Could you do the same?

Equine Clipping Business

Originally from Long Island, N.Y., 34-year-old Kristen Abano was a horse girl who majored in communications and English. After college, she worked in office administration at Cornell Ruffian Equine Specialists in Elmont, N.Y., for a year before relocating to south Florida. Eager to be more hands-on in the equine industry, Abano began working as a veterinary technician at Palm Beach Equine Clinic in Wellington, Fla.

“Once I got into vet med, I thought that would be where I’d work the rest of my life,” she says. “That was my dream job at the time, but the burnout is real in that industry. Toward the end of my time as a vet tech, I started doing some grooming [for private clients]. When I left the clinic in early 2020, I started my own business as a professional groom and made it a legal operating entity in 2021.”

It took three years for Centerline Equine Clipping to create full-time income, but the business has doubled every year. Her own horse, Ace, a Haflinger/Quarter Horse cross, models for her business marketing photos.

Centrally located near the show horse hub of Wellington, Fla., Abano is able to service south and southwest Florida. She works on everything from six-figure show horses to the 40-year-old backyard pony.

“Body clipping is not just about aesthetics; some horses need this medically,” says Abano. “Take Cushing’s horses, for example: I have these on a four- to six-week schedule to stay ahead of their coat growth, otherwise they may develop further health complications.”

While most of her business is body clipping, Abano offers plenty of other services, including sheath cleaning, mane tidying, private client grooming for shows, and preparing horses for photo sessions.

“Photoshoot prep is one of my favorite services,” she says, noting that she can do all the grooming and hand over an immaculate photo-ready horse, or stay for the duration of the shoot to help with details and getting ears up.

“My favorite part of what I do is getting horses to look and feel their best,” she adds.

Working Thoroughbred Sales

In 2023, an amazing 14,462 Thoroughbreds sold at public auction in North America for gross receipts of $1.2 billion. The average price per horse was $86,114.

Consignors who sell horses at these auctions routinely hire workers who specialize in preparing and handling horses at the sales. The most talented are able to work sales exclusively, rather than working on farms. On average, these consignors pay sales workers $250 to $300 per day.

Giovanni (Gio) Garcia, 31, of Little Village, Ind., has built a reputation as a top hand and makes a living working the country’s biggest Thoroughbred sales.

Garcia wasn’t raised with horses, but he’s consistently worked in the equine industry since starting as a groom at Tampa Bay Downs in 2012.

“I started coming to Ocala and working as an exercise rider and groom on a farm,” says Garcia. “Someone asked me about working sales and told me I could make more money doing that.”

He experienced this firsthand in 2020 when he worked for Claiborne Farm at the Keeneland yearling sale in Lexington, Ky. It was there Garcia found his niche. Since then, he’s been hired by sales consignors to work at Thoroughbred sales in Florida, Kentucky, Maryland and New York.

“I go wherever the horses go,” says Garcia.

During the longest sales, he may be away from home 16 days at a stretch. Once the horses ship in, the days are long and intense with no time off until the sale ends.

Whether he’s tacking up and wrapping the legs of a 2-year-old before a breeze show (where buyers get to watch the horse have a timed workout on the track before the auction) or showing rambunctious yearlings to prospective buyers, Garcia’s focus is always making sure the horses look their best.

“Whether it’s cold, raining, or hot, I love what I do,” he says. “I love horses and I’m paid to do something I love.”

Paul Sharp, one of the industry’s top 2-year-old consigners, sees Garcia’s passion.

“He’s reliable, knowledgeable, communicates well, and has a good touch. He definitely has a passion for the horses.” Ocala-based Sharp has hired Garcia to work all of his consignments since 2021.

As Sharp explains, an experienced hand like Garcia understands what’s at stake with the big sales and pays close attention to detail.

When he’s not working a sale, Garcia is home spending time with his family—his wife Courtney and their almost 2-year-old son, Giovanni Jr.

“He loves horses and already has a pony,” Garcia says with a smile.

Supplement Business

When Jerry Miller was a young man cowboying in Wyoming, he never imagined owning an equine supplement company.

Raised in Sheridan, Wyo., Miller went into the U.S. Navy after graduating high school. After serving his country, he moved to Seattle and worked as a welder for 12 years.

Miller then earned his mechanical engineering degree and moved to Idaho after graduating college in 2002. For the next 15 years, he traveled across the U.S. working as a consulting engineer for a company that built food and beverage processing systems.

“Between my ranching, welding and engineering experience, I was able to come up with new ways for my clients to make money,” says Miller. “I was always on the lookout for a way I could be my own boss.”

That opportunity came in 2019, when Miller wrote an engineering proposal for a nearby CBD oil extraction lab. The owner ended up hiring Miller as the production manager to design and run his extraction lab in Oregon.

“I learned everything I could about the product and processing it,” says Miller.

When he realized the company threw away the hemp after extracting the CBD oil to use in human products, he sent samples for testing. When the results came in, his entrepreneurial mind started spinning.

Testing revealed the hemp contained no THC, but was rich in 18 amino acids that fuel hoof, bone, skin and hair growth, repair muscle, manage weight, and help mental focus, among numerous other benefits.

After doing a trial with horse-owning friends and seeing how readily horses ate it, Miller knew he had a viable product. From there, it was a matter of researching the best way to dry the hemp, grind it, and process it into a supplement.

Miller officially launched Remount on May 1, 2020, during the early days of the pandemic. His company is registered in Idaho and his production shop is located across the border in Ontario, Ore.

Remount is a 100 percent hemp amino acid CBD equine health supplement. It contains 18 vital amino acids, including lysine, methionine, leucine, and more. The supplement is available in both powder and pellet form.

“I put some money in the business to get it rolling, but it was paying for itself by the second year and became profitable by year three,” says Miller. “I’ve seen a 30 to 40 percent increase in sales since 2021.”

In addition to selling online through Remount’s website, Miller has the supplement in eight retail locations in five states, and he has 12 distributors in 10 states.

This fall, he is heading south in his fifth wheel to spend the entire winter in Arizona, doing vendor booths at horse events from November through March.

Advice for Making an Equine Career Happen

Do you have what it takes to launch a career in the equine world?

“There are many ways you can make a living working with horses,” says Abano. “Find what you’re good at and figure out how to make money at it. Make sure it’s something you enjoy and are passionate about. If you’re offering a service, you have to love it.”

Miller recommends researching first.

“Find something no one else is doing and go for it,” he says.

If you’re marketing a product, be prepared to give away samples in the first year to get people to try it. Sponsoring good competitors who use your product also helps get the word out.

For obvious reasons, location matters if you’re offering a service. For example, Abano’s proximity to Wellington and her ability to travel in south Florida set up her business for success.

During show season in Idaho, Miller has a vendor booth at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa, which hosts many shows and equine events, allowing him to showcase his product to horse people from a variety of states and different breeds.

Next, don’t skimp on appearances. A professional website is crucial when you’re launching a business. Miller says “before and after” photos of horses using his supplement have really helped promote Remount.

Finally, take advantage of social media and make the most of your connections.

“Wahl reached out to me after having followed my social media for a few months and asked me if I would be interested in joining their Pro Equine team,” says Abano. “Professionally, having this credential behind my name makes my business more competitive and marketable.” She is now a Wahl ambassador and educator who exclusively uses Wahl Animal products.

