why I always flat in a plain snaffle because I want, you know, it's going to be hard when, when I get a new horse and they come and they're not in the program, it is awful. My arms hurt, my legs hurt. Like I can't stop. I can't go. But then you teach them to work with you and get them softer. And then from there you can build up if you need a little bit more in the ring and But, you know, I think it's so important to be able to flat your horse in the plainest stuff possible because that really tells you how well you're doing your job at the dressage and at the flat work before you jump.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:30:16-00:30:27]
Yeah. I just want to, like, put that into, like, a quote for everyone to just stay in here and play on repeat. Yeah.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:30:28-00:31:32]
Yeah, I think it's so important to just, you know, try. And if you can't ride your horse in a snaffle, keep trying to ride them in a snaffle. Because also then if you go to a little bit stronger bit when you're showing, like, it'll be way more effective. Yeah. You know? We have to be good horsemen, horsewomen, and, you know, get working with the horse, not just trying to find quicker fixes that are not the best. And this is my personal opinion. People can disagree with me, but this is how I've been taught and how I've You know, that's the way that Chris Kapler has taught me. Like always, we learn to fly the horse in plain snaffle, you know, using small spurs so that then you, you know, your horse has to be listening to your legs. The spurs and the bits, they're all aids, right? And aid is a help, you know. They're like secondary aids. Your primary aids are, you know, your hands and your legs. Your legs, your calves, you know, not your spurs. That's just a little bit of help, you know.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:31:34-00:32:00]
Absolutely. We also, at WeHorse, we're really focused on, like, the bond with our horses as well. Like, it's something that... Like you mentioned at the very beginning, you used the word your partner. You didn't say your horse. You said your partner, which I loved. And so how are some of the ways you establish a bond with a horse, whether it's maintaining a connection or whether it's establishing a bond with a new horse that you get?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:32:01-00:34:16]
Yeah, I think the first thing is spending time, time, time, time, time with your horses. you know, being there, knowing like what they do, you know, how do they stand in their stall? Like, how do they greet you? Like, you know, seeing if they're happy, like, you know, do they feel healthy? Like, What do their legs feel like? Even if you're doing simple things, sometimes I'll just be hanging out at a show and I have to be in my computer, but I set up a chair next to my horse and I'm there with them and try to spend as much time with them as I can. It's hard on these horses because... they don't, you know, horses in the wild, like they'll have buddies and they'll have friends and we become their friends. You know, we become their buddies in the, as well as the horses that they spend time with at the barn, but they're not out getting like body scratches every day. So, you know, just take some time and you give them a body scratch and they'll give you a body scratch back, you know, and it's just like simple things and they'll tell you where they want, you know, where they want you to scratch them and what, you know, they want to spend time with you because they, They see you as your friend, as a leader. But in order to establish that connection, you have to spend the time getting to know your horses and creating that bond and then maintaining that bond by continuing to spend time, continuing to greet them, continuing to connect with them before you get on, not just showing up, getting on, getting off, leaving, you know, even like take them out, take them out for a hand graze, like, you know, groom them sometimes. Like, you know, we all have rushed lives, but you can, you have some time to get a curvy comb and just buddy scratch them for 10 minutes. You know, like they'll appreciate that so much and just, yeah, take them out for hand graze. Like, I think that's the biggest thing, like spending time and getting to know them while they get to know you. And it's on, on the horse too. Like don't be on your phone when you're on your horse. Yeah. Like you're talking to your horse and, you know, be with your horse. Like, even though they're not looking at you, they're feeling you, you're on them. So that's also a time like they're listening to you. So you need to be listening to them as well.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:34:18-00:35:12]
Absolutely. Great point to make, especially with the phone. Um, like I, I just, I think it's so important. My, um, My horses won't let me be on my phone. Same as my dog. My dog is like, hey, you're on your phone. Get off it. It's so interesting how much they notice if you're completely not present. So I love that point. So I had started this interview in the... way that I'm now going to, after hearing what you said about your sports psychologist, I'm like, I got to change the way that I format these interviews when I started. So I started with what are the things you've overcome. Now I want to talk about like the highlights, like the, the good things. Um, what, so exactly that, what has been a highlight of your career so far? Like what do you consider the peak so far? Um, and what do you still hope to achieve?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:35:14-00:36:47]
