Troxel Spirit with Mips®

A low profile and full-coverage design for optimal comfort. The vent placement allows for maximum airflow, and there’s a FlipFold removable washable headliner. The DialFit system allows for a precise fit. The Spirit helmet with MIPS is ASTM/SEI-certified and is available in several colors and patterns.

Starting at $110.99 at troxelhelmets.com.

Tough 1 Western Easy Out Stirrups

Don’t get stuck in a bad situation! When pressure is applied to the outside of this stirrup, like in a fall, the side of this stirrup will open up and give your foot room to release. This safety feature helps to prevent getting tangled in the stirrups and sustaining further injury. Available in adult and youth sizes.

Available for $151.88 on tough1.com.

Charles Owen Kylo EQx

This is the first dial-fit helmet in the U.S. that has all three international safety certifications. Lightweight with extensive ventilation, it features a sweat-wicking, machine washable headband. Available in both navy and black, there is optional MIPS protection and both standard or wide peaks.

Ranging from $190 to $228 on charlesowen.com.

Horse Pilot Twist’Air Airbag Vest

Made in France and approved to the new NF S72-800:2022 standard (the first and only standard developed for equestrian airbags), the Twist’Air Airbag vest ensures safety, comfort and discretion. Can be worn under one of Horse Pilot’s competition or schooling jackets.

Available for $799 (compatible jackets sold separately) on horsepilot.com.

Racesafe ProVent3

Combining breathable, lightweight comfort with maximum protection for riders of all ages and disciplines. The Racesafe ProVent3 offers the highest standards in safety performance, certified to BETA 2018 Standard level 3. Made of over 100 individually hinged segments for rider flexibility and movement in a wide range of sizes for a custom fit.

Starting at $389 on racesafe.co.

Tipperary Eventer Pro Vest

Patented Tectonic Foam plating is a unique double-layer pattern that moves and flexes without any separation or gaps. Live Spine technology provides increased impact protection while flexing and matching movement. SEI certified to the ASTM F1937 standard, and the most comfortable option to pair with an air vest.

Available for $479.99 on tipperaryequestrian.com.

Acavallo Arena Alupro Stirrups

The Arena Alupro stirrups feature a patented side opening and an advanced technical composition. The stainless steel pad with horizontal holes ensures optimal grip in all conditions. The strategically placed lock-and-release mechanism prevents accidental slipping. Available in eight colors.

Available for $221 on acavallo.com.

This article about equestrian safety gear appeared in the November/December 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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The instructor was Allie Baier of EquiPT, a physical therapy practice specializing in working with riders. She opened the class stating that even though we take 20,000 breaths per day, most of us are inefficient breathers.

By becoming better breathers, we become more effective riders, in addition to gaining other significant health benefits.

Why Breathing for Equestrians?

I scribbled six pages of notes during the session, and learned that by breathing correctly, we can be a role model for our horse’s performance. I have a horse with anxious tendencies. When he gets anxious, I hold my breath. I had never thought of myself as a breathing role model.

Better breathing improves mental focus, physical stamina, and core strength, which improves balance in the saddle. Breathing optimally improves our emotional and behavioral states, and nose breathing—as opposed to mouth breathing—even changes the pH in our blood, making us less prone to inflammation and infection. Nose breathing also improves our immunity and muscle recovery.

Stress, anxiety, and rounded posture from too much tech time all contribute to less-than-ideal breathing. In addition, riders with poor body image who attempt to flatten their bellies by “sucking in” cannot take optimal breaths.

Riders are not alone in mediocre breathing. Our horses might not breathe optimally for reasons such as improper saddle and/or girth fit, stiffness due to age or cold weather, or standing in a stall for too many hours.

Lower Ribcage Motility Exercise

360-Degree Breathing

Baier delivered a hands-on anatomy lesson related to a concept called “360-degree breathing.”

She had us place one hand on our sternum and one on our upper abdomen; we inhaled and exhaled to both observe and feel how our hands rose and fell together in harmony.

Next, we held our hands on our side, in an exaggerated “bossy” hands on hips position, but instead of our hips, our hands were on our rib cages to feel the lateral expansion.

The best breathing practice is to have movement in all three regions simultaneously: up and forward, with our sternum and belly, and right and left on our sides. When 360 breathing, there will also be a bit of movement in your lower back as your diaphragm drops down, which draws attention to the horse’s hind end during deceleration for better downward transitions.

Lateral Expansion Exercises

Pre-Ride Breathing Awareness

A practice you can employ before riding is to check in with your breath as you drive up the farm driveway. Turn off that podcast (hopefully you listen to Barn Banter by Horse Illustrated) and assess how you’re breathing. Are you holding your breath? Are you breathing from your chest, or breathing from your belly?

Then note the surroundings. Is it a windy day? Has the temperature outside just dropped? Are horses playing, or grazing peacefully? Are there tree trimmers on property or tractors operating nearby? Ask yourself, “Does the environment change my breathing?”

Before mounting, assess your breathing. Take deep inhales and exhales as you put a foot in the stirrup and swing up into the saddle.

Lower Ribcage Lateral Breathing

Breathing as a Riding Aide

During the class, we got down on our hands and knees to pretend we were a horse tracking right. As we mimicked the curved shape of the bend, Baier encouraged us to think about expanding our left lung as we breathed, filling it up. As we tracked left, we focused on filling up our right lung.