“I have consistent sales in over 25 states,” says Miller. “I couldn’t have gotten sales in some of those states without social media. I do a lot myself and have 15 to 20 sponsored competitors who talk about the brand on social media.”

This article about niche equine jobs appeared in the October 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Niche Equine Jobs appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

“My Navajo clan name is Ta’neeszahnii,” he says. “The Navajo are maternal, meaning we take our grandmother’s last name.” He grew up inside Navajo Nation on a farm in Cedar Hill, but just outside the reservation where his uncles still keep a horse ranch and his “great auntie” farms the family homestead.

“The isolation of my family farm gave me an authentic, traditional Navajo childhood,” says Englehart, who saw natural beauty up close rather than through a television set. But what his family also saw was how poverty deprived and denied opportunities to the young people on the reservation.

“Which is why my Navajo moved off the reservation—to find work and move beyond the economic injustice my grandmother, mother and ancestors endured, and so I could tell my story.”

Experiential Learning

Now in his 30s, he lives in Los Angeles, Calif., where he works as an artist, horse rescuer and youth educator. A challenge course designer as well as horseman, he hopes to see experiential learning become as mainstream in the United States as it is in both Europe and the southwest Four Corners area where he grew up.

“In Denmark, empathy and outdoor education are mandatory. Navajo education,” he grins, “called it common sense.”

Hollywood is all about putting on a good show, but when it comes to getting real, this passionate advocate for equine therapy says it’s all about the horses.

Earth Warriors

“I incorporate horses, summer camps, challenge courses, empathy, and my Navajo culture as a teacher,” says Englehart.

It has shaped him into a cowboy who is up for a challenge. One of the state’s top challenge course builders and inspectors, he is special consultant to the California State University-Northridge Outdoor and Recreation Department, home to the largest public-owned challenge course in Southern California, and directing manager for Griffith Park Boys Camp, operated by the City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Outdoor Education Department—the largest urban park in North America.

He’s carved a niche for himself in the challenge course industry just as it’s evolving to offer more fixed “wilderness type” team-building experiences than expedition-type settings.

The idea, he says, is to use empathy learning and positive memory making to foster a generation of leaders who “understand the importance of cherishing the planet while having the knowledge to become an Earth warrior.”

The Navajo, or in their language, the Diné, believe in two classes of beings. Citing Ray Baldwin Lewis for the Navajo Tourism Department, discovernavajo.com, these are the Holy People, who taught the Diné to live in harmony with Mother Earth and Father Sky; and the Earth People, who do everything they can to maintain that harmony and balance.

It doesn’t get much earthier than helping kids or horses find harmony and balance. The work Englehart does now had its genesis in leaving his home for Los Angeles and finding his way into wrangling and saving horses at a 4,000+ acre municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, home to the iconic the Hollywood sign.

“For me, Griffith Park is about so much more than horses, but horses are where my story begins.”

Flights & Totes

From Flora Vista, N.M., to Hollywood, Calif., Englehart has lived and breathed horses since he was “in nothing but a diaper and a Stetson” on his father’s lap astride the family horse, named Red.

“I’m not sure why horses give me flight in dreams,” he says. “Muscle memory? I do know that horses in my dreams signal a good night ahead. Horses give me flight in dreams or nightmares. Horses are why I love nightmares, which are never scary when I’m astride a horse. Nightmares are my chance at courageousness.

“One of the greatest horses I ever worked with was named Butters because he was the color of butter. Riding him felt as smooth as flying. Sometimes for fun we’d ride down to the Los Angeles River and race the trail parallel to the concrete canal system, the cool air blowing in our faces as I flew with Butters straight up to the moon over Glendale.”

Or unfurling the wings of his aunt’s 17-hand Thoroughbred, Tote Sack.

“He was all legs and one gait: rocket fast,” Englehart recalls. “The moment you got on, he took flight. Tote and I were closer than I ever got with [anyone] I knew at the time. The only soul to come close has been a Friesian mare named Allie. I’m certain Allie is Tote reincarnated!

“I remember the names of horses more than I do humans. I think that is partly because horse personalities are more memorable—they’re genuine and larger than life. Horses take up their full space, whereas humans hide too much for Navajo to ever fully trust.”

His inability to trust was the most traumatic part of being closeted as a teenager.

“I didn’t come out until I was 23 and completing my last semester of college,” he says. “There’s nothing special about my story, which is actually the saddest part.”

He recently released a book under his pen name, H.A. Eaglehart, called Urban Native: The Musings of a Queer Navajo Cowboy in Hollywood, about growing up Native and the lessons he has learned from life, nature, and horses along the way.

However, his story includes a leg up. A college degree in outdoor education led to a promotion from Ropes Director to Senior Supervisor for Griffith Park Boys Camp last April, and he’s paying it forward. His replacement, Hope Rogers, was his recommendation.

“Our campers are international, have heterosexual and openly [gay] parents, and are surrounded by the spiritually resurrecting qualities of Los Angeles’ most untouched natural habitat,” he says.

An Unspoken Language

For any teenager, self-identity is a daunting undertaking.

“Horses provide a powerfully positive influence in early human development,” says Englehart. “After teaching hundreds of kids from all six continents how to ride, I can say that horses possess an unspoken language that kids speak instinctively, naturally tapping into the ancient bond humankind shares with caballos.

“Horses often perceive children differently from adults,” he continues. “Horses tend to be less trusting of adults because adults are better at hiding emotion.”

Navajo horse sense is handy for experiential therapy facilitators because horses fine-tune their ability to interpret the emotions of predators.

“Horses live by herd mentality, becoming experts in reading body language,” says Englehart. “A herd can feed off of wrangler energy. Stressed out cowboys can literally trigger a stampede. Herding horses taught me in real time how, by relaxing, the positivity of my mood increased, which in turn affected the mood of the herd. Stampedes are dangerous, so it really pays off to be at peace in the world of horses.”

A Hopeful Perspective

He says that children in the programs he works with give him a more hopeful perspective about the world in general.

Sherri Lindsay, City of Los Angeles Senior Director of Griffith Park Boys Camp, says the feeling is mutual.

“Kids love him,” she says. “He sees life differently and connects to people in a different way. Hugh’s easygoing style and love for exploring have taken him from Navajo Nation to the wilds of Hollywood, and we are all better for it.”

Englehart strives to create environments where everyone can thrive as individuals free to pursue happiness within inclusive communities. In therapy or horsemanship, the way to fight fire is not with more fire, but with more harmony.

In Mustangs and in Life

“You will never ride a wild Mustang by getting it to come to terms with your version of reality,” he says, recalling how he discovered the new job of a once-wild Mustang that had come through a rescue where he volunteered as a trainer.

“A Mustang rehabilitated by the federal government program is easy to spot by the freeze brand on its neck,” says Englehart. “I came across a photo of a firefighter in Oregon battling a wildfire and, looking at the markings on its neck, it was instantly obvious that the horse came from the same rescue where I once trained horses! These rehabilitated Mustangs are sometimes adopted by Hollywood stars (like Conan O’Brien), but many are used by border patrol and wildfire fighters, to carry equipment to the front lines where road access by vehicle is limited.

