There’s a horsey phenomenon at the mo; it’s the era of cowboys and cowgirls, and we aren’t complaining. We had Barbie and Ken kicking things off in their rodeo ‘fits; Beyoncé soared up the charts with her country music album, posing as a cowgirl on the cover; Nashville is quickly becoming one of the top holiday destinations, and now Glen Powell is the man everyone’s talking about in Hollywood, starring as a cowboy in his latest summer blockbuster, Twister.
While the grá for all things equine seems to be relatively new for most, Jodie Wood has been a keen rider for decades. She first jumped on a horse when she was four years old and has loved it ever since. So much so, that Jodie’s sons Milo (5) and Noah (3) have even become regulars down at the local stables. Welcoming us into that space, Jodie, who’s an ambassador for this year’s Dublin Horse Show, introduced us to her gorgeous horse Ozzie. Now, more than ever, we understand the adoration!
As we wrapped up, Jodie was heading home to finish packing her suitcase, before going off to Marbella for a few weeks and here, she chats to us from sunny Spain…
Jodie, you’re currently basking in the sunshine! How are you, how is the trip?
We’re enjoying it! We’re having a great time. It’s so relaxing over here!
The weather, the people, the lifestyle… it’d be hard not to love Spain!
You can’t beat it. We were out last night with the kids and we were on the way home at 11pm. Back home, they’re normally in bed by 7pm. It’s just a totally different lifestyle. It’s so much more chilled.
It is nice that the kids get to experience their summers abroad.
Definitely, they love it. As soon as it turns to spring they’re like “Are we going to Spain this week?” And I’ve to tell them, it’s two months away. They start the countdown as soon as they know it’s coming.
When we last caught up, you were considering relocating on a more permanent basis, is that still on the agenda?
We moved here for probably five or six months. We were trying to decide between schools, whether we’d send them to an international school here and move permanently, or keep them in school in Ireland. Ultimately, we decided to stick with the school system at home and see how it goes. But I’d never say never. Only recently we finished our home renovations so we need to enjoy it for a few years!
It’d be hard to leave the life that you’ve built…
It would! That said there is the most amazing stables nearby where I ride here every time we visit. I always imagine, what if I just shipped my horse over here and this was my daily ride instead of wading through muck and poo in Ireland [laughs].
Tell us about your horse, Ozzie!
I got him last September. I had put off buying a horse while the kids were young but last year I decided I wanted to find a new one, which I did at the end of summer. It’s been an interesting journey so far, but I love him. I wouldn’t swap him for anything!
Where did this grá stem from?
I started riding when I was four. I was always in riding school and pony camp and then I ended up helping out in equestrian learning centre Festina Lente for most of my teenage years. They’re actually the charity partner for the Dublin Horse Show. They do a lot of work with horse benefits and equine therapy. So every weekend, anytime I wasn’t in school, I wanted to be around horses, and you’d find me there. Then when I moved to London, in my 20s, I took a break from horses just because I didn’t have anywhere to ride but when I came home from London, I got back into it in my late 20s again.
You’re an ambassador for the Dublin Horse Show this year. Are you competing at all or simply going to enjoy the day?
So Ozzie was imported from France to race in Ireland when he was young but he never actually got to do it. Due to an injury, he retired when he was four and I got him when he was five. I wanted my first year with him to be about adjusting to his new life out of a racing routine, saddling into a new yard. Next year my goal would be to get him into a racehorse-to-riding class in the RDS. That would be such a dream, to start competing with him next year.
Would you be competing? Could you ever see yourself going down that route career-wise, or is this more of a hobby?
Definitely not a career. The racehorse-to-riding scene in Ireland is a really nice circuit though. It’s very relaxed. It’s all aimed at giving racehorses a second chance of life. A lot of racehorses inIreland are sadly not treated the best when they retire. There’s an amazing charity called Treo Eile, they do a lot withthe Dublin Horse Show as well. They run circuits all year round, particularly during the showing season. And then you qualify in those circuits to get into the racehorse-to-riding class in the RDS. It’s the pinnacle, the highlight of the year but it’s not an intense competition or anything like that.