“The intentional ‘steering’ of air into the outside lung will soften the outer trunk muscles and contract inner trunk muscles,” says Baier. “But you’re not doing anything with your legs—it’s all your breath. The utility of the breath will help you go deeper into the corners and have the momentum to connect to the outside rein.”

For a lazy horse, take a breath in and push it out forcibly, followed by the seat aide. If your horse is eager to go, take a backward breath, trying to breathe in along the back of your spine.

Your voice pitch, pace and power can also elicit two different responses in your horse. By speaking in a high-pitched, quick or excited sing-songy voice, it will set an energetic tone for the horse.

In contrast, a low-pitched voice drops air into our abdomens, which will work to help us lower and slow our horse’s energy and pace.

“Talk to him in your ‘man voice.’ Slow and low,” my trainer once coached when my Thoroughbred was over-enthusiastic in a lesson. My encouraging, up-talky “good boys” were not helping.

If your horse is spooky or too amped, try breathing in for five seconds, then exhale for six to eight seconds.

A breathing awareness exercise you can try any time is to stand next to your untacked horse, placing one hand on his belly and one on your own. Feel your horse’s breathing and try to match it. Without the distraction of riding or treats, we can create a sense of connection with our horse.

By intentionally pausing for small moments like this to focus on improving breathing, we can also bond more deeply with our horse.

This article about breathing for equestrians appeared in the July 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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If you pack your bags for a riding holiday in Ireland, throw in a pair of sensible walking shoes for a day trip to the Irish National Stud & Gardens in County Kildare. Stunning stallions, living legends, and the Irish Racehorse Experience await you.

For under 20 Euros per person, last summer four riding friends and I enjoyed the grounds of a working breeding farm and Japanese gardens, and also experienced racehorse ownership in a simulation in which we bought, trained and “rode” our charges to the finish line.

“There are two big things people visit specifically for: the horse—not one particular horse—but to get up close and personal with them, and the Japanese gardens,” says Ellen Mitchell of the Irish National Stud. She explains that the gardens are over 100 years old, and the farm is rich in heritage and horticultural history.

Mares, Foals and Living Legends

“You could be looking at a future [Epsom] Derby or Grand National winner, or a very expensive lawn mower,” said Gavin, our tour guide, as we gazed at a verdant pasture of mares and adorable foals.

In the spring of 2022, an incredible 319 foals were born at the Irish National Stud. Horse owners trailer in their mares to foal at the maternity hospital, and every year 30 equine veterinary students from around the globe are there to assist the deliveries. A colostrum bank and nursery paddocks ensure all foals are nurtured attentively during their early days.

Visitors can get up close and personal with retired hurdlers (steeplechase racehorses) in the Living Legends pasture. We leaned along the fence watching Beef and Salmon, a fan favorite, whose name was reportedly inspired by a wedding menu choice. Then there was Faugheen, nicknamed “The Machine,” nibbling tender sprigs of green. Beef and Salmon won close to 1 million Euros during his career, while Faugheen was over the million mark.

The small herd captured my attention because I assumed they were all stallions turned out together. But I learned that male hurdlers are always geldings, since jump races are longer—up to 4 miles—and geldings can sustain focus for a longer timeframe than a stallion.

Irish National Stud Stallions

The premier stallion standing at the Irish National Stud is a 26-year-old dark bay Thoroughbred named Invincible Spirit. He’s sired more than 20 Group 1 winners, the highest level of Irish racing.

A statue carved out of an 18-ton block of limestone commemorates him. His sire, Green Desert, covered mares until age 28, and his grandsire, Danzig, until age 27. Needless to say, longevity runs in the family.

Seven other majestic stallions, each with his own logo and stall with skylights, call the Irish National Stud home. The original farm owner believed in astrology, recording each foal’s birth in conjunction with the night sky, determining whether to keep or sell the horses according to the stars.

Irish Racehorse Experience

The Irish Racehorse Experience is an attraction that recently won a prestigious Thea award, given out by the Themed Entertainment Association. We stepped into a white modern farmhouse building to experience the virtual thrill of owning a racehorse, and were each given headsets and a device about the size of an iPad.

An introductory film on a life-size, horse-shaped screen greeted us first, then we headed to an auction simulation and “bought” our own Irish racehorses. I fell for a gray filly named Cool Colonnade. After the auction, we selected the best training programs for our Thoroughbreds. We had to be budget-conscious, as we were allotted only a certain amount of pretend currency for training.

The device screen listed the types of programs we could get, each one with a different fee. For example, it was 200 for beach gallops to have the “sea wind and soft sand put a spring in the step.” For another 200, I opted for treadmill training (“your horse needs to stay the distance”). I paid 150 for pampering, because I would enjoy that myself, so why not splurge on my pretend horse?

Following the rigorous training, we designed our own jockey silks. Mine were lime and emerald green with a Charlie Brown V-shaped pattern on the torso. I had more fun designing my racing silks than was necessary for a fake race.

The culmination of our racehorse ownership at the Irish National Stud was a race. We mounted simulators and faced a screen showing the racetrack. My gray filly came in dead last. At least I had fun riding in my first and last horse race!

Before we wrapped up our day, we ambled through the vibrant Japanese gardens and took a few selfies. We left with snacks, dozens of photos, and fun-filled memories.