I think, The peak. I mean, it's... hard because I feel like I haven't gotten to the peak yet, which I think is good, but I've had, you know, I've had highlights. I think, you know, the biggest thing that comes into my, into mind is, um, when we won the team bronze at the South American games, uh, 2022 was a really great year for me. And it was really hard because I had a really bad fall at the beginning of the year in March where I broke and I dislocated my shoulder. And, um, And then, like, overcoming that was horrible. Like, in the sense, like, everything, like, had, like, shattered, you know? Not only, like, my shoulder had had a break, but, like, it felt like I had just gotten out of a long-term relationship. Like, I fell off my horse, so I, like, couldn't ride. You know, they also, like... You feel awful because they give you all these drugs so that you don't feel bad because I was laying in the ring and I couldn't move. But all of these things, they give you a huge down. They got into opioids because I was like, I'm not doing that. My dad went to pick me up to the pharmacy. He didn't know because they don't tell you here, which I think is horrible. But he went to pick up the pain medicine and he comes and sneaks in through my door while I'm laying there. I'm having my friend laser my shoulder. And everything that hurt after the fall. And he was like, Gabby, I got your medication, but I'm throwing it away. I was like, what? He was like, yeah, because they're opioids. I was like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:36:47-00:36:48]
Go ahead.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:36:48-00:39:46]
I'll deal with Advil and Tylenol. But still, everything that you have to get so that they were able to put my shoulder in the right place and everything, that all gives you a really low down for the next few days. So I felt awful. I was like... You know, I was jumping really well. I had my horses in really good shape. You know, I couldn't do that. I was, like, mentally, emotionally drained. And then afterwards, I was able to pick it up, had, like, the best year, was placed in every Grand Prix that I showed in that year, and then culminated it with, you know, a medal at my first senior Games, which I thought, I mean, it was so fun, and it's also so fun to represent my country and go to new places and, you know, and... competitions and see you know that for me is the highlight like competing for my country is the most fun I have um and in a team it's also it's just so it's so different because it's so individual this part that being able to do it as a team and then get a medal I think that was I mean that was amazing so I'd say that was like a big big highlight because also it came from such like a dark place and then you know it all went up from there and that was it was really really fun Um, and I think, you know, little highlights are always like being able to build this partnership with your horse and being able to feel like you're finally connected. Cause it takes time when you have, you know, it takes at least a year. So like being able to like get all the details correct and then feeling like, okay, we got this. Like that is so fun. Like when you two know each other perfectly. So that's, I mean little highlights I get and just, you know, being able to spend time with my horses is a highlight all the time. Um, and yeah, as I said, like being able to connect with, uh, with nice people and like people that, um, like have the same values that I have and being able to learn more. And yeah, I think that, I mean, It's it's been great. And I think that's one thing I also need to work on and how great it's it's been. Thank you for reminding me. But, yeah, I still have a lot, a lot of goals. I mean, my big, big goal is to go to L.A. Olympics 2028 and do the whole Olympic cycle. I unfortunately wasn't able to participate at the Pan-Americans in my home country, which was a big, big bummer because that was my goal for so, so many years. But unfortunately, my horse wasn't in the right place at that time. And I think they picked a really good team, and I was very happy and was able to support them from afar. But yeah, I would love to be able to go to the next South Americans, the next Pan-Americans, and then the Olympics. That would be my dream. So I'm looking... for partner sponsors to be able to get there. And that's my next big goal.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:39:48-00:40:02]
So potential sponsors, if you're listening, hit up. Help me become the first Chilean woman since 1972 to go to the Olympics. I love that.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:40:02-00:40:03]
That would be incredible.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:40:04-00:40:25]
