When I met William Micklem in February of 1989, I must confess that I had no idea of who he was. Forgive me, but I was only 18 years old, and the Internet hadn’t been invented yet! 

Nowadays, if you haven’t heard of William Micklem, a quick Google search will tell you that he is one of the horse world’s most iconic figures. His articles appear in respected publications like The Chronicle of the Horse and cover topics from breeding sport horses to the evolution of our sport, and the importance of producing happy horses. He is a sought after speaker, a published author, is known for breeding multiple World and Olympic medal winning horses, for producing top level riders and for supporting the love and growth of good horsemanship from the grassroots level on up. 

His love for horses shines through everything he does, most notably spurring him to invent The Micklem Bridle; a more comfortable, humane bridle that accommodates the anatomy the equine jaw; which has won industry awards and been embraced by riders worldwide in every discipline of horse sport.

William has continued  to provide guidance and inspiration in my life since meeting him as the recipient of a young riders’s scholarship that brought me to the Glen Eagles Captain Mark Phillips Equestrian Centre in Auchterarder Scotland as an 18 year old. Since then, we have become unlikely pen pals through tumultuous times and I have come to admire him for his sunny, wholistic view of life. 

I interviewed him about horsemanship in an episode I am saving for lovers of horsecraft who review and share the show. I came back for this bonus episode – in this one, I asked for a legacy piece – the kind of advice he would like to leave for future generations, told through the eyes and experience of a brilliant horseman, with a broad lens. Man did he deliver! In today’s interview, he leaves a legacy of absolute GOLD in terms of advice told through story, allegory and easily remembered acronyms for living a life worth living in tumultuous times. 

Quote: “There is an inevitable progression, where you start off deciding that things are impossible. Then, with a bit more time and thought, you find that the thing you were worried about is just IMPROBABLE. And then, you come up with solutions that were INEVITABLE”

Over and again, he weaves together stories demonstrating that ANYTHING is possible.

Join us for a conversation sure to inspire and find out:

~ What the Three C’s in his acronym ‘CAL’ stand for and how they support our growth

~ The meaning behind his ‘Three Ups’ – Head Up, Heart Up, and Heat Up and how to apply them

~ How “Life is not the way it is supposed to be. It IS the way it IS!” And how it turns out the best, for those who make the best of the way it turned out.

~ Advice to stay curious, to be generous, and to grow yourself, BE yourself, and grow your team to do the impossible!

I trust you will enjoy today’s show. Below are some links for more information on William and a Blog post I wrote about my time with him. Let me know your thoughts and remember – caring is sharing!

Take a chance,

Paige

http://www.williammicklem.com/home.html