If travel plans lead you to Ireland, add a day to your itinerary, jaunt off to Kildare and tour the Irish National Stud & Gardens. It’s located just 45 minutes from Dublin and two hours from Waterford, Cork and Galway.

Visit irishnationalstud.ie to learn more about a visit to the Irish National Stud & Gardens.

This article about the Irish National Stud & Gardens appeared in the April 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Sometimes life can make a U-turn, but it’s times like these that equestrians cling tightest to their horses for hope; horse riding after an accident.

A hit-and-run accident near Chicago in September of 2017 had the potential to dramatically alter Jessi Machnik’s equestrian life story. Jessi, 19 at the time, was eight minutes from death due to blood loss as a result of a guardrail impaling the Silverado pickup she was driving; it sliced the seat in half and trapped both of her legs. She believes the driver who hit her was driving a semi truck.

Machnik was airlifted to a hospital, where she fought for her life. Her injuries included a broken left tibia and fibula, a crushed right lower leg, her right femur fractured in two places, and a broken right forearm with a pinched nerve that prevented her from using her thumb and pointer finger for six months. She required 28 surgeries and 38 blood transfusions.

“Amazingly enough, I had no head, spinal or abdominal injuries,” Machnik says. In March of 2018, her right leg had to be amputated below the knee due to a bone infection. The unwavering support of her parents and her love for horses carried her through this unthinkable crisis.

Horse-Loving Heritage

“I knew the motion of horses before I was even born,” Machnik says. Her mother rode until she was six months pregnant, and they still ride together today. Machnik’s father breezed racehorses in his youth. Since both parents were avid equestrians, horses were in Machnik’s DNA.

At age 4, she got her first horse, and over the years she has owned several. But none have been as special as Luke, an off-track Thoroughbred she trained as a riding horse.

“My heart horse played a big role in my recovery after my accident,” Machnik says. “Luke is a flea-bitten gray unicorn.”

Luke and Machnik won a 2’9″ open hunter division championship and were poised to move up to the 3-foot division before the accident happened and her riding was halted—but only momentarily.

Machnik spent 74 days in the hospital, a month in an intermediate care facility for wound care, and six weeks in a rehabilitation hospital. While she was hospitalized, Luke was depressed and not eating his grain. It was the longest time Machnik had been away from him and horses in general. She began video-chatting with Luke, which uplifted them both.

After months of separation, Machnik finally got a day pass from the hospital so she could visit Luke.

“If he could have climbed over that stall gate, he would have,” she recalls. “He was so excited to see me, he spent an hour and a half just grooming me. He definitely played a big role in me pushing myself to heal when I was in the hospital.”

Back in the Saddle After Her Accident

Machnik started riding again just six weeks after her amputation.

“I got the doctor to clear me to get back on a horse,” she says. “I missed it so much. Without a prosthetic, it took three people to get me on the horse.”

Within 10 weeks, she was back to jumping again. “I didn’t really lose anything, besides my leg,” laughs Machnik.

In 2018, Luke had to be retired due to Lyme disease. However, she found other horses to ride, including her mom’s pinto warmblood, Drago. In 2020, Machnik returned to the Northern Illinois Hunter Jumper Association show ring on Drago horse riding after an accident with a new prosthetic leg—a leg she helped design specifically for riding.

She entered the cross-rail classes, and in the span of three shows, Drago ended up overall reserve champion in hunters, and Machnik got fifth in equitation out of 20 riders.

“I was very pleased with myself,” she says. “At one of the shows, the judge stopped me because you can see the outline of my socket through my breeches, and she said, ‘Hey, is that a knee brace?’ and I said, ‘No. That’s my prosthetic leg,’ and she looked very, very surprised and said, ‘I’ll try not to judge that side too hard.’ Everyone seems very surprised—they would see me out in the show ring, and then they’d see me walking around in shorts later.”

Hope for the Future

Machnik now has a new flea-bitten gray Thoroughbred at her side named Harri. Horse riding after her accident has helped her realize some new dreams of hers.

“He does his best to take care of me,” she says. Her show-ring goal is to compete with Harri in 2’6″ hunters. She’s also studying to become a prosthetist, planning to earn a master’s degree, and one day wants to have her own clinic to give back to other people with disabilities.

Another dream of Machnik’s is riding in the Paralympics. Dressage is a sanctioned Paralympic sport, and she believes jumping should be, too.

“I know two other amputee equestrians; one is jumping 4 feet,” she says. “I would like to find a way to get jumping in the Paralympics.” If there’s anyone with the tenacity to instigate change in the sporting world, it’s Machnik.

“I still ride, scuba dive and ride my motorcycle. I climbed a rock wall with one leg. I don’t let things stop me.”

This article about returning to riding after an accident originally appeared in the June 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Matchy-matchy equestrian style is all about coordinating colors with your horse. Picture a dapple gray wearing a periwinkle saddle pad, fly bonnet and protective boots with his rider sporting a periwinkle shirt. That’s the matchy-matchy fashion trend.

Jessica Alvarado, creator of the Facebook group Matchy Matchy Equestrians USA, defines matchy-matchy as “the addicting obsession to dress your horse and/or yourself in matching attire.”

Why Matchy-Matchy Equestrian Style?

Part of the appeal of dressing matchy-matchy is that anyone can do it, regardless of discipline, body type or age.

“Price doesn’t matter either,” says Alvarado. “Matchy-matchy fits any color, shape, size, budget or skill set.”

