Where Every Hoofbeat Tells a Story: Stephens Students, Faculty, and Alumni Unite in Putting the Horse First
Through upgraded footing and expert mentorship from visiting trainers like Gilly Slayter, Stephens College is proving that when empathy guides innovation, everyone — horse and human — moves forward stronger.
When horses step into the freshly improved indoor and outdoor arenas at the Stephens College Equestrian Center, their strides are surer, their breathing easier, and their joints better protected. Thanks to new footing installed by Performance Footing — a Scottsdale-based company with deep Columbia roots and strong Stephens ties — the upgrades promise lasting benefits for both horses and humans.
“It’s like the difference between running on concrete and running on an athletic track,” said Jennifer Brinkman-Ayers ’92, co-owner of Performance Footing. “The horses feel the difference immediately.”
A Columbia Story with Stephens Roots
Performance Footing is owned by husband-and-wife team John and Jennifer Ayers, who launched the company in 2019. Jennifer, a lifelong dressage rider, USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medalist, and 1992 Stephens biology graduate, and John, a Mizzou alum and entrepreneur, built the business out of personal experience and frustration.
“I had redone my own arena four times,” Jennifer said. “Nothing ever worked. We wanted something better for the horses — something safe, stable, and sustainable.”
That passion evolved into Performance Footing, which now develops innovative footing and base systems for equestrian arenas worldwide. The project at Stephens holds special meaning for the couple. Jennifer’s mother, Dana Githens, also attended Stephens in the 1960s, when it was a two-year college. Jennifer was born in Columbia, making this project feel like a homecoming.
“It’s so rewarding to help, not only the horses, but Stephens and the students,” she said. “There are a lot of companies out there, so it means the world to me that they chose ours.”
From Classroom to Collaboration
This meaningful partnership began, fittingly, with a Stephens student.
Kylie Buer ’23, then a student in the Equestrian Studies program, was working on her Stable Management class project. Each student had to design a barn from the ground up, complete with layout, airflow, safety systems, and arena surfaces. But Kylie wanted her design to go beyond the requirements.
“I didn’t want to just have a barn that met the assignment,” she said. “I wanted something that would really benefit the horses.”
Her research led her to FoamFooting™ from Performance Footing. “For young horses still growing and older horses with joint issues, this footing offered better shock absorption, less compaction, and more comfort,” Kylie explained.
When she reached out for a quote, John Ayers called the Equestrian Center — mistaking Kylie for the barn manager. That call found its way to Sara Linde-Patel ’02, Associate Professor and Equestrian Studies Program Coordinator, who quickly connected the dots.
“I thought, ‘Oh no, what did Kylie do?’” Sara laughed. “But it all worked out beautifully. It really shows our students’ initiative and how deeply they care about the horses’ well-being.”
That one student project sparked what would become a full-scale partnership, uniting alumna Jennifer Ayers, her husband John, and the Stephens equestrian program in a project that embodies the Equestrian program’s mission: education through experience and always putting the horse first.
Healthier Horses, Happier Riders
For Sara, the upgrades represent far more than facility improvements.
“Having a surface that is supportive for equine health and performance will be life-changing for our horses,” she said. “The footing material in the indoor arena will be dust-free, which is also a huge benefit to our students and horses.”
The indoor arena now features ArenaGreen™, a dust-free, water-free surface that eliminates the need for watering. No more frozen floors in winter or dusty air in summer. The outdoor arena includes angular sand blended with EcoStride™, a sustainable cushion layer that enhances traction and joint support.
The system’s gel-core stabilizer, originally adapted from a military roadway design, creates a base that’s both shock-absorbing and supportive. “You have to look below the surface,” John noted. “Inconsistencies in the base cause stress for the animal. This design keeps everything stable, safe, and even.”
Learning in Action
The installation process itself became an experiential classroom for Stephens students, who watched professionals at work and learned how science, engineering, and ethics intersect in modern equestrian care.
“What’s really fun is when people have ‘arena parties,’” John joked. “They get to be part of building the space where they’ll train and compete. That connection makes it personal.”
John also shared his entrepreneurial journey with Stephens business students, encouraging them to pursue innovation grounded in passion and purpose.
The Horse Has a Voice
This fall, Stephens had the honor of hosting nationally recognized trainer Gilly Slayter from Via Nova Training Center (New Mexico) for a powerful and collaborative presentation on the history of behavioral science and its transformative impact on horse training.
Students, faculty, and staff learned from Gilly how empathy, strategy, and science can foster true partnership between horse and rider — removing ego and embracing understanding. “Having Gilly here was game-changing,” Sara said. “It’s one thing to want to be the change, but it’s another to meet professionals who are living it.”
Coming Full Circle
For Kylie, seeing her class project come to life was deeply meaningful.
“When Sara told me they were actually going to do this, it brought me to tears,” she said. “To know that I helped make an impact on a place that gave me so much — it’s astonishing.”
Sara agrees. “This project represents what Stephens is all about: empowering students to be creative, to lead, and to care. As we move into our next 100 years, our focus is clear. If we’re going to use horses in sport, we have to do better.”
From a student idea to an alumna-led partnership to a college-wide commitment to welfare-first education, this truly is a full-circle story — proving that when empathy meets innovation, everyone moves forward stronger.
To support the Equestrian Program, Equine Center, and the work done in this amazing space, visit https://stephensconnect.stephens.edu/g/onward-and-upward/stephens-college-equestrian.