“My incentive as a Mustang trainer was never to be better than anyone else, but that photo solidified my desire to leave the world in a more harmonious state. How much more harmony can exist if wild horses and firefighters can join forces to battle the flames—literally or figuratively—in front of them?”

Englehart’s book, Urban Native, is published by Incunabula Media of Seattle, Wash., and is available at incunabulamedia.com.

This article about Hugh Ta’neeszahnii Englehart appeared in the August 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Hugh Ta’neeszahnii Englehart: Urban Native appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

I’d lost Emmy, a magnificent, kind, motherly Thoroughbred mare, after her battle with a degenerative soft tissue disease. She was a horse that knows your thoughts before they’ve even made it to words; the kind of horse they don’t make anymore.

Hollywood Moment

Our tale begins after months of horse shopping. My husband’s draft horse was depressed and needed a friend. Every horse we looked at—all Thoroughbreds—wasn’t The One. And maybe I wasn’t ready. Then one day, after looking at the New Vocations site, I happened to stop upon pictures of Utopia. But the listing said … “Standardbred.”

Standardbred? What the heck do I know about them? But his face, and his eyes, and his proud yet kind energy pulled at me. I happened to be traveling for work to Lexington, Ky., the very next day, and their Richwood, Ohio, facility was basically on the way. I contacted Bridget Hollern, their Standardbred trainer, and she said I could come meet him.

Upon arriving at the farm, I wasn’t really expecting much. I had already pooh-poohed every horse we’d gone to look at for months. Like most potential adopters, I gave Bridget a little summary on our horse history and how hard it was to lose a horse like Emmy.

We walked into the barn, and like a Hollywood cliché, I locked eyes with Utopia. It was love at first sight. He had a presence of intelligence and humor. He found a pack of Twizzlers candy in my pocket and demanded to eat every single one of them.

Bridget and I worked with Utopia in the cross-ties and I asked if I could longe him. I got the butterflies back and was smiling from ear to ear. After working Utopia and watching Bridget ride him, I was sold.

That night at the hotel room in Lexington, I called my husband.

“What do I do? He’s a Standardbred, and I wanted a Thoroughbred again.”

My husband said, “Well, do you like him?”

I replied, “Yes, yes, yes! Let’s get him.”

So, a week later, we picked up Utopia from Bridget’s barn and brought him home.

Allergy Attack

The butterflies and joy faded as the first week went on and we started noticing that Utopia, now known as Twizzler, had developed hives all over his body and face. We went on an eight-week crusade to figure out what he was allergic to.

We changed everything you can think of: bedding, hay and feed, baths, allergy meds, even vet-prescribed meds and allergy testing. This poor horse was exploding in his stall as we tried to keep him off the pasture for fear the pasture was causing the allergies.

I was devastated and scared. Our trial was almost up, but I didn’t want to give up on him.

I called Bridget for advice; we even got her vet involved. My vet returned to us with the blood-based allergy testing results: Poor Twizzler was allergic to many things in horse feed, some insects, and a whole lot of pasture plants, including clover. All of the pastures in northeast Ohio are dominated by clover.

Out of pure desperation, I talked to my husband about ripping out the pasture and starting over with a grass mix he could live in.

I was eventually put in contact with Twizzler’s former trainer/owner from his racetrack days, Terry Deters. Terry is a horseman through and through. He is kind and honest, and he was happy to talk about his beloved Utopia, who apparently had always suffered from hives, and had lived comfortably with blood serum allergy treatments.

Hallelujah! We didn’t have to dig up the pastures and he could eat and live like a normal horse! We started the shots as soon as they came in. It was a relief for Twizzler within the first few weeks.

Trike Trials

The day I knew this hive-stricken horse had to stay with our family was when Twizzler was standing in the cross-ties watching our 2-year-old son Glenn ride his tricycle around in the barn. Glenn knows very little about horses, but he knows how Emmy was with him—kind and aware. Glenn assumes all horses are cool with noisy, tiny people riding about.

I watched Glenn almost ride his trike into Twizzler’s front feet and stop. In slow motion, I thought to myself, OK, he’s either going to spook or run over Glenn.

Nope. Twizzler, as levelheaded and intelligent as he is, pushed Glenn’s bike with his nose, and Glenn giggled with glee that he was moving backwards. This game continued on and on.

Problem Solving

Eventually, we started Twizzler under saddle at our farm. We ride in our pastures and fields; we don’t have an arena. It never occurred to me that a Standardbred might not understand that his new job doesn’t have a track to guide him, and the aids are very different from being driven.

I struggled a bit getting him to understand what I was asking him to do. Something that helped us was creating a large circle out of cones, a bit like a track.

The other thing I struggled with was bit selection. It seemed we tried at least 30; all of them resulted in the same thing—a lot of anxious chewing and chomping.

Our now dear friend Terry reminded me that they race with very simple single-jointed snaffles with fixed mouthpieces. So I put back all the $200 bits and went out and bought a $20 copper roller snaffle driving bit. We now ride comfortably (although somewhat chompy at the beginning of the ride).

A Very Special Job

A few short months after letting Twizzler into our hearts and home, he embarked on a huge job.

Before Emmy’s passing, she was a friend and a teacher to a 7-year-old family member named Rhys, a boy with Asperger’s syndrome (a form of autism spectrum disorder). I was confident Twizzler would be kind and patient with Rhys, too, and we decided to give it a try.

Twizzler never put a foot wrong under saddle. He seemed to have the same ability to read the situation that Emmy did. Rhys loves having Twizzler as his new teacher and friend, and Twizzler loves being the center of attention, especially with children and the snacks they often have.

A Breed with a Lot to Offer

I tell everyone I know looking for a new riding horse to consider a Standardbred. They are level-headed, first and foremost. They are funny and great family horses. They are athletes and love to work. They are extremely trainable, forgiving, and can settle into new situations quickly. Twizzler is also pretty darn sound, even after over 200 races!

We were a family of broken hearts, and the universe sent us Utopia. Our hearts are full and our home is complete.

This article appeared in the August 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Adopting a Horse: Love At First Sight appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Horsey Background

Riding forward is all she’s known since she was 10 years old, when a strawberry roan Welsh Mountain Pony named Ginger was “hers” for two riding camp summers at Glen Durham Stables in upstate New York.

“It was a traditional Pony Club program where we learned everything,” says Harrison. “They took us to local shows in Ulster and Greene counties.”

At the Vershire Riding Camp in Vermont, she picked up the basics of eventing before a summer on Long Island at the Thomas School of Horsemanship.

“I came off during an in-and-out combination where my horse jumped the first fence, then put the brakes on, and his bridle and I ended up on the far side of the second,” she recalls. “He was named Romeo but was no love of mine!”

Photography and Horses

By her 40s, her greatest love—her son—led her back to horses after years spent adulting to earn an MFA in Photography from Cranbrook Academy of Art. She built a work portfolio in retail and administration.

“After offering riding lessons to my 5-year-old, who liked them well enough, I realized it was me who wanted to ride,” she reflects. After three years of weekly group lessons, Harrison bought her first horse, Tony. “I had him for 14 years. He was my first horse and my last.”

The Belgian/Quarter Horse gelding was reminiscent of the “amazing” drafts she saw competing in Michigan while studying for her MFA.

