Category Archives: Amateur Hour

I'm not sure when riding stopped being fun for me. It crept up on me. A dread that began on my way to the barn and didn't ease until the...

I may own a farrier business with my husband, but I’m still an amateur rider and competitor. It’s a tough world out there. All the articles I see online mostly...

There are a number of prestigious competitions held throughout the world, where the best of the best can compete in every imaginable discipline. Rolex. WEG. Tevis Cup. NBHA World Championships....

The Urban Dictionary defines “Spirit Animal” in this way: In pagan religions and systems, a spirit animal or totem is meant to be a representation of the traits and skills...

I hate failing. Did that even need to be said? Do any of us enjoy falling flat on our face (sometimes quite literally in our sport) in front of our...

In Part 1, I talked about my reasons for switching from hunters to dressage in 2016. This time, I recall my deep-dive into the sport and my immersion into dressage...

Should I keep my horse at home? Many horse owners have considered that question at some point in their lives. To those expecting an in-depth analysis of the financial and...

I am embarrassed to admit this, but I have some serious riding anxiety. I did not start riding with this fear of horses when I was a first grader back...

“Crap.” I turned around quickly to make sure none of the little barn kids are within earshot of my foul mouth. Okay, so, the word that slipped out was a...

You know it. I know it. Your trainer and even your horse know it. Riding is not a sport for the faint of heart. It’s a constant grind of pushing...

Being a competitive equestrian isn’t easy. Anyone who says it is must live in altered state of reality. We break fences, ribs, our pride, and often our budget just to...

You will be told many things when you first embark on purchasing tack. You just won't be told these things. 1. You will start out riding in whatever saddle and bridle...

My first foray into proper dressage was while I was in university. I was introduced to a coach who had been classically trained in Spain and Germany, and who had...

We all know that drinking and horseback riding have a long and distinguished history together. Whether it’s a sip of a flask on a fox hunt, or a beer on...

Nothing will ever replace my childhood daydreams of galloping my horse down the beach without a saddle or bridle, just like Alec Ramsey and "Black" in the first of "The...

I did something this weekend that I’m sure most people have dealt with at some time or another, but that I have been lucky enough to avoid for a very...

Like a lot of adult amateur northern equestrians, I’m not able to participate in the snowbird mass migration to Florida or California for the winter months. And just like you,...

As someone who buys and sells horses, my nightmare is the client who messages me a photo of some “really affordable” horse they found on the Internet. I believe that...

As a highly competitive junior rider, I swore there was one thing I would never be: an adult amateur. Showing on the A Circuit, my daily life included braiding, hacking,...

Every day my husband reminds me that we are not poor, we are broke. There is a difference. I am lucky enough to have a horse and to get to...