Alvarado, a dressage rider from Washington, dove into matchy-matchy with a yearling named Moose.

“With my horse being as young as he was at the time, I didn’t have much to do with him other than basic groundwork, so I started to play dress up,” she says. “From there, my obsession—and my collections—grew.”

Alvarado formed her U.S.-based matchy-matchy group on Facebook in May of 2020 as a forum where people can buy and sell, ask questions or simply share pictures of themselves and their horses decked out in their color-coordinated best.

“At the time, there weren’t any groups dedicated to those who live only in the United States,” she explains. “This was a way to keep purchasing simple by not having to deal with currency conversion, overly delayed shipping times, and to promote smaller, local shops.”

Although the term “matchy-matchy” isn’t typically used in the western world, the concept is alive and well. Western lifestyle blogger and Horse Illustrated contributor Raquel Lynn of Los Angeles explains what motivates riders to coordinate with their horses.

“You work really hard taking care of your horse and you want them to look good,” she says. “Putting nice tack on a horse is a finishing touch.”

How to Get Started

For western riders, the sky’s the limit with matchy-matchy. “There are a ton of options in colors and print,” says Raquel. “For example, a barrel racer could put turquoise boots on their horse and have saddle pad wear-leathers in turquoise. More options are light oil tack, dark oil tack, or black tack, which is trending now.”

She cites cowhide print, serape and sunflowers as popular at the moment.

Some equestrian brands are known for creating sets that are perfect for matchy-matchy aficionados. These include matching saddle pads, fly bonnets and brushing boots or polos. Alvarado names a few of the major brands in the English realm as PS of Sweden, Equestrian Stockholm, Eskadron, and Equito. For western lovers, Raquel says Desert Rose Equine is known for coordinating stirrups, breast collars and headstalls, and Harris Leather and Silverworks have all the varying shades of tack.

Alvarado identifies the two biggest struggles of being matchy-matchy are limited supply and price gouging.

“With matchy-matchy becoming more popular, finding certain items can be difficult,” she says. “There are several sets that have been declared ‘unicorns,’ because they are very rare and hard to come by.”

For example, PS of Sweden is known to have two ‘unicorns’ with the highly sought-after colors Couture Red and Pacific Ocean.

“Usually if you are patient, in time you will find what you consider a unicorn,” says Alvarado. Like wine, certain saddle pad sets become more valuable with age, becoming collectors’ items due to the rarity. And that is where price gouging can occur.

Matchy-Matchy Fun for All

For most riders swept up in matchy-matchy, the quest to find tack and accessories in perfect hues and the ability to add a splash of color and designs to your equestrian pursuits are just plain fun.

“What drives me to be matchy-matchy is the happy feeling it gives me,” says Alvarado. “I love dressing my horse up to look his best, and he quite enjoys being told how handsome he is on a regular basis, too. The best part of having my matchy-matchy Facebook group has been creating a space for people to share what makes them happy. Times are hard for everyone right now. If sharing your photos or purchases makes you happy, by all means, share away.”

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Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in “La La Land.” James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause.” You horseback riding in Los Angeles.

You don’t have to be a celebrity like the actors listed to star in your own Los Angeles adventure on location in Griffith Park. If you love exploring trails and want to lose yourself in nature from inside America’s second-largest city, add “trail riding in Griffith Park” to your equestrian bucket list.

As a Southern Californian, I’ve had the opportunity to ride various paths of the Santa Monica mountains in Griffith Park. Each outing has been spectacular and unique.

Hollywood Sign Ride

The first time I rode in Griffith Park, it was a quest to see the Hollywood sign. Sunset Ranch, an equestrian center with trail horse rentals that has been around since the 1920s when Charlie Chaplin was making movies, was the starting point. An old porcelain bathtub serves as a water trough, while cactus and scrub brush cling to the dry slopes nearby. Just blocks away from the authentically Old West location, tourists snap photos of the famous sidewalks on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Our guide was the real deal in a cowboy hat, snap shirt, and bandana; she grew up on a cattle ranch in Colorado. As our trail group walked along the mountain fire roads, occasionally glancing down at the steep slopes, I learned deer and coyotes make frequent appearances on the trail. There are occasional rattlesnakes, and sometimes movie stars. I was told a group once spotted Vince Vaughn hiking, and Jack Black used to take riding lessons at Sunset Ranch.

The pinnacle of the two-hour ride is the plateau where you and your horse can pose for a picture with the Hollywood sign in the background. Be sure to pack your sunscreen and sunglasses for this expedition!

Valley and Zoo Views

On the opposite side of the mountains around the corner from the Los Angeles Equestrian Center lies Circle K Riding Stables. My friend Raquel Lynn (who also writes for Horse Illustrated) lives in the adjacent Rancho equestrian neighborhood, and she’s played tour guide on her mare for several Griffith Park rides while I’ve rented well-mannered Circle K geldings.

The first part of the ride originating from Circle K requires crossing a narrow foot bridge spanning the Los Angeles River (it’s actually a concrete canal with only a trickle of water the times I’ve seen it). Whatever the river lacks in water depth, it makes up for with the impressive fact that at 50 miles, the Los Angeles River is the longest paved waterway in the world.

After crossing the bridge and walking through a long tunnel under the 134 Freeway, you’ll reach the base of the mountain trails. As the horses ascend the paths, the views grow in impressiveness. From above the city, depending on where you are, you can see the arenas at Los Angeles Equestrian Center, a view of downtown Glendale, or the blue and yellow of Burbank’s IKEA.