“I’d never been able to draw or paint, but I had a camera in my hand since I was a child,” Harrison recalls. “My first ‘real’ equine photos were at that venue. But my immersion into horse ownership inspired me to turn my camera on the world I was part of.

“I shot unlike what most photographers were doing. I got closer to the bodies, cropping and orienting my subjects to focus on light, texture, contrast, and massing. I wasn’t ‘taking pretty pictures of pretty horses.’”

She found others who understood what she was trying to do, pre-Facebook, on a forum called the Equine Art Guild.

“There were thousands of us,” she remembers. “We held online group shows, entered juried shows, networked and supported one another. I was asked first to jury and then direct an online equine art competition called Ex Arte Equinus.”

That led to meeting more horse-focused artists, and by 2009, she was part of a Red Hook, N.Y., art collective.

“We rented a space with a storefront gallery and smaller rooms in the back that we offered as studio spaces.”

Diagnosis & Gallery Beginnings

She was renting one of those spaces for her own work when she got the diagnosis: stage 3 ovarian cancer.

“Between surgery and chemo, I was unable to get out and photograph, and was spooked about going back in the darkroom to do my own printing,” says Harrison. “When I was done with treatment and in remission, the studio space came up for renewal. I had to decide, was I going to give it up?”

The answer came from the artist friends she gathered with each year during Saratoga Race Course’s Thoroughbred racing meet, held during the summer in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Among them was Canadian artist Linda Shantz.

“Linda had gallery representation in Saratoga, so she would drop off work when we met up, and I would pick it up for her at the end of the season and hold on to it for the bulk of the year until she needed to trade something out,” says Harrison.

“I asked if I could show her art in my studio and try to sell it. I’d been selling my own, so I knew how to market it. Linda agreed and I sold one [of her pieces] almost immediately. That was the genesis of Equis Art Gallery. If I couldn’t create enough of my work to sell, I could try to sell work by others.”

She asked her Equine Art Guild/Saratoga friends if they would send her their artwork to sell.

“And they did! I still represent many of them today, including Linda.”

Giving Back Joy

Harrison’s last cancer treatment was in August of 2013, putting her in remission for the last 11 years. She opened Equis Art Gallery in January of 2014, and it now has an international collector base and represents over 30 artists from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the Ukraine.

“Inviting [Ukrainian artist] Kateryna Beilikova was in discussion when war came,” she says. “I’m honored to have her work and amazed that she continues to create and get it out of the country to me, via Poland usually. I am lucky to know her and her work.

“Equis Gallery was my gift to myself. After surviving cancer, I asked myself what could give me joy and let me give back to those I care about. Two communities took care of me when things were at their worst, my equine artists and my Red Hook, so if I can bring support to them, I am thrilled.”

Equis Art Gallery has been called the only gallery of its kind.

“[Operating] an art gallery is not an easy business, and every sale means a lot, but one of my favorite stories is of a couple one summer who bought several pieces,” she recalls. “I was so excited I looked them up, and she turned out to be the curator of a famous museum gallery in New York City. Knowing that she found art in Equis worth owning meant a lot.”

This cancer warrior believes in giving a leg up to artists who don’t always find representation and introducing them to collectors who may appreciate their work and want to own it; collectors who want their art like they want their horses—right up close.

This article about Juliet R. Harrison appeared in the June 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Juliet R. Harrison: A Gallery of Dreams appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Horse Lover From Birth

Lily grew up in Tulsa, Okla., a third-generation horse girl thanks to a grandmother and mother who rode. Her mother had a string of retired Quarter Horses that she used to show in breed shows.

“I was ‘born with the defective gene,’ as my dad would say,” Lily says with a laugh. “Even before I could walk, I was on horses with my mom, but it wasn’t until I was about 8 or 9 that I started to take formal riding lessons and got competitive with it.”

Lily started her riding journey with dressage throughout her youth and junior years. She showed hunter/jumpers on her university’s Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association team. She ended up falling in love with the hunters, and that has fueled her continued passion for horses.

The Accident

Lily was adventurous as a teen—a little too adventurous, she might say. At the age of 14, she was in an ATV accident that required her to be life-flighted to the hospital.

“My arm was amputated on the spot, so it wasn’t that I had amputation surgery—it was a stitch-her-up surgery,” Lily recalls. “My mom met me at the hospital, and as any mother would be, she was freaking out and sobbing. But the first thing I said to her as I was being wheeled into surgery was, ‘I guess I’m going to have to do western pleasure now.’ But the surgeon came in—who I had not yet met at this point—yelling, ‘Over my dead body will you sit on a western horse.’”

The surgeon just so happened to be a Hanoverian warmblood breeder and dressage rider. Lily credits her encouragement to continue riding horses as playing a key role in her healing.

“I would say 99 percent of doctors would’ve told me I was not allowed to get on a horse for at least six months after this hugely traumatic injury,” Lily says. “My doctor told me, ‘Whenever you feel ready, get on a horse.’ And so, a week after I was out of the hospital, I was on a horse again.”

Back in the Saddle

Lily found being around horses to be therapeutic and helped give her a positive outlook on life after her injury.

“Having something to work toward and a goal to achieve really helped my recovery,” she says.

Lily’s recovery was faced with two infections, and she says it took her about nine months to find an equilibrium in the saddle and re-learn how to use her body to effectively cue her horse. She leaned on her first horse—a half-draft pony named Prince—during that time.

“He was pony-ish, and he could be a little devil sometimes,” Lily says. “But after my accident, his attitude changed 100 percent. He knew that I was delicate and fragile, and he took incredibly good care of me, never putting a foot wrong.”

She says losing her arm helped change her perspective on riding, inviting creativity into her process, and causing her to be a more open-minded rider.

“There’s more than one way to accomplish something; riding can be effective no matter how it looks,” Lily says.

Highs and Lows

When thinking about the moments in her life that have meant the most to her, Lily says participating in the very first para show jumping demonstration at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event four years ago was one of them.

But so was competing in her first horse show after losing her arm, which was one year after the accident.

“It was a pretty monumental moment, but honestly, every single day feels like another success,” Lily says. “Even though I lost my arm nine years ago, I feel like I learn something new every day. I discover a little bit more about my body, a little more about what I can do rather than what I can’t do. Every ride has been a highlight, because I can’t take any ride for granted. I didn’t know I would get this far.”

Overcoming the balance and aid issues around having one arm has been her greatest challenge. But more than that, avoiding comparison to other riders’ experience as a youth were additional layers to her growing as a horsewoman.

“The biggest obstacle I’ve overcome is learning that everybody is on a different journey, so it doesn’t matter how old you are, what you’re doing, or how you’re doing it. As long as it makes you happy, that’s all you can ask for.”

Family and Career

In college, Lily studied business administration at the University of Lynchburg in Virginia with a minor in digital marketing and graduated in December 2022. Today, the 23-year-old runs her own business doing social media management and content creation specifically for equestrian brands.

Lily recently married to her husband, Andrew Voss. Andrew is not a horse person, but he’s very supportive of her passion.

She makes social media content about her life as a creative outlet.

“I like to share my journey because I think it’s important to showcase that riding has its ups and downs,” Lily says. “It flows, and riding isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. I also choose to share a little bit more of my day-to-day life. [I like] sharing how you can have a very full life, even if you have a disability—it doesn’t have to limit you in any way.”