Yeah, that's fantastic. I love that. I love that you have that as a goal. I think that's absolutely fantastic. And so how do you stay motivated? You have this goal in mind, this big goal. How do you keep on track towards that goal, stay motivated, keep the vision? What does that look like for you?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:40:26-00:40:54]
Yeah, I think you just have to cut it in steps. Yeah. go little by little and not like, I mean, yes, that's something that's in my mind and it's always there, but I try to focus on the present and what I needed to like, just keep getting better. And then it'll eventually, you know, I'll feel ready to do those things. So it's just about staying focused in the present and having like little goals and little steps that, you know, will help you get there.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:40:57-00:41:26]
How do you balance? So, I mean, I find it hard to balance, like, work-life balance, including my horses. And I don't have big goals. Like, I'm not working towards Olympics or anything, like, literally anything like that. And so I'm like, oh, my gosh, like, got to have my time with my horses. I got to do this. I got to work. I got to, you know, maintain relationships, all of the different things. How do you find balance? And, like, do you find balance?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:41:26-00:42:32]
Yeah. it's really, really hard. And I feel like I've worked my whole life and I'm still not a hundred percent feeling that balance, but I'm getting better. Uh, I think I had a hard time. I've had a hard time balancing because I've always felt like I need to do it all. So like when I was in college, I felt like I had to ride, I had to go to college and I had to maintain my social life. So what did I sacrifice? My sleep. I did not like that, you know? And then I also felt terrible because I was like, this is horrible. And looking back, I was like, I was doing too much. I was trying to be this like super woman and I was proud of it. And, but I ended up drained and I felt like I couldn't do everything as well as I wanted to. And I think now what, I've done is one, I've, you know, I prioritize the people that also prioritize me. And I have these great relationships with people that is not like a big, you know, because can't handle that. So I prioritize, you know, the few people that prioritize me and my family.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:42:34-00:42:55]
And, and I try my best to balance it, but I don't think I have a solution or like, Something that I don't think there is a solution to be completely honest. I think the whole idea of like having this like perfect balance is fake. So I don't I don't think it's I don't think it is possible. I think we just, you know, do the best we can.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:42:55-00:44:24]
yeah and I mean there's some days that I'm like more in work and then there are other days that I'm more spending time with my horses and other days where you know but it's it's hard because there's so many hours of the day yeah and sometimes I like get home and I'm like I just want to do nothing I want to watch a series you know I just want to do nothing and I want to be around anybody I just want I think that's the hardest is like making time for myself I think I ended up I end up doing like the horses, the work, the like working out for myself, my career, the social media, the friends, my sleep. And then I just, I don't have time where I do nothing. And I think that is something I need to like sneak in more. And I think I also need to kind of ask for more help. And yeah, I don't think I need to do it all. So I think I'm learning and trying to find other people to help me now that everything is growing and give more tasks to people that can help me and support me. So I think that's what I have to keep doing to be able to balance everything is to have You know, like I'm going to have I'm hiring one of my friends to my best friend to help me with like emails and all that. And I think, you know, be able to do that because then I can do other stuff and focus on other stuff. So I think it's but it's hard is something that we have to work on every day.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:44:25-00:44:43]
I love that you said though, you know, like being able to ask for help. Cause I think that's something that's, it doesn't even have to be like a financial perspective where you have to hire somebody can just be saying like, Hey, you know, can, can you support me in this? Or so I think that's, that's a really important point to make.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:44:43-00:45:58]
Yeah. And my family's great. I mean, I've posted about this, but like when I'm here and I don't have time to like, to like, clean my white riches. My mom will do that for me. And it's amazing. And I thank her because like i would not have clean white britches if it wasn't for my mom and now she's gone so i don't know what i'm gonna do but um just like things like that that is such a big deal um but it takes so much time and she's like she's like i you know i i want to do it like i don't even i don't ask her for it she just does it and it's just like wow, thank you so much. Or like, I'll be at the show and I'll forget something and I'll call my dad and he's there in a second. Yeah. I'll be like freaking out. I'll be like, I cannot believe I, you know, I forgot whatever I needed for the show. Like my boots or my helmet. And he'd be like, don't worry, I'll be there in 10 minutes. If I didn't have that, Like with my grooms helping me, you know, like it's just, yeah, I think help. And I think that for me has been something that's hard to ask is for help because I want to do it all and be independent. And sometimes you need it.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:46:01-00:46:22]
