“I have always believed, and I still believe, that whatever good or bad fortune may come our way we can always give it meaning and transform it into something of value.” —Hermann Hesse

Martin Arnold is a loving husband and father to two young daughters. He has been a member of the dressage community in Austin, since he, and his wife Jenna, began their business, Concordia Dressage, in 2010.

Martin is a much loved clinician, trainer and instructor and has coached many riders to regional and national championship victories as well as to earn their USDF medals. His calm, quiet demeanor puts even the most anxious horse and riders at ease.

For the last twenty years Martin has been battling a rare form of kidney disease called igA nephropathy. Every six months he would meet with his nephrologist and have his blood examined to track his kidney function. Luckily, until recently, Martin has been able to ride and teach, which is something he loves and feels called to do. He was listed on the kidney transplant list in 2023, which has upwards of a five year wait. His decline had been so slow that the doctors felt he had still a number of years to go until his kidneys failed.

Unfortunately, after acquiring Covid and pneumonia in December, Martin’s kidneys began a rapid decline and by January he was in stage 5 kidney failure. He continued to ride all through March, even attending several shows but had to step away late March as he prepared for dialysis. He began dialysis in April and is doing his best to remain teaching as long as possible.

Martin has given so much towards helping horses and helping riders. Despite being very anemic and suffering from this disease, he shows up each and every day ready to give his all to his family and his clients. His dedication to the art of classical riding continues to be a guiding force in his life and hopefully soon he will be able to be back in the saddle.

Martin does have a potential kidney donor currently going through testing and we remain hopeful that the donor will be a match and he can undergo kidney transplant surgery in the coming months.

Even with insurance, the medical expenses for dialysis and kidney transplant are high as well as the monthly medications Martin will remain on for life. Also, being self employed means if he is not working he is not receiving income. His wife, Jenna, is doing her best to keep the business running and income coming in but, as Martin’s caregiver, she will also be unable to work a full schedule when Martin is recovering from surgery. Recovery from kidney transplant surgery is around 6-8 weeks so it’s a significant time Martin will be unable to work as he recovers and his body adjusts to a new kidney. The spring and summer seasons are also when Martin keeps a busy clinic schedule but he is unable to travel because of his dialysis schedule. The combination of medical expenses and time away from training is placing the Arnold family under financial strain and they need our help.

Martin’s strength and resilience will get him through this difficult time but any help from the community would be greatly appreciated and would help alleviate some of the stress and worries that the Arnold family is experiencing at this time.

Thank you