Once we rode Rattlesnake Trail, an intermediate hiking trail, perhaps named that because it coils around the side of the mountain in the shape of a snake. Another time our destination was Amir’s Garden, a 5-acre shaded oasis at the top of an incline, named after an Iranian immigrant and avid hiker, who after a fire in the 1970s petitioned the city to revegetate the area. The late Amir Dialameh was granted permission, but not the right to use heavy equipment. Over the span of 12 years, he removed charred stumps by hand and planted over 60 varieties of trees and shrubs. Watering troughs, hitching posts, picnic tables and shade welcome you at Amir’s Garden.

From the garden’s vantage point, you can gaze down onto the Los Angeles Zoo. Some days the elephants are visible if you squint. When riding these trails, if you have a fear of heights, stick close to the upside of the hill and don’t look down!

Lights, Camera, Action

One time as we neared the ending point of our ride, a woman sitting in a lawn chair under a shade tree gave us a heads up that cranes were being operated nearby. The television show “Black-ish” was filming at the L.A. Equestrian Center. I asked if that was her official duty: to warn riders of the heavy equipment? She said yes.

My guide steered us toward a different path through a wide-open space with fluffy, sandy footing just outside the distinctive shape of the Disney Animation building.

The funniest part of one of my rides occurred as we rode our horses parallel to the 134 Freeway at the end of a ride. The traffic was congested, and we commented on how lucky we were to be on horseback, walking our horses along at a faster pace than the commuters were able to move in their cars.

This article about horseback riding in Los Angeles appeared in the March 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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“Float down to the saddles with grace,” the smiling instructor encouraged our riding group as I transitioned from two-point back into the saddle … of my stationary bike. I pedaled, enjoying the 45-minute ’80s music ride from my home office, which moonlights as a spin studio thanks to the Peloton app on my phone.

Pre-pandemic, as a city-dweller with my horse 75 miles away in the country, I turned to spin class at the gym as a riding alternative for weekdays when I couldn’t squeeze in a trip to the barn. When the COVID lockdown began in March of 2020, I purchased a stationary bike in order to keep on spinning. Mid-pandemic, with a pared-down agenda of life activities, spin classes have kept me sane and improved my horse rider fitness.

Jumping Saddle to Bike Saddle

My journey from jumping saddle to bike saddle began at a 24 Hour Fitness gym seven years ago. I tried a class, knowing any improvement in my cardio fitness would help my riding. I still remember that first spin workout.

The room was dark with industrial-sized fans overhead. It was intimidating making sure the bike seat and handlebars were adjusted to the right height and trying to figure out the various buttons and numbers on the console.

I also struggled getting my Nikes into the straps on the pedals. Five minutes into the class, my thighs were simultaneously on fire and felt like lead. I twisted the knob to the left to lighten the pedal load, determined to keep moving and stick with it for the hour.

Eventually the thigh fire subsided, and when the instructor had us rise and tap back onto the saddle in time to beats of the music, I thought, “I’m posting!”

Riding a stationary bike has benefited my horse rider fitness. In the hunt field when there’s a long stretch of trotting, I’m not winded and can still talk when our group slows down to a walk. In lessons, I can work on perfecting the canter, going for several-minute stretches at a time without getting red in the face.

Equestrians Who Spin

I’m not the only equestrian who has embraced cross-training from a spin bike saddle.

Countless equestrians are finding fun and fitness through indoor cycling. For example, there’s a Facebook Group called Pelo Ponies for equestrians devoted to Peloton. Blogger Caitlin Brown (@sparklesandsunshine on Instagram) is one such spin proponent. She had been taking indoor cycling classes for years and realized she should order her own bike.

“Before my Peloton bike, I was a bit out of shape and struggled to even trot for a few laps at a time without being out of breath,” says Brown. “If my horse has to be an athlete, so do I. During spin classes, there are three positions: seated, second position—where you are basically standing up—and third position, where you’re more hovered over the saddle with your shoulders back and chest lifted. When I go into second position, I think of posting at the trot, and when in third, I think of two-point.”

In Lexington, Ky., Chelsie Anderson, an avid eventer, is the general manager and a spin instructor at CycleBar Fritz Farm, a premium indoor cycling studio. That CycleBar location has a clientele of other eventers, as well as hunter/jumper riders and more.

Anderson cites several reasons equestrians should cross-train on a spin bike for improved horse rider fitness.

“First, it improves endurance,” she says. “Second, it reinforces riding posture with core and legs and keeping your heels down, and it’s an overall balance exercise. It’s also a great cardio workout—it expands your lung capacity. It’s necessary to have a cardio base to do any type of intense riding.”

According to Anderson, spin is an ideal exercise for almost every type of person and can improve horse rider fitness.

“It is suitable for all ages, levels and conditions,” she says. “For example, in my classes, we have people in their 70s, people who have recovered from knee surgery, and pregnant women who can no longer run, but they can cycle. You can modify everything about the exercise.”

Anderson is living proof that spin is for everyone—she suffers from hip problems after several riding falls.

How to Get Started

To get started cross-training with spin classes, all you need is a stationary bike or a local gym with bikes. There are spin apps you can ride along with for a monthly subscription rate. Premium bike studios, such as a CycleBar or SoulCycle, are offering outdoor classes in some locations due to COVID-19.

