Amateur Hour Archives | Horse Network

Why Do We Ride Horses in Wintertime?

Winter comes but once a year, but every year, it takes horse people hopelessly by surprise. We are shocked by its sudden vigor, its lack of pity. The absolute relish...

A Horse for Christmas

There is no one on earth with more optimism than a horse girl on Christmas morning. I happen to know this firsthand. For many years in my early life, I knew that...

I Stepped Outside of My Riding Comfort Zone: It Was Good for My Soul

Full disclosure. I’ve been trapped inside my hunter bubble. In my younger years, I dabbled. I dipped my toes in dressage, hunter paces, and eventing. I attempted Western. Fun fact:...

I’m Trotting Along the Backside of My Riding Career—And Grateful for Every Lap

There’s a downed branch in the back field. It’s just a little thing. You could barely call it a log, really, but it serves our purpose. After weekly lessons, my...

For Equestrians, It Is Love

A few days ago, I turned to my partner and said, “I have strong wrists because I am a horse girl.” Then, I gestured to the crutches I was on,...

Go for the Horses

In my junior year of college, I was given a piece of advice that would change my life forever. It was the final day of the Collegiate Horsemen's Association's Annual...

A Letter to the Pony Kid I Used to Be: Clean Your Tack

Dear 15-Year-Old(ish) Me, How’ve you been? I suppose it’s summertime in Upstate New York, now, which means you’ll likely be at the barn all day, every day. You won’t come...

I Wish I Wore a Stock Tie Like a Bridgerton

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...

No One Talks About How Lonely It Is to Rehab a Horse

It didn’t take long into the drive to feel that familiar catch of a lump in my throat. I felt queasy, paranoid. I was bracing with white knuckles against the...

The Subtle Art of Holding Horses

I hate looking at photos of myself. So when equestrian photographer Laurie Thomson posted a candid picture of me and a Gypsy Vanner on Facebook last year, I picked myself...

“I adopted a second horse…without telling my husband”

It was the worst possible time to buy a new horse, in retrospect. Late March 2020, the world was in a very uncertain place. But for me, with the doors...

To the Woman Who Called Me a Moron in the Schooling Ring Last Weekend

I should start by saying, I’m not mad. That’s not to say I wasn’t mad. I’m only human. A normal, human, female just trying to go about her day, find...

Can the Middle Class Rider Choose Between Horses and Burnout?

“I’d like to buy a horse,” is a phrase that would rattle any frugal parent, especially my father. He worked three jobs to keep my family comfortable and happy. Perhaps...

Is It Time to Quit Riding? How to Know if It’s Time Hang Up Your Helmet

Fear, rising prices, and the pressure to maintain an adequate work/life/sport balance is leaving many amateur equestrians feeling the burn. So how do you know if it’s time to hit...

4 Ways to Combat Seasonal ‘Equestrian’ Disorder

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, November is far from the most heinous month of the calendar year. February, for instance, is arguably much worse with its modest...

Are Toddlers Just Green Horses? A Quandary

Having ridden my fair share of young or newly started horses “just back from the cowboy” in my youth, I thought I’d come into parenting my toddler with a few...

Are You a Superstitious Rider?

For me, the writing's on the wall. I can’t actually remember when I first realized I was a highly superstitious person. It might have been in my teenage years, while...

An Amateur’s Thoughts on Hope Glynn’s Viral Post to Trainers

I recently read California hunter rider Hope Glynn's widely shared post following the close of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) 2023. And, like so many others, I think there’s a...

Is Success in Riding Cyclical?

And when you’re stuck in the proverbial rut, what can you do? Six years ago, I was standing outside my horse’s stall just minutes before mounting up to compete in...

On Falling Off Horses (Old-ish Person’s Edition)

For better or worse, it had been a while since I'd fallen off a horse. But having taken a tumble mid-lesson a few weeks ago—and setting off my airbag vest...

Category Archives: Amateur Hour