If somebody listening is aspiring towards, whether it's making a career out of riding or horses and, you know, anything within that realm, whether it is they're not looking to make a career out of it, but they want to advance the riding and go to the next level. What advice do you have for somebody that has aspirations and goals?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:46:24-00:47:19]
I think first is that you have to be patient, that everybody is on their own path and not compare yourself to other people because we all fall into that. And we all have our own you know, our own path. And some people may peak at 20 and some people may peak at 30 and some people may peak at 40 or 50 or 60, you know, and luckily this is a sport that we can do for a long time. So don't rush things, you know, take your time, be patient and like, keep working hard and doing the best that you can and that know that you are more than good enough. And with that, you just have to, you know, keep working, but doing the best that you can and stay on your own path. And as if you had blinders, just don't compare yourself to other people because there's no good in that. Put all that energy into working on yourself.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:47:19-00:47:32]
Yeah. Is there anything that you wish you had learned earlier in your career that you know now? And maybe it's to put your blinders on, but is there anything, you know, that looking back, you're like, Oh, I really wish young Gabby knew this.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:47:35-00:48:59]
Um, I wish, I think it, I wish I would have come to Wellington earlier and like found the trainer that I found earlier, just because I think it's, I had to take a lot of time going back and working on my basics. And to be able to, and once I had that down, it was so much easier to move forward and move up. So I think if, you know, if there's young people or whoever, like take clinics, like get out and like, you know, Go out and invest in, you know, taking lessons from someone you aspire to, like, or, you know, not necessarily come to Wellington. But, like, for me, that was, like, that was a critical point was when I came here and I saw the level and I was like, wow, I need to up my game. Yeah. I wish that I had done that earlier or had made that realization earlier and then gone back and, you know, worked on my basics. So that was working on, well, I'm still at, but like I was working on my basic basics, um, in regards to position and how to communicate with your force with Chris for two to three years, jumping in one 21, 25 before I was able to move up. So I think that's a big, big thing.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:48:59-00:50:07]
Yeah. Yeah. That's a great point to make is like, nailing down the foundation the basics like always working on the basics um that's a really important point to make and it doesn't have to be like if somebody's listening and you know going to wellington isn't something that is realistic for them um like you can work on the basics anywhere and it's like that's the beauty too of of um virtual lessons now it's like being able to connect with people that aren't necessarily in your area i know For myself, I'm, I am from and live in a very small community. And I always felt like, okay, well, I have to, I can only train with people in my area. I can only, you know, those sorts of limitations. And it's like, The internet, specifically post-pandemic, has opened up this whole other world that you can look at a trainer somewhere else in the world and resonate with them and hire them for Zoom lessons. I think that's wonderful that we're able to learn from people that we never would have gotten the opportunity to learn from previously. Yeah, just something.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:50:08-00:50:32]
Yeah, I think for sure that and like staying on my own path because even like as a kid, like you always want to be, and I see that still, like you always want to be jumping at the same, like at a level, you know, like when you're a junior, when you're children, you want to be jumping this, when you're a junior, you want to be jumping this. I think it's great, but it's not for everyone. And sometimes you just have to take more time and you'll flourish more in the future. And that's fine.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:50:32-00:50:35]
Yeah. Yeah. So many important points that you've made.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:50:35-00:50:37]
Yeah.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:50:38-00:50:52]
