“She loves the camera,” Alison Sweeney says of her beloved 9-year-old Zangersheide mare, Old Fashioned (“Rosie”). Rosie is tall (16.3 hands), gray, and, as Sweeney says, very photogenic. She regularly appears in photos on Sweeney’s Instagram posts and—incidentally—on the cover of the magazine this article first appeared in (Horse Illustrated July/August 2025).
“She’s just beautiful, so sweet,” Sweeney continues. “I love how much she loves her job. She’s so happy to go, and so excited for the jumps. She’s really been a joy to ride. We’ve had some amazing horses in our lives, which I am so grateful for.”
Photo by Julie Ahn
But while listening to her voice as she describes Rosie’s positive frame of mind and their natural fit together as a team, it’s abundantly clear: this horse is something special.
But then again, so is Sweeney.
All in the Family
Chances are you’ve seen Alison Sweeney on your television screen. She portrayed Sami Brady on Days of Our Lives from 1993 to 2015, hosted NBC’s The Biggest Loser for 13 seasons, and she’s starred in over 30 Hallmark movies, including popular franchises such as the Hannah Swensen mysteries, the Chronicle Mysteries, and the Wedding Veil series.
Sweeney is also an author of both novels and nonfiction; an ambassador for Stand Up 2 Cancer, among others; a wife (she and her husband Dave have been married for 26 years); and a mom of two. And, of course, she loves horses.
You could say an affinity for horses runs in Sweeney’s family. Her mother, Polly, is a well-known California equestrian who competed for decades.
“She’s sort of a legend in our area,” says Sweeney.
Polly and Alison Sweeney during her earliest pony-riding days. Photo courtesy Alison Sweeney
Throughout her career, Polly trained with Jimmy Williams, George Morris, Marcia Williams, and Archie Cox, among others, and she was named the World Champion Hunter Rider at the Capital Challenge Horse Show. Sweeney’s teenage daughter, Megan, is also an accomplished equestrian.
“My daughter is a way better rider than I am—she’s such a good rider!” says Sweeney.
With a horse-loving mom, it’s no surprise that Sweeney’s association with horses started early.
“I started riding when I was little,” she says. “My mom has been riding her whole life, so of course she introduced riding and horses to me when I was very young. And I loved it. I did a lot of riding when I was younger.”
But when a career came calling—Sweeney was just 16 when she began playing Sami Brady—she stepped away from the equestrian life while she pursued acting.
“When I got into my career, and in my 20s, it was harder to have time for everything,” she says. “I took a break from riding for probably 10 to 15 years.”
Sweeney pictured in 1993, just after she began appearing on Days of Our Lives as Sami Brady, a role she played for 21 years. Photo courtesy Alison Sweeney
The birth of her daughter, Megan, was the catalyst that brought Sweeney back to horses.
“[It was] wanting her to have the opportunity to get to be with horses that got me back into it,” she says. “And now here we are, three generations riding together. It’s so great.”
The significance of having such a deep multi-generational interest in horses is deeply meaningful to Sweeney.
“It’s so special—it bonds us,” she says. “It connects us all. It’s such a fun thing we have in common that we can share and talk about. I really think there is a horse-lover’s gene inside of you. I think there must be.”
With three generations involved with horses, there’s plenty of opportunity for the family to share their interests together.
“We love competition, and we love traveling for horse shows,” says Sweeney. “I love to ride. I love lessons, I love trail rides, I love being at the barn. We love the atmosphere, love being with our friends.”
A Competitor at Heart
Sweeney also loves jumping and primarily competes in the 1.10-meter classes (3’7″).
“I had goals along the way for the height of the jumps, getting up to competitive heights,” she says. “I’ve done 1.20-meter courses, and now I realize—and maybe it’s because I’m getting older—but I would rather just get better at what I’m doing and enjoy the process. I find myself still so challenged at 1.10-meter jumpers. It’s fun and it’s hard and I’m nervous about it and excited, and when I do well, I’m really proud of myself. I have a lot left to learn, so I don’t feel the need to keep putting the jumps up. I’m happy to get better at what I’m doing. It’s a thrill, the feeling of going around the course, and the excitement of when it all goes well, and you’ve communicated with your horse and you’re totally in sync for 12 or 14 obstacles. It’s the most incredible feeling. It’s unbeatable.”
Sweeney still loves the thrill and excitement of going around a jump course and competing, shown here on cover star Rosie. Photo courtesy Alison Sweeney
Competing is challenging, but it’s not as hard, Sweeney says, as being a horse show mom.