Horses and the Life

Her para-dressage horse, Charlie, has now been commandeered by her mom. Lily is in between horses at the moment and rides her trainer’s horses at a local barn while she’s horse shopping. She hopes to re-enter the show ring with a new mount, and plans to make the switch to show jumping from hunter classes.

Whatever she does with horses, Lily lives by a philosophy honed by her past and current experiences.

“No matter what life throws at you, you can always overcome it, however scary things get,” she says. “There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes it takes a week, sometimes it takes a year, sometimes it takes 10 years. But it always gets better, and sometimes works out better.”

You can follow Lily on Instagram at @lilybvoss.

This article about Lily Voss appeared in the July 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Meet Lily Voss: An Inspiring Equestrian appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

The boss mare’s independence and leadership are what inspired a team of four powerhouse women in the equine industry to develop the nonprofit organization known as Boss Mares, Inc. The organization assists female entrepreneurs by giving them a leg-up in their careers and businesses.

The four women who founded the organization are Anna Morrison, Ph.D., co-founder and president; Kate Bradley Byars, co-founder and secretary; Patti Colbert, co-founder and treasurer; and Ellen Bell, member of board of directors. Each of these women present extensive resumes in the horse industry and connections that run deep. They came together with the same mission and goal of connecting women in agriculture.

The official kick-off of Boss Mares, Inc. took place December 1, 2023, in Weatherford, Texas.

Meet Anna Morrison

Founder Anna Morrison’s passion for horses developed during her childhood in Wisconsin. Anna pursued an education focused on horses first at Colorado State University (CSU) and later at Texas A&M University (TAMU), earning a Bachelor of Science in equine science and agricultural business, a Master of Arts in extension education, and a Ph.D. in higher education administration.

Her career path began in academics, teaching and developing curricula at CSU and TAMU. Later, Morrison served industry member organizations for the American Quarter Horse Association and the National Reined Cow Horse Association. Along the way, she received support and guidance from mentors and industry experts, which furthered her appreciation for just how important it can be to have a leg up.

“When I was going through a transition in my career, I had this feeling that there was a way we could work together to pay our experience forward to other women in the industry,” says Morrison. “Every single one of us who has been involved in the industry has had the help of other women, whether through mentorship, encouragement, or investment, and I thought there was a way we could work together to get those same opportunities to other women.”

Morrison knew who to call when the time came to present a proposal for Boss Mares, Inc. Ellen and Larry Bell have always been a part of charitable organizations, and they have started numerous businesses as well. In South Africa, they are involved with a project that empowers women to live life and provide for their families. Morrison recalls getting through just a few slides in her presentation, and the Bells were ready to kick off the organization.

“The goal is to help young women everywhere,” says Ellen. “We were involved in extreme situations in Africa, but to watch women have the opportunity to better themselves and their businesses and careers, and to learn how to do it properly, we were all in immediately.”

With the Bells’ experience with nonprofits and charitable organizations, they provided Morrison with the connections to begin forming Boss Mares, Inc.

Bringing on Kate Bradley Byars

As Morrison began thinking about who would make up the co-founders and board of directors, a few people came to mind. When Morrison asked Byars and Colbert if they would be interested in helping, they jumped at the opportunity.

Byars has a passion for telling people’s stories and making connections. Writing always came easily to her, and in college at TAMU, Byars pursued a degree in agricultural journalism. She rode through college, competing on the Texas A&M Equestrian Team and on the Quarter Horse circuit. After graduating with a Master of Science in agricultural leadership, education and communications with a focus on photography, Byars joined the Western Horseman magazine staff.

Since 2010, she’s worked extensively in the western performance horse industry as a writer and photographer. Working for western equine and lifestyle publications is Byars’ specialty, and she especially enjoys connecting with people in the industry.

“Boss Mares, Inc. is a passion project, and the mission and focus is something we all can easily get behind [to] help female business owners in the western industry,” says Byars.

Patti Colbert’s Extensive Experience

Patti Colbert’s resume in the horse industry and connection to the western lifestyle began through watching television. After moving to Texas in the mid-1970s, Colbert worked at horse barns and volunteered as a 4-H leader. She fell in love with the production of equine events.

Colbert began at the Texas Quarter Horse Association, managing the Quarter Horse racing and show industry. Her next move was to the AQHA, where she was responsible for raising millions of dollars for the American Quarter Horse Foundation’s scholarship, equine research, and preservation programs.

She then opened her own firm and worked with clients like the American Angus Association, the American Paint Horse Association, TAMU and more. She and her team took on the management of the Mustang Heritage Foundation, and in 2007 created the Extreme Mustang Makeover events, placing thousands of previously wild Bureau of Land Management Mustangs into private care.

Colbert received the 2014 American Horse Publications Innovator of the Year Award, the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame Fern Sawyer Award, and was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Currently, she is on the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame board of directors and serves as advisory board chair for the Ride on Center for Kids.

“I know that women are the decision makers in the majority of this industry,” says Colbert. “I think more than 76 percent of the members of the AQHA are female. The reality of it is that women are the backbone of the industry in the agriculture and western lifestyles, and we need to help one another to continue to grow and be relevant and current.”

Lead the Herd Workshops

Boss Mares, Inc. focuses on five pillars: accounting and finance support, continuing education, leadership and career coaching, legal counsel, and marketing expertise. The organization will host Lead the Herd workshops to meet western women where they are already gathering. At these workshops, the keynote speakers are experts in the fields of each pillar.

The purpose of each workshop is to bring powerful expertise from both inside and outside the western industry in a setting that supports high-impact learning and open dialogue between presenters and attendees.

“We are here to provide a leg up to cowgirl entrepreneurs in the professional and agriculture industry,” says Morrison. “We do that by providing access to business resources at our workshops and by providing grants through our grant application process that help women invest in and advance their small businesses or invest in themselves and their career through continuing education.”

The first workshop was held at the Art of the Cowgirl in Arizona from January 19-20, 2024. With more workshops in the future of Boss Mares, Inc., the organization offered grants through an application on their website through March 31, 2024, for people in the agriculture industry.

“I hope that the women who have seen it now and have heard the speakers will want to be a part of it by giving financial aid or by participating in grants, whatever fits with their lifestyle,” says Ellen. “I hope they will be encouraged and say, ‘You know what, I can do this, this is something I’ve wanted to do, and I’m not going to let something get in my way because it is available to me.’ That is what’s exciting and what I hope to see in the future for us.”

This article about Boss Mares, Inc. appeared in the May 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Boss Mares, Inc.: Empowering Women in the Western World appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Like more mainstream veterinary medicine, there are a plethora of options for specializing in vet med within the military. Army veterinarians can choose to focus on animal medicine, research and development, or veterinary public health. Each of these is vitally important to the protection of troops and the public.

Veterinarians working as animal care specialists get to treat everything from military working dogs to ceremonial horses stateside, and they assist with all sorts of Military Working Animals if deployed.

In addition, Army veterinarians participate in a variety of humanitarian missions to assist local communities with animal care.