Anderson admits the first class can be intimidating but tells new riders that they have all the control over their own bike and workout.

“For every other fitness class, there are mirrors and lights,” she says. “Spin is where you escape into a dark room with closed doors, and you will not be on display. No one is looking at your form. You have a coach encouraging you. If a coach says gear 10, you can do gear 5. A rider can always turn the gear back if it’s too heavy.”

If you need assurance before starting spin, Anderson says equestrians catch on quickly.

“Riders instantly have it,” she says. “They already have the posture. They’re used to riding in two-point or a half seat. They’re keeping weight out of their hands.”

Now grab your water bottle and a towel and head on over to a bike saddle and spin for horse rider fitness. Your horse will approve!

This article about spin for horse rider fitness appeared in the April 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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On October 1, 2017, Amélie Bellefille was standing in front of the stage at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas, Nev., when the largest mass shooting in American history occurred. Fifty-nine people were killed and more than 500 wounded. Luckily, she is a survivor of the Las Vegas shooting.

“I was under fire the whole time of the shooting, witnessing what I call a door opened to hell,” says Bellefille. “Unlike my friends, I froze the whole time.”

She thought she would die that night. Scores of people around her—just a few inches away—were seriously wounded, some fatally. Bellefille escaped the horror physically, except for bruises from panicked concertgoers trampling over her as they fled. Although her body was relatively unscathed, Bellefille was mentally devastated.

Volunteer therapists who work with military veterans offered counseling to the survivors of the Las Vegas shooting, and Bellefille began intense, full-time therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. She is still in therapy today but is now navigating a healing path with the help of a gentle Mustang who selected her from across an adoption facility corral fence.

Horses and Healing

“During the therapy, I was not inclined to talk to anyone,” says Bellefille. “My trust in humans was ruined. How could someone do this to innocents?”

However, one of the therapists, Johnny Urrutia, a cowboy from Idaho who is an Eagala-certified equine therapist (a therapist trained to use horses for psychotherapy), guided Bellefille to share her feelings with a special mare.

“We had to go away with the horse and talk to it,” says Bellefille. “Say whatever was on our heart. I had this big gray mare, Eva. She was kind and sweet, like a tall angel. I started shaking, and tears poured out of my eyes. I told her everything that happened and how I felt: guilt, anger, fear, pain, disappointment in people. Johnny immediately saw that I opened up at this moment.”

Confiding in a horse came naturally to Bellefille, as horses figure prominently in her culture and personal history. She grew up in the Loire Valley of France, home to castles, vineyards, Renaissance gardens and Cadre Noir de Saumur, the traditional riding school of France.

As a child, Bellefille started riding ponies and grew as an equestrian under the instruction of a four-star endurance trainer as well as classical instruction from a Saumur Cadre Noir trainer who has remained a close friend.

She bought her first horse—an “opinionated” black off-track mare—followed by an Arabian/Boulonnais cross, a breeding combination favored by the French cavalry. When Bellefille left France to study at the University of California, Los Angeles, her black mare was retired to green pastures at her mother’s home, and Bellefille’s second horse was sold to a dressage riding school. Saying goodbye to her horses broke her heart, but she didn’t have the necessary funds to ship a horse (or two) to Los Angeles.

Mustang Motivation

During her second therapy session, Johnny suggested that owning a horse again could be a good thing—a reason to keep moving and build trust. Bellefille took his words to heart. An intriguing horse from the therapy program had captured her interest.

“In the barn, there was a chestnut mare with a weird freeze brand on her neck,” she says. “She was a Mustang. I had no idea we could adopt these horses. In Europe, Mustangs are wild animals. Legends. The unreachable horses. The ones that cannot be gentled.”

So she began researching Mustangs. In April 2018, a special Mustang became Bellefille’s “guardian angel and savior.” She would eventually name the mare Kara after one of the Valkyries, a female creature from Norse mythology who would walk over battlefields and determine who would live and who would die.

“I figured this name fits her well,” says Bellefille. “After my traumatic experience, I was given the gift to have a second chance in life.”

She says that she didn’t pick Kara, Kara picked her.

“She was untouched in a pipe corral at a Mustang TIP [Trainer Incentive Program] training center, waiting for her turn to be gentled.”

According to Kara’s records, the mare was born in a facility after the Calico roundup in Fallon, Nev., and moved around from facility to facility until she was 7 years old.

Approach and Retreat

When Bellefille arrived at Wild Horse Ranch Los Angeles, run by Mustang TIP trainer Kate LaCroix, a little bay mare quietly stared at her as soon as she got out of her car. The horse had never had human contact except from the tight chute where she received medical care and hoof trims.

“That’s the one I was thinking about for you; I named her Noël,” LaCroix told Bellefille.

LaCroix showed Bellefille how to approach a wild Mustang with the approach-and-retreat method.

“I went in the corral and the mare was in a corner,” says Bellefille. “I made her move a bit and started to get closer and closer. Kate told me to try to give her hay from my hand, avoiding eye contact and turning my body slightly so I didn’t threaten her. Little by little, the mare came and grabbed a few pieces of hay from my hand. It was magical.”

Next, LaCroix moved Noël to the round pen to see how she would react in a larger environment. She asked her to trot and canter so Bellefille could see her move.