“Megan always says, ‘Mom, stop gasping.’ Being a horse show mom is really stressful. I care for myself, [but that’s] my heart outside of my body right there, with her. But the thrill of it is even bigger, too. The smile on her face when she comes out of that ring, proud of herself, or when she really shows what she can do, or she had a good round, it’s the best.”
Alison competes in the 1.10 meter jumpers (pictured on Captain). Photo by ESI Photography/courtesy Alison Sweeney
Work/Life Balance
Of course, there’s the question of “how?” As we all know, the equestrian life is a balancing act, and it’s a never-ending challenge to navigate the complexities of family, work, and horses. And as Sweeney’s career continues to evolve and expand—she’s now added the role of writer for the Hannah Swensen movies in addition to being the executive producer and playing the lead role in the films—how does she find time for horses?
“It’s a lot, I admit,” she says. “I talk to my friends at the barn all the time about that, how you balance it out. For me, with work and stress and everything else going on, I consider it such a healthy and important part of my mental health to get outside, to be with my horse, to spend the time separating myself from all those other issues and being really present. I’m better at doing everything else because I spend the time riding.”
Even still, Sweeney recognizes the demands of trying to make horses fit in a busy schedule and a hectic pace, and realizes riding isn’t necessarily something you can do every day.
“I totally get that,” she says. “But if you can find the time to get up early, or block it out, or find a certain window to do it, it really is worth it. It isn’t just a luxury. It really does help you center yourself and get your mind back on everything else.”
And Sweeney looks for ways to find time for horses even when she’s filming. Her Hallmark co-stars are very supportive, including the other actors and the crew, who even came to cheer her on when she competed at the Thunderbird horse shows.
“Then we all watched the Grand Prix, which was super fun,” she says.
Barbara Niven, who plays the mother of Sweeney’s character in the Hannah Swensen movies, shares an especially close bond with Sweeney.
“[Niven] loves horses as much as I do,” she says. When Sweeney and Niven are on location in Canada filming, they sometimes stay at a horse property in Vancouver recommended by trainer Archie Cox. She and Niven hang out with the horses, and sometimes Sweeney even has the chance to ride.
“Barbara will video me and send my mom the videos,” she says. “[Niven] says she’s my horse mom. We have so much fun talking about [horses] together. She also watches Megan’s rounds with me when I’m away on location and Megan is competing. I’ll try to get the livestream, and [Niven will] hold my hand and jump every jump with me,” says Sweeney. “She’s so supportive. She totally gets it. All the feelings.”
L-R: Polly, Megan and Alison have a strong bond both in and out of the show ring, and it was Megan who helped bring Alison back to horses. Photo courtesy Alison Sweeney
Horses on Screen
Sweeney recently went on location in Spain to film two rom-com movies with her friend Ashley Williams for the Hallmark Channel. Over the past few years, she and Williams developed these film concepts, and together they starred in and served as executive producers for the films, which just aired last summer.
But what lies beyond? Does Sweeney ever think about doing a horse movie?
“Are you kidding? I think about it all the time!” she says. Watching current shows like Yellowstone that prominently feature horses makes her feel this even more deeply. “How do I make this a thing in my life? I just need to figure it out!”
Yet Sweeney is keenly aware of the challenges that equine film projects entail.
“Now that I’m actually a producer of movies, I understand how hard it is to do it right [with horses],” she says. She did have an opportunity to do a trail riding scene in a ranch setting in one of her recent movies, and she would jump at the opportunity to combine her love of horses and films even more in the future.
Staying Present
There’s lots to love about riding, and in Sweeney’s case, it certainly involves the bond she shares with her mother, her daughter, and, of course, her equine partner Rosie. But the meaning of it all goes even deeper than that.
Polly, Megan and Alison in current day, having spent years sharing their passion for horses. Photo by Julie Ahn
“One of the things I love the most about riding is that it really requires you to be present in the moment,” she says. “You can’t be thinking about work, or your personal life, or other problems, or things you’re worrying about. You have to be thinking about what you’re doing right now with the horse, what you’re communicating to them, and what they’re feeling. It takes you away from all those other issues. It just gives you that time to separate from how busy you are, what’s going on, or any problems you have, or struggles you’re dealing with, and gets you to focus—sort of how they talk about in yoga—[on] just being present. It requires you to be so present in what’s happening and what you’re feeling and what you’re hearing.”
She sums it up as all equestrians immediately understand:
“It’s the perfect place—my happy place.”
This article about Alison Sweeney appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!