From Amarillo to the Army

Born in Japan as the youngest child of a Naval officer father, Cris Young, DVM, MPH, Dipl. ACVPM, moved to Alvaton, Ky., when his father returned to his hometown upon his retirement. Young grew up with a focus on cattle; he didn’t get his first horse until he was 18. But from there, his passion for horses was off and running.

Having been raised in a military family and always showing an interest in the armed forces, Young’s parents had high hopes that he would become a military surgeon. However, his heart belonged to veterinary medicine.

He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, and upon graduation, moved to Amarillo, Texas, where he focused on cattle and “a little bit of horses,” he says.

Young had been out of school for five years when he began to consider a military career.

“I did it backward of how many people do it,” he says. Young was commissioned into the United States Army as a 29-year-old veterinarian in 1998. He was the only veterinarian commissioned that year as military manpower was being downsized under the Clinton administration.

The Role of an Army Veterinarian

Animals have been part of military operations since 1775; the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps was established to care for them in 1916. The Army is the only branch of military service that has veterinarians; it provides veterinarians to all other branches of service as needed.

In addition to caring for military animals, Army veterinarians are in charge of the inspection of food before it’s delivered to troops. The role of “veterinarian” has now expanded to include sanitary food inspectors and animal health specialists.

Army veterinarians can be direct commission officers (DCOs), meaning they’re civilians who have a professional degree and skills needed for a specific role in the military—in this case, veterinarians. The civilian then gets “hired” by the military to fill open positions that are integral to the military’s functioning.

A DCO doesn’t need to go through boot camp, but he or she will complete a Direct Commission Officer Basic Course, which covers things like military leadership, customs, military law, and Army values. Young notes that about 90 percent of military veterinarians had their DVM and then went into the Army Reserve, rather than going to veterinary school after being an enlisted soldier—though either is possible.

There are currently more than 700 veterinarians in the U.S. Army Veterinary Service in both Active duty and Reserve capacities. These veterinarians are tasked with providing care at the 19 duty locations in the United States to a significant number of horses, Young says.

These locations encompass places like United States Military Academy West Point; Arlington National Cemetery; Fort Rucker, Ala.; Fort Huachuca, Ariz.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Riley, Kan.; and Fort Irwin, Calif.

While veterinarians care for the horses there, they also care for myriad other animals, owned both by civilians and the military, Young explains.

“They’re not equine specialists—they’re Army veterinarians,” he says.

Marine Corps Crossover

Interestingly, the Marines have the largest contingent of military equids stateside, according to Young. The Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center near Bridgeport, Calif., teaches Special Operations Forces soldiers how to ride horses, load pack animals, and maintain animals for military work in remote and dangerous environments. The course is designed to teach Marines how to use pack and riding animals to transport people and supplies when air or ground support isn’t feasible.

Army veterinarians assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command teach soldiers about animal anatomy and care, and animal first aid. The soldiers also learn animal packing techniques, horsemanship, capability of different animals, and other relevant trainings.

The course is taught on horses and mules, but the principles taught can be applied to any pack animal, including the nine species the Marines use: camel, dog, donkey, elephant, horse, llama, mules, ox and even reindeer.

World Traveler

Now in his 26th year of service, Young has had some incredible experiences, both stateside and abroad.

“When I was a Captain stationed with Marines out in the Middle East, I took care of the Australian Special Forces pack animals that they bought there,” he says. “We worked on procuring the pack animals locally because of disease pressure and the risk of disease introduction into the local environment.”

Young has done a variety of tours; his favorite was the 15 months he spent working with a Special Operations command in South America helping small communities with their beef and dairy cooperatives.

“A lot of people don’t know we do humanitarian assistance and civil affairs,” he says. “I’m not a Special Ops soldier, but I got to work with Special Ops folks for those missions.”

Young has been to Afghanistan, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Kuwait, Oman, Tanzania and Uganda—and more.

“I never had any idea when I went to vet school that this is where I would end up,” he says. “I’ve done trade missions to China and Mexico, I’ve walked across the Nile River at its source. I’ve done all sorts of crazy things.”

Financial Benefits

In addition to the amazing places he’s traveled, Young’s military career has helped support him financially, he says. He received money to help defray his student loan debt from veterinary school, in addition to drawing a salary. He also received good life insurance and health insurance.

“For a young practitioner who’s just getting started, the perks [of going into military service] are incredible,” Young says. “I was in my third year in the Army when I paid off my [vet school] loans. And we were getting paid $25,000 a year just for showing up. In the higher years of your service, it’s a part-time job that compensates you well—and you can work anywhere you want [with your full-time job].”

Just Say Yes

Now a Professor of Practice at Auburn University with an appointment to the College of Veterinary Medicine and an Adjunct Pathology Professor at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine (among many other roles), Young is surrounded by vet med students.

“When I talk to my students, I tell them to say ‘yes’ a few times,” he says. “If they think, ‘I couldn’t do that job for a year,’ I remind them that you can do ANY job for a year. And if it takes sweat and dirt and lays the foundation for you to get to the next job, it’s worth it. The time goes by really quickly. Whatever it is you want to do, your debt and your attitude are what control your future.”

Now a Colonel in the U.S. Army Veterinary Reserves, Young credits the military with his ability to pay back his student loans in a hurry—and the opportunity to have incredible adventures in a life he never expected.

* The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

This article about veterinarians in the military appeared in the May 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Veterinarians in the Military appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Heather Wallace: Tell me about the first time you and Connie met.

Allison Malenfant: Our husbands work in the New York entertainment industry and often collaborate. We met occasionally, and Connie told me about her equestrian background. I always wanted to ride, but had no exposure. Connie agreed to teach me, and we became friends through weekly lessons in Brooklyn. And double dates!

HW: Were horses a childhood obsession or an adult passion?

AM: I took one lesson a week while working a corporate job in the athletic retail industry. Once I left to start Redingote, I increased my riding two days a week. It’s a slippery slope, of course. I bought my first horse in 2020 and now have two. I hunter pace and fox hunt, but also travel and compete. It has become a lifestyle.

Connie has horses in her blood. Her father was a Standardbred trainer in Monmouth County, New Jersey. She started hunter/jumper lessons and eventually had her own horses at home. She was very successful in riding and competing by age 16. She now owns and runs a small private facility in Colts Neck, N.J.

HW: What sparked the idea of Redingote?

AM: Connie owned a vintage men’s insulated coverall she found at a yard sale. She loved the functionality of a one-piece. She could wear it while teaching or working in the barn, and then take it off to ride. However, it lacked waterproofing and enough pockets. Plus, the men’s shape didn’t flatter.

People asked her about it wherever she went, loving the practicality or thinking she looked like a mechanic. There was an untapped market for a similar product that was warm, waterproof, and designed for a woman’s body. She shared her idea with me. I knew about the retail industry and the development of products, so I suggested a partnership.

HW: How did you come up with the name Redingote for your business?

AM: A redingote is a fitted outer coat with a cutaway front. It’s a French derivative of the English phrase “riding coat” from the 18th century. We came across this word while trying to name our brand, and it was a perfect fit, since we were reinventing the riding coat for the 21st century rider!

HW: What was the first step in launching your brand?

AM: Nailing a product we believed in was the first step. There was no brand if the idea didn’t work!