You mentioned equine therapy earlier. It has such a positive impact on people and it’s known to calm symptoms of stress and anxiety and helps heart health too, so it’s really great for the mind and the body being around horses…
100 per cent! One of the main reasons I bought another horse was because I feel like it’s the one time I really switch off. I don’t have my phone in my hand, I don’t have my kids around, no one’s looking for me. It’s just me and my horse and you disconnect from everything. You’re just completely focused on your riding. I find it so good for my mental health.
And it’s obviously not easy to do that with two young kids. But it’s so important to take time out for yourself when you can. Parents need a break!
Exactly, it’s so, so important. I feel like moms, young moms especially, when you’re trying to work and balance your house, your kids, your husband, your friends and maintain a social life at the same time, if you’re not finding time for yourself, it does start to take a toll.
Do the boys ride with you, have they tried it yet?
They have ridden in Festina Lente a few times and they both love it. They’re high energy boys, they’re very wild. As soon as they sit on a pony, they just chill out. They absolutely love coming up with me to Ozzie and help me groom him, feed him and give him treats. They adore it.
And we’re so glad that the lads could join us on the shoot too. How are they keeping?
They’re all good. They’re at such a fun age. We’re out of the toddler stage and hey’re just like little pals. They come out to dinner with us and we have a chat, it’s not as chaotic any more. The two of them get on so well. They really are the best of pals when they’re not killing each other.
Presumably, it can get quite chaotic in the house sometimes with them at that age?
It is, especially because Noah, our three year old, is very tall for his age. So he’s nearly the same size as Milo who is five, so when they fight, they really go at it. There’s a lot of refereeing in this house!
You must be so proud of the little lads they’re becoming though?
Aww, I am, they’re so cute and especially seeing Milo complete Junior Infants I was so proud of him. He’s had such a great year and I feel like he’s settling in now to school and he’s having a great time.
When it comes to the influencing side of things, Jodie, are you conscious of over sharing when it comes to the boys? So many people online have pulled back once the kids reach school age. Would you be the same?
Yeah! I went through a phase with Milo two or three years ago and decided I wasn’t going to show his face anymore on social media. That kind of lasted for about a year and a half and then it just filtered back into my content. Obviously there are boundaries and you don’t show everything, but when you’re sharing your life, your children – especially when they’re at a young age and you’re with them 24/7 – they are such a big part of your world. I want to be open and share them, but at the same time, especially now that Milo is in school, I’m more conscious of his privacy. I don’t want to over share any of his life that he might not feel comfortable with if he looks back at it in a few years.
It’s important to have that awareness.
I think so. I think sharing the odd photo is absolutely fine. But when you’re basically vlogging your child’s daily life, that becomes an issue because you’re over sharing parts of their lives that don’t need to be seen by hundreds or thousands of people.
Social media itself is a double edged sword – it can be brilliant and fun, but there’s a flip side, sometimes dark and nasty. We read a quote that says, ‘trolling is the modern indication of success’. What do you make of it, have you had to build a thicker skin?
I mustn’t be successful then [laughs]. I am lucky, I don’t get too much of it. I mean, I know that all these hideous websites exist where people go to rant, that’s always going to be there. It’s toxic when people go out of their way to target individuals or make their life a misery, that’s when it becomes really detrimental. I know so many of the girls in our industry have experienced awful hate and a lot of it has been targeted at their children which I think is disgusting and just completely inexcusable. So that would scare me when it comes to sharing. But I am lucky I don’t really have mean messages sent to me regularly or anything like that, because I think that would start to wear anybody down, no matter how much of a thick skin you have.
What would be the biggest lesson that you’ve learned over the last couple of years when it comes to content creation and having a life online?
I think if you want to stay out of controversy, you just don’t go on Instagram ranting about your grievances, don’t post any hot takes or keep your political opinions to yourself. Although in saying that, I’ve been very public about my support of Palestine and I feel like a lot of influencers are terrified to do that because they’re worried about the backlash from other people. I didn’t really experience that.
It’s vital to use your platform and voice wherever possible. But before you run back to the boys now Jodie, tell us finally, what’s in the pipeline, what’s next for you?
There’s another brand that I’m thinking about launching next year. I learned a lot the first time around with Minima, a baby carrier brand I started with my friend Carly. So hopefully in 2025 there will be something else on the market. But for now, I’m just focusing on my family, my horse and life is good.
