Author Archives: Kim Ablon Whitney

“Canter around the corner. Then walk!” Kelly called out from the middle of the riding ring, a large sandy area surrounded by a bright white wooden fence. She was teaching...

It’s been nearly 25 years since I got my USEF judge’s license. Yet, I can still easily remember the young girl I used to be, sitting ringside with a notebook...

#MeToo has been a powerful social media movement that has brought to light just how many women have been sexually abused and sexually harassed. After actress Alyssa Milano asked followers...

Okay, they are totes adorbs. The ponies and the kids. But the pony years also come with their drawbacks. Here's why having a junior rider is soooo much better. 1....

You know what the best thing ever is at horse shows? The blue/red classes. If you haven't heard of these (and they're not a new phenomenon), here's the scoop: You...

You know how sometimes you can't remember how to spell the word "the" or you say the word "fork" out loud and feel nearly certain it's not an actual word?...

I stand on the side of the ring watching my daughter learn to post. She is six. About the same age I was when I started to ride and began...

Recently there's been a lot of discussion about the need to clean up the hunters—to find ways to penalize people who drug their horses to get them quiet. In these...

We try so hard to get it right. You don't even know how hard we try. And most of the time we do. But every now and then, even judges,...

John’s barn was small and sweet. He explained to Zoe when she showed up at three-o’clock that he leased the property from a couple who lived in Manhattan. They had...

It's been nearly 25 years since I rode in the equitation finals—25 years! Besides being nearly impossible to believe,I've noticed a few trends from the results of the interceding years....

The judge. When I was younger, I revered the judge of any horse show I attended. The judge always seemed to loom larger than life. He or she basically had...

Every horse person knows the trainer/rider relationship is a little different than most coach/player relationships... [show-list] About the Author Kim Ablon Whitney is a USEF 'R' Judge and the author...

For years people (parents in particular) have cited the many reasons why riding as a junior is a great extracurricular activity for teenagers, maybe even better than typical sports like soccer or...

Yes, she has enough points! She's all qualified and the horse is going well. Summer's over and it's Finals time. We're all so excited! Wait, we are? There are a...

It's the end of summer with many shows already in the rear view mirror. Here are some random thoughts from my judging adventures. [show-list] Well, that's it for now!  Hope everyone...

Walk into any sports stadium and you'll see them. Retired numbers, hung up in the rafters or on the fences. Retiring those numbers honors the greats of that particular sport....

You know you showed ponies back in the day if... 1. You wore a nameplate bracelet with your pony’s show name. 2. The Pony Finals changed location every year. 3. Every...

What is a California Split? So glad you asked. A California Split is used the judge a class is very large (usually over 25 horses) or in a combined division...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcM7dKAOkTg I love judging IHSA and IEA shows. Both are great organizations that offer a fun, reasonably priced way for beginners to learn how to ride and for advanced riders...