"Why aren't there more boys who ride horses?" my classmate asked. I was in a creative writing class, and it was my turn to be "workshopped." Basically, everyone had read...
On the morning of November 6, several hours after it was announced that Donald Trump won the presidency, I went to the barn to see my horses. While some people...
Our trainer texts me a video with zero details other than, “It’s an eventer who could make up into a cute hunter.” I watch the short clip. It seems like...
British equestrian Charlotte Dujardin withdrew from the Paris Olympics on Tuesday when a video showed her abusing a horse. The discovery marks a moment of deep sadness for horse lovers...
A: When I train riders to compete in a hunter under saddle class, I try to ensure that they know what they are truly being judged on; so many people...
Dearest Gentle Reader, This author was among the 45 million who inhaled the newest season of Bridgerton on its opening weekend. While there is less horse riding than I would...
First, let’s make sure we are all on the same page, as there are multiple levels to consider: schooling classes, USHJA classes, national classes, and B- and C-rated classes—to name...
I’m not sure, as a trainer, that any of us would think it’s possible to be a great trainer and not a great horseman. But there are so many different...
For junior riders, ‘catch riding’ is a huge thing in the hunter/equitation world, and to some degree in the jumper world. As a freelancing professional, it’s a little tougher; most...
As a trainer, teaching a 7-year-old, I would immediately put him or her on a pony. To start, the size is the best fit, safety-wise. I have always felt that...
This is very hard because you must understand that, truthfully, the equitation division is like figure skating: the look does matter. As a trainer, I personally don’t think the best...
I have such mixed emotions about this one! I began training in the day that thoroughbreds were being used less and less, and warmbloods started being used far more often...
For the uninitiated, “the jog,” as it’s often referred to, was a required part of certain recognized hunter divisions at USEF-rated competitions. Riders who’d placed in a class were called...
The path to a high-level, professional riding career in the hunter/jumper industry has changed SO much in the last 20 years. Today, the cost of horses, shows, and full-training/care has...
Like everything else in life, the more you trust someone, the more vulnerable you are to getting hurt. Horse sales are no different. In a perfect world, every trainer...
This is a question that oh-so many parents don’t fully understand. Riding in college is a very different game from other sports. First and foremost is the pipeline aspect. Many...