“She then asked me if I wanted to give her the carrots I brought,” says Bellefille. “After a few tries, the mare settled and stopped running away from me. Without looking at her, I placed a carrot in my hand and waited. A couple seconds later, she took a step toward me, elongated her neck from far away, grabbed a piece of the carrot and ran away. It was magical.

She trusted me a bit. I tried again minutes later. This time, the mare took two steps toward me, grabbed the carrot and stayed while eating it, looking at me. I broke into tears.”

LaCroix cried, too.

“Little by little, I touched her nose,” Bellefille says. “The mare stayed close for a while, and I went away, taking a break from all these emotions. While I was walking away, she watched me the whole time. I think she knew. We both knew. I was a broken mess at the time. I didn’t trust anyone. I went through a difficult traumatic event. That’s what led me to get a horse. In this case, that’s what led me to get this Mustang. I knew at that moment she was the one. She picked me.”

This survivor of the Las Vegas shooting credits her horse as the reason she is alive today.

“She didn’t have much trust in people and neither did I,” says Bellefille. “So we both bonded as a team immediately and worked together in trusting each other. It was hard. It was not as easy as a domestic horse. Any mistake from me, and she was throwing it in my face right away. A small tension. A small insecurity. A fear. Nervousness. Depression. She would let me know in a fraction of a second. She reads right through me and sees people for what we are. [Horses] feel the energies more than us. They are aware of every little thing around them. That is how they survive in the wild.”

A Head for Business

In addition to finding light in her relationship with Kara, Bellefille launched her own equestrian-related small business, My Horse’s Closet (www.myhorsescloset.com), in the fall of 2018 as an outlet to express her artistic side and fill her own need for unique, yet affordable, riding accessories. Glittery saddle pads, brightcolored stirrup irons with inlaid crystals, and boots for the horse are some of the products from Bellefille’s side hustle.

She hopes to one day merge her creative passion and horse love into full-time work.

In the meantime, Bellefille is content to strengthen her relationship with Kara and bring fashionable equestrian products to market during the off hours from her design job at a luxury jewelry brand.

Bellefille is looking to the future and believes Kara is going to love trail riding and be wonderful at dressage. However, she remains open to learning more and doing what her mare likes. Another future plan Bellefille possesses, which Kara will undoubtedly approve of: adopting a second Mustang.

“My Mustang really changed my life,” she says. “Kara has taught me so much about
myself. She knows exactly what is going on inside me that I am not even aware of. She has forced me to be real and heal myself.”

This article about a Las Vegas shooting survivor appeared in the June 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Survival and Healing for a Survivor of the Las Vegas Shooting Thanks to a Mustang Mare appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Equestrian author and blogger Susan Friedland, the creator of the award-winning website Saddle Seeks Horse, has released her second book Strands of Hope: How to Grieve the Loss of a Horse, a practical guide for bereaved horse lovers. Both paperback and eBook versions are available on Amazon.com.

Susan Friedland leads a horse-centric life sharing her equestrian passion via her website and as a freelancer for equestrian publications. She founded Saddle Seeks Horse, a lifestyle blog featuring product reviews, interviews and inspiration for the everyday equestrian in 2013. Each month Saddle Seeks Horse reaches thousands of horse enthusiasts around the world with original content. Saddle Seeks Horse partners with equine-related brands via sponsored posts and product reviews.

The book Strands of Hope was born out of a single blog post on www.saddleseekshorse.com that routinely receives high traffic since it was published back in 2015. The post “How to Grieve the Loss of a Horse in 10 Not-So-Easy Steps” ranks on page one for the Google search “how to grieve the loss of a horse.”

“It had been five years since I lost my heart horse, DC, when I wrote that blog post,” says Friedland. “I had finally processed my grief and enough time had gone by, so I could share my experiences in order to help other equestrians. I had no idea I would hear from people around the world via email and private messages! They found my post, and it helped them in a time of sadness.”

A memorable email was from a mother in South Africa whose daughter had unexpectedly lost her pony. The mother thanked Friedland for helping her feel less alone, and a seed of an idea to write a book took root. Friedland contemplated a project to share her journey and the journey of fellow equestrians who have navigated the loss of a horse.

“Initially I resisted the urge to bring this book to life because I’m not a psychologist, a minister, or grief counselor,” continues Friedland. “I’m just a horse girl who knows what it’s like to receive one of those dreaded phone calls from a barn manager. Dozens of books exist about how to grieve a pet, but a horse is really so much more than a pet–losing a horse is a unique experience and pain. There’s really nothing quite like Strands of Hope on the market. It won’t ‘fix’ anyone, but my hope is readers will feel some comfort during a dark time.”

Strands of Hope contains six interviews with people who have had various types of loss from losing a foal, to saying goodbye to a childhood pony owned and loved for 20 years. There’s even a story of a show jumper whose loss is the death of a dream—her horse had to be retired young due to an underlying health issue.

The Strands of Hope paperback is 100 pages, and both the print and ebook versions contain a resource list, template for how to write a horse eulogy, and ideas to commemorate a dearly departed horse. Both versions are available in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and Japan. The ebook is also available in Canada, Australia, Mexico and Brazil.

For more information about the book or author, contact susan@saddleseekshorse.com.

The post Equestrian Author and Blogger Susan Friedland Releases Book <i>Strands of Hope: How to Grieve the Loss of a Horse</i> appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

After her relocation, a mysterious illness threatened to keep Kasia out of the saddle permanently. However, a promising romance and painting her beloved equines buoyed her health.