We started working on the idea in early 2017, sourcing an outerwear manufacturer that would work with a niche startup brand and develop prototypes for a year. There were many changes with the focus on flattering style but offering warmth and movement. We tested several levels of insulation to find the happy place between staying warm without bulk.

HW: What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?

AM: The horse industry is traditional, and people are skeptical about new products. A technical performance coverall for women was a completely new idea.

We are a small, self-funded business. Marketing was and is very grassroots. We wear our jumpsuits, driving to barns and horse shows to pass out flyers. It was fun to see the idea catching on. We’d sell one to somebody in one barn, and then their barn mates would order.

Marketing a business our size in a niche market is still a challenge, but our brand recognition has grown wonderfully!

HW: How do you work as successful partners?

AM: Business partnerships are like marriages, and each person has different strengths. I think this has been the foundation of our partnership. We’re very different. I am hyper-organized with a retail background. Connie is a dreamer with an equestrian background. I am better at project management. Connie has a sales and marketing brain.

We agree with a lot of things, but we navigate any disagreements. I think we’ve learned a lot about each other over the years—just like a marriage!

HW: Have the challenges changed over the years?

AM: They just get bigger! I say that with a sense of humor, but it’s true. The bigger the business, the bigger the challenges. The challenges stay the same (i.e. marketing, staying competitive in a growing industry, funding, supply chain, et cetera) but the scale grows.

HW: How has your business evolved?

AM: It’s amazing to look back on the way Redingote has grown. Our winter insulated jumpsuit is still our No. 1 product, and new customers are discovering it all the time. We are always innovating. Redingote has launched winter outerwear separates, a schooling collection, rainwear, and our signature one-piece for men and kids. We have a new scrim jacket coming out this spring so we can stay protected in the summer while still enjoying short sleeves.

We’ve even added another brand to our portfolio, acquiring FITS Riding, a beloved breeches company, in November 2022.

HW: Where do you see Redingote going?

AM: We have a big vision! Our highest concentration of customers is the Northeast U.S. English market, where we live. Ultimately, we have some exciting projects and collaborations in development. We plan to expand across all equestrian disciplines, markets, locations, and into other sports—we have many clients who use our outerwear for skiing, sailing, fishing, hiking, camping and more.

This article about Redingote appeared in the May 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Meet the Founders of Redingote appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Based in Temecula, Calif., out of her Next Level Eventing barn, Tamie became the first American rider in 15 years to win the Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI 5* when she claimed victory aboard Mai Baum in 2023. Held the last weekend in April every year, the Kentucky 5* represents the highest level of eventing, with only seven 5* competitions held per year in the entire world.

She accomplished this feat aboard her long-time partner, a then-18-year-old German Sport Horse gelding named Mai Baum, owned by Ellen Ahearn, Eric Markell, and their daughter, Alex Ahearn. Tamie was also the first woman since 2011 to win this internationally prestigious event.

The eventing world has had a keen eye on Tamie and Mai Baum for years as their eye-popping dressage scores and top finishes at major events gained notice. The pair won eventing team gold at the 2019 PanAm games in Lima, Peru, team silver at the 2022 FEI World Championships, and they were selected as reserves for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games (held in 2021).

We sat down with Tamie to learn more about what keeps her motivated, the perks of being a mother in the horse world, and the horse that made the big win possible.

On Mai Baum

Mai Baum, or “Lexus” as he’s known around the barn, started off as Alex Ahearn’s ride when she took a post as one of Tamie’s working students. Alex had imported Lexus from Munich, Germany.

“I’m not certain if everybody thought that he would be what he is today,” says Tamie.

Alex competed Lexus through his first Intermediate (3’9″) before coming to ride with Tamie.

“She’d had trouble at Lexus’s first Intermediate, and we worked her through that,” says Tamie. “We got her competing well at [that] level. She was winning.”

After competing Lexus at the 3* event at Fair Hill in Maryland and making the U25 list (a selective list of upcoming young American riders aged 25 and under), Alex decided she wanted to pursue further academic education instead of continuing her riding career.

“After a training session that winter, I remember her coming to me and saying, ‘I want to meet you for dinner and talk,’” Tamie recalls. “She said, ‘I want you to take the ride on Lexus.’ I remember being a little surprised. I said, ‘No, you don’t. You don’t know what you’re saying. You have to do this.’”

Despite Tamie trying to talk Alex out of it, she insisted that Tamie was the right rider for Lexus.

“I remember her saying, ‘America needs a good horse. And you need a good horse,’” Tamie says. “And it was quite emotional, because I knew what she was saying.”

For a while, Tamie thought that Alex might decide to take Lexus back and start riding him again herself.

“I thought I would start riding him, and a few months later she would say, ‘I’m just kidding, I want to ride him,’” Tamie remembers. “But here we are eight years later, and it’s been so incredible to see her vision and what she wanted for me and Lexus actually come to fruition.”

At 20, Lexus is still going strong. Tamie isn’t sure if or when he will be ready to slow down, but thinks he will tell her when that time comes.

“I am really careful every time I get on,” she says. “I feel like I have a good gut instinct and know my horses. It’s a possibility that he could just drop down a level. He absolutely loves the crowd. After he’s done at the top level, maybe Alex could take him and compete him again. It would be an icing-on-the-cake kind of thing.”

Of course, if Lexus tells Tamie that he needs to stop competing, she will happily retire him.

“If he needs to be fully retired, he will be,” she says. “But I don’t know that he’ll want to just stand in a field.”

On Being a Mother

In addition to raising sport horses, Tamie has also raised two children, son Tyler, 21, and daughter Kaylawna, 29.

“[Being a mother] definitely has its struggles,” she says. “You go through guilt because you’re spending time doing something [not family-related] that you have a goal towards. When I travel, it’s been hard to cope with being away and missing a water polo or basketball game for my kids. That was not always easy.”

However, Tamie feels the guilt she and other riders might experience as mothers isn’t specific to her sport.

“Any woman or man in high level careers—doctors, lawyers, and elite athletes—all battle the same struggles,” she says.

To help with any guilt, Tamie tries to look at her time away from her family as a way of setting an example to her kids to go after what they want and to have big goals and expectations of themselves, even if it gets in the way of what tradition might want them to focus on.

In addition to being a mother, Tamie is now a grandmother. When her daughter, Kaylawna, married several years ago and then had a daughter of her own, Tamie says Kaylawna also struggled with her confidence and guilt. Of course, mom was there to help coach her through it. Other professional riders who became mothers have also turned to Tamie for advice on how to keep a healthy balance.

When it comes to coaching her clients and training the horses, Tamie says that she views being a parent as an advantage.

“I feel like being a mother helps with your level of compassion and your level of empathy,” she says.

On Managing Goals

Tamie says that she initially planned to also take Dutch Warmblood gelding Elliot V to the 5* at Kentucky in 2023—the division that Mai Baum ended up winning. She felt he was on track to meet that goal, but in their last preparatory competition, she decided to rethink her game plan, since he didn’t feel quite ready.

“I’ve learned throughout the years that you can never keep a goal set in stone,” she says. “The slow way is always the fast way, and you only get one good shot at doing this at the top level. I’ve learned that if it doesn’t seem ideal—if I’m going into a 5* and don’t feel like I’ve done absolutely everything I possibly could to prepare for it, or any competition for that matter—I typically err on the side of caution.”

