In this episode, I share a little more of the story around my horsemanship journey, how I discovered liberty, and why I chose to embrace the “Off The Line” name for the podcast.
I talk about being vulnerable, sharing my imposter syndrome, and also what vision and dreams I have to encourage and celebrate us all.
Transcription
As I work on building out different topic ideas, I realize I have so many things swirling around in my head. I often describe it to people like a lottery ball or bingo ball machine — all these numbered balls swirling around, and at any given time, one pops out as today’s winning combination. That’s kind of how I decide what to talk about each episode.
Today, I thought I’d dive a little deeper into the reason behind the name Off The Line and share more about my horsemanship journey and how it connects to what I hope to share with you in the future.
I’m sitting here drinking a cup of coffee from my favorite mug, made for me by my dear friend Maureen. On the front is a picture of my horse, Ozzy, anatomically correct — missing his left eye, which he lost when he was four. He’s the reason for much of my horsemanship journey over the last six to eight years. On the back, it says “Janice, Team Leader,” which feels fitting as I reflect on my path and what I hope to share with this podcast.
Ozzy is now 14, a solid-bred bay gelding. He’s my heart horse, the second horse I’ve started from scratch. I also raised his aunt, who I used as my barrel racing horse. When I started Ozzy, I had a back injury, and somehow it felt better to start him than my mare — the rationale is probably just stubbornness on my part.
From the beginning, I realized Ozzy had a stronger personality than his aunt. He was spirited, and it quickly became clear that what I’d done before wouldn’t work with him. We tried barrel racing, but it wasn’t his thing. At four, he lost his eye, which led me through a grieving process for my expectations. A friend helped me realize he didn’t care about his eye — neither did his buddies — and that was a pivotal moment in how I approached him.
By the time he was five and a half, I faced some serious challenges. He would buck me off, a very strong “no” from him. I considered selling him, but my stubbornness made me want to figure it out. I turned to online resources, discovered Warwick Schiller, and began redoing everything I’d done with Ozzy — all the groundwork, all the basics. It was humbling. I realized groundwork isn’t just a step before riding; it’s a lifelong practice of understanding and connecting with the horse.
One eye-opening moment came when a friend observed Ozzy and me. I thought he was standing still perfectly, but she noticed he was tight, frozen, just hoping I’d stop. That was a breakthrough — once you see that, you can’t unsee it. I began noticing subtleties in his energy, his confidence, and our leadership dynamic.
Next, I explored Elsa Sinclair’s freedom-based training, learning passive, supportive leadership, assertive and dominant leadership, and followership leadership — when to lead, when to follow. This reshaped my understanding of horsemanship and leadership. I realized results aren’t about dominance but connection, observation, and energy. Horses communicate with their body language and intention, and we can apply these principles to human leadership as well.
Jim Anderson later taught me liberty techniques, helping Ozzy respond comfortably without physical tools. Some of our challenges remained — like riding — but his trust in me grew on the ground. This reinforced the idea of leadership from different angles: front, side, back, and knowing when to transfer that leadership.
So how did all this become Off The Line? In a weekly abundance class with a few ladies, one of them said, “I know the name of your podcast. It’s Off the Line.” I leaned into that, and it made sense. Over time, observing my own horsemanship and leadership process, I realized I had a framework: Observe, Zen, Skills, Opportunities, Model, Evaluate — which spells OZSOME. That’s why I end emails and podcasts with “be oz-some.”
My goal for this podcast is to evolve into teaching, helping others apply leadership, horsemanship, and online business skills. I’ll share transparency about building websites, managing email lists, online marketing, and tech systems — practical insights without overemphasizing social media. I also run the Atlantic Canada Equine Events calendar, which has become a go-to resource for many. I aim to make tools and knowledge accessible, whether free or paid, so people can save time and maximize impact.
I want to empower people to understand their strengths, delegate what isn’t their core genius, and focus on what lights them up. This podcast may meander at times — that’s just how my brain works — but I hope it inspires you to observe, explore, and act in your own way. I record moments of inspiration wherever they happen, even in the barn while cleaning stalls — it’s my meditative space.
This is me, in the raw. You may not relate to everything, and that’s okay. My hope is that you find nuggets of insight now or later, and that my experiences spark ideas for your journey.
Until next time, be oz-some!