From Ponies to Poland

During her first pony ride as a tot, Kasia threw a tantrum when it was time to dismount. She remained in the saddle the whole afternoon. A few years later, Kasia’s father wanted her to spend summers in his home country of Poland.

“He persuaded me, saying I would get to ride every day,” says Kasia. “I fell in love with Poland—the people, the landscape, the horses, and all the foals! After that, I just kept going back every summer.” Returning to California during the school year, Kasia continued taking riding lessons and drawing horses.

Kasia’s home away from home, Hadrian Riding Center in Poland, had foals every summer.

“One year I saw a colt and thought he was the cutest foal I had ever seen,” she says. “There was something special. I just felt like he was ‘the one.’”

Four years after Kasia fell for the colt—his sire was a Holsteiner and his dam Malopołski (a combination of Arabian and Thoroughbred lines)—she became reacquainted with him as a young, full-of-himself stallion. He was named Sławny, which in Polish means “famous.”

“I stood by his stall for hours staring at him in awe,” says Kasia. She vowed to own him in the distant future, once he was retired.

Dream Horse, Dream Match

However, Kasia heard Sławny was for sale a mere two years later. She decided to sell both horses she owned at the time, and made a down payment on her dream horse without ever riding him.

Her parents helped her with the payment plan, and the following summer Kasia left for Poland. Her intent was to train Sławny and attend a few horse shows before bringing him home to California.

“After two rides on him and one horse show, I decided to stay in Poland,” says Kasia. “I got the horse I fell in love with, and I wanted to continue training with the man who bred him.”

Teaching private English language lessons helped Kasia support herself and save for her horse-related goals. Meanwhile, when she wasn’t working or at the gym doing CrossFit or Zumba, Kasia was with Sławny.

At the barn she met Kamil, a mounted police officer. Despite a language barrier—Kasia was not fluent in Polish and Kamil did not speak English—a romance blossomed.

A Mysterious Illness

Four months into her relationship with Kamil, Kasia contracted the flu. Just as she started feeling better, her joints swelled. She felt like her skin was ripping and even her clothes hurt. She had high blood pressure, extreme fatigue, migraines that affected her vision, and pain like needles in her limbs.

“[I had] memory loss and I felt like I was digesting glass,” says Kasia.

As she bounced around to three different hospitals because no one knew the cause of her symptoms, Kamil appointed himself Kasia’s unofficial caregiver.

“He was with me before and after work, and when his boss wouldn’t let him take days off, he ‘got sick,’” Kasia recalls. “I said, ‘What if I never get better? And I’ll always be sick? You don’t have to be here.’” Kamil told Kasia he would build her a barn and wheel her out in a pink wheelchair. Her job would be to give her horses carrots and kisses.

When doctors told Kasia that she wouldn’t be able to ride, she felt guilty keeping Sławny. She felt he deserved a rider who could give him love and attention.

“Kamil kept me happy and positive,” she says. “He kept me from believing the million people who told me I was crazy. Most importantly, he kept me from selling Sławny!”

After steroid treatments, Kasia seemed to improve, but a month later the swelling returned. She went to approximately 20 doctors near Warsaw seeking help. Most prescribed antipsychotics, telling her it was all in her head.

“The last doctor I saw before my flight back to the U.S. to get more opinions about my illness diagnosed me with fibromyalgia,” Kasia recalls. Doctors at the University of Southern California Medical Center diagnosed Kasia with lupus and confirmed the earlier fibromyalgia diagnosis.

Embracing Imperfection

While Kasia still struggled to walk, she started painting from her bed. Prior to that, her preferred medium was pencil, which could be easily erased when she made a mistake.

“When I accidentally dripped paint on the canvas or happened to smear something with my arm, I decided that painting was just an exercise for me to express my feelings and accept myself and my mistakes. I started repeating, ‘my art is a series of mistakes’ in my head as I worked on any piece of artwork.”

The diagnoses propelled Kasia to fast track her life goals. Doctors recommended moving her body as much as she could, pushing past the pain.

“Eventually when I got strong enough, I went to yoga, and then the gym,” she says. “And finally, I decided that I was well on my way to being able to start a completely green horse!”

Owning a draft horse was one of Kasia’s goals, and after browsing the internet, she imported a Shire filly from England. When it dawned on Kasia how long the wait would be before she could ride her baby horse, she found another Shire, this time a mare she could work immediately. After adding Lilly (the filly) and Roxy to her herd, along came Lulu, an Akhal-Teke.

Horse motivation and appropriate medical treatment have dramatically changed Kasia’s condition. Today she only takes three pills per day and a fourth on Thursdays, compared to 20 per day when first diagnosed.

Instead of being pushed in a wheelchair, she rides her horses bareback at home. She has returned to jumping, and recently competed Sławny in dressage and jumping.

And the backyard barn that Kamil, now her husband, had promised her is a reality. Kasia’s equestrian story and art are one-of-a-kind: both are bold, bursting with color and optimism.

Follow Kasia’s art at Facebook.com/kasia.bukowska.art, and her lupus warrior and fibro fighting page at Facebook.com/equestriankasiabukowska. Her Etsy shop is located at Etsy.com/shop/kasiabukowskaart.

This article originally appeared in the March 2019 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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