As we start to wrap up, is there anything else you want to share, just whether it's about, you know, your show jumping journey, your personal journey, any upcoming projects you're working on or things you're working towards?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:50:55-00:51:02]
I'd say with upcoming things, I'm on a major league team, which is super exciting, and I'm very excited about it this year.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:51:02-00:51:03]
Awesome. Congratulations.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:51:03-00:51:56]
Yeah. Yeah, thank you. It's a team eye candy and it's 10 five star shows throughout the US, Canada and Mexico. And I'm very, very excited to go to new venues and, you know, be on the road this year. So that's really exciting. Yeah. I've also partnered with a new event management app called the Pegasus app. And I think that's going to be really cool. I have loved working on that because we know the struggles of entry systems and results and all of that online. So it's been really great to put that out there. But yeah, I'd say that between that and major league and just little projects that come along are always welcome. And I love partnering with people that have innovative things and especially in the tech industry or want to do new things in the sport. So that's always really exciting.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:51:57-00:52:01]
Awesome. So that's a Pegasus app. Check that out. Very cool.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:52:02-00:52:02]
Yeah.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:52:02-00:52:12]
Gabby, we have four like rapid fire questions that we ask every podcast guest and whether it's something that I say rapid fire. Um, and a lot of times people answer in like five minutes.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:52:13-00:52:21]
Um, so it doesn't, it doesn't have to be five or a rapid fire, but, um, there's just, there's four questions.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:52:21-00:52:24]
The first one is, do you have a motto or a favorite saying?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:52:26-00:52:33]
Um, I'd say don't think, just feel.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:52:33-00:52:38]
That's good. That's important in a lot of areas of life.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:52:39-00:52:48]
I know. I like to feel your horse because I need to remind myself. Another one is like ride to ride great.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:52:50-00:52:56]
Both are really good. The second question, who has been the most influential person in your equestrian journey?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:52:57-00:52:59]
Chris Kapler, hands down.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:52:60-00:53:01]
And that's your current coach?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:53:01-00:53:12]
Yep. I've ridden with him for, this is my 11th season. And he continues to teach me things every day. And made me the horsewoman I am today.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:53:12-00:53:25]
That's awesome. If you could give equestrians one piece of advice, and I know I've asked this throughout our conversation. So if you say, I've already said it and that's fine. But if you could give equestrians one piece of advice, what would it be?

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:53:28-00:53:33]
Yeah, I think it's what we talked about. Yeah. Stay focused on yourself and your own path.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:53:34-00:53:39]
Yeah, absolutely. And the last one, please complete this sentence for me.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:53:39-00:53:41]
Horses are my passion.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:53:44-00:53:48]
Where can people find you and how can they connect with you? We'll put everything in the show notes.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:53:49-00:54:05]
Yeah, well, I am on Instagram and TikTok at Gabriella. Reuter. It's R-E-U-T-T-E-R. And I also have my webpage for Lumiere Horses, which is my barn. And yeah, that's LumiereHorses.com.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:54:06-00:54:25]
Perfect. We'll put the Instagram, the TikTok, and the website in the show notes. Thank you so much for your time today, Gabriela, and for just chatting with me. It was great. And we don't have a ton of showjumpers that come on, so I'm really happy to have you on here and to talk jumping. So thank you so much.

[SPEAKER 1]
[00:54:25-00:54:27]
No, thank you so much for having me. That was really fun.

[SPEAKER 2]
[00:54:29-00:55:03]
Thank you for listening to this episode of the Equestrian Connection podcast by WeHorse. If you enjoyed this episode, it would mean the world to us if you could leave us a rating and review as well as share us on social media. You can find us on Instagram at WeHorse underscore USA and check out our free seven day trial on WeHorse.com where you can access over 175 courses with top trainers from around the world in a variety of topics and disciplines. Until next time, be kind to yourself, your horses and others.

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