She moves her horses up the levels at the rate she feels is best by staying true to her morals and trusting her program.

“I have a pretty solid opinion about what I think horses are ready to do [and] when,” Tamie says. “I don’t feel like taking a 5-year-old Preliminary [3’7″] is appropriate. I have had 5-year-olds that are probably ready—they’re bored at Training level [3’3″]—but I don’t feel like it’s always in the best interest of their overall development and their minds, and to me it always ends up catching up [to you], so I try to keep things more on a conservative basis.”

On Being a West-Coaster

Tamie says that living in Southern California also helps her to not be influenced by others’ timelines.

“It’s a different atmosphere out here than it is on the East Coast, where everything is showcased in the public eye, whatever you do,” she says. “[Here] I leave the barn and never see anyone that I know, and I’ve found that I really like it that way. Once I leave the barn, I’m just Tamie, and not Tamie Smith-who-is-doing-this-or-that.”

However, sometimes Tamie’s competitive nature does make things a little tricky.

“It’s difficult sometimes to see what other people are doing and then not get caught up,” she says. “But it’s been nice to be focused on my program, believing in it, and then making sure that I’m doing the right thing by my horses.”

On Education

“I’m a big supporter of going to [college],” says Tamie. “I think it’s super important. I know that there are a lot of top riders that don’t believe it’s necessary, so my answer might be a bit controversial. Education is super important for learning how to communicate, navigate through life, and deal with conflict.”

She says that her formal education has helped her navigate relationships with her horses’ owners and all of the different personalities she meets.

“[My education has] enabled me to learn how to communicate and to understand what it’s like in the real world, and working in corporate America,” she says.

Before turning to horses as her full-time profession, Tamie worked in the intake department of a mental health facility.

“I have always been intrigued by mental health,” she shares. “My original plan was to get my degree in psychology.”

However, a mentor encouraged Tamie to pursue other avenues toward her goal of helping people when the flaws of the healthcare system began to wear on her.

Initially, she was a little “bummed about that, because I thought if I went down that avenue [I could] help people navigate through their trials and tribulations.”

Tamie decided that she would strive to help people in other ways, no matter what career path she went down. Now, as a professional rider and coach, Tamie says that her time working in mental health has given her a unique perspective.

“It gave me a different perspective as far as learning what works for different types of people when I’m coaching,” she says. “I bring in an old-school approach where I think it’s very important to be empathetic to your horses. I mean, they don’t choose to do what we ask them to do. They do it because they love us.  They love the sport as well, but they would be fine and happy to be eating grass in a field, too.”

Tamie doesn’t have a lot of tolerance for impatient riders.

“That’s something that all of us have to learn as we grow in the sport,” she says. “It can be frustrating, especially where we have to master three different disciplines. You have to treat your horse with respect, the way you would want to be treated.”

From a competitive standpoint, Tamie adds that the mental element is almost more important than physical talent, and that a lot of counseling goes into producing good riders and horses.

Clearly her background has been perfect preparation for reaching the top of her sport. It takes nerves of steel to put the pressure aside and perform at your best at a 5* event like Kentucky, but Tamie showed the world she is more than capable.

More Tamie Smith Content

• Our Webinar with Tamie Smith
• Our “Next Level” Series with Tamie Smith

This article about Tamie Smith was the cover story of the August 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Tamie Smith: Taking It To The Next Level appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

“My love of horses started when I was a little kid,” says Rose. “I was obsessed with horses. At 12, my parents signed me up for riding lessons, and I was hooked. Shortly after that, we bought a horse. And I loved cowboy movies! I’ve worked with some fantastic cowboys and am deeply impressed with their grittiness and commitment to the animals in their care. When it comes to the animal, cowboys don’t quit until the job is done . . . I admire their courage.”  

And although he’s the first to admit he’s not a true cowboy, Rose still “loves the idea of being a cowboy.” His deep understanding of horses and their behavior allows him to help horses and their owners to truly connect, demonstrate mutual respect, and build strong partnerships. Rose’s skills in colt starting, problem-solving difficult behaviors, and training horses in ranch versatility have bolstered his resumé.   

Becoming a Horseman

Rose began working as a professional horse trainer in 2005. He quickly recognized the connection between having a successful horse trainer/clinician career and understanding what it takes to be a true horseman. He studied with world-class instructors, including Pat Parelli and Doug Jordan. Whether presenting at a small clinic or entertaining huge audiences at Equine Affaire or Road to the Horse, his engaging personality and passion for teaching shines through. Rose has a comprehensive training program based from his home in Wisconsin and an impressive following on his YouTube channel @ryanrosehorsemanship.  

Rose finds immense satisfaction in teaching the fundamentals of horsemanship. “I started as a horse trainer, but I soon realized that I needed to educate the owners as well so they could reproduce the results I was achieving.”   

Explaining the nuances between being a horseman and a horse trainer, Rose says, “I think they are separate skills—but there is value in both. A horseman focuses on giving the horse a really good deal—it’s more about the horse, helping him feel more comfortable. When I think of a horse trainer, they may feel pressure to provide a result for the owner. Trainers are very disciplined—in a good way—regularly working the horse, getting them conditioned and prepared for a show, but sometimes the horse can get sacrificed a little bit in that process.” 

Rose believes that being able to intertwine these skillsets can make a difference.

“I think there is value in being a good trainer, in being a good horseman, and in being a good cowboy,” Rose says. “You need to add each of those skills at different times.” 

Determining where to apply these skills requires a process of observation.

“One of the first principles of horsemanship that I follow is that I work with a horse at where they are,” says Rose. “Is the horse scared of people? Learned to dominate people? Is he spoiled? Or highly trained but done in a way that the horse felt forced through it?” Rose takes time to observe the horse and owner to see the level of connection, trust, and confidence the horse has for the person.   

To understand the horse fully, Rose stresses this process might take hours, days, or weeks. He watches for any signs that the horse is uncomfortable. “They give subtle tells—with their head, neck, ears, eyes, mouth, muscle tension, what direction they are facing . . . It’s all signals as to where the horse is at. There’s also an intuitive feel to it. It’s like if I’m having a bad day, I could probably fool you and hide it, but I couldn’t fool my wife. She would know. You can develop that with a horse and just feel something is bothering them.”    

Rose’s approach to working with a reactive or spooky horse plays out in his YouTube videos. “Both humans and horses must have levels of exposure to a challenging situation in order to overcome it,” says Rose. “So it starts with the person deciding they want to make a change. When someone shows up at my clinic, I try to figure out if they are ready to face their fear or simply want an enjoyable weekend with their horse. If they are open to change, my job is to find out where they’re at—and then challenge them out of their comfort zone safely. Horses are dangerous, so I carefully read the horse and person. I try to understand why the person is afraid. Is their fear valid? Is their horse dangerous? Is the person on the verge of getting hurt? Or, did they have a bad experience in the past and are bringing that into the present?

“If that’s the case, I’m going to coach them, challenging them through exposure to whatever is causing the fear—riding down a steep hill, cantering, riding bareback, or just being on a loose rein. I’ve seen unbelievable changes in people when you put them in a difficult situation and help them work through it—they become empowered. Their confidence level on the other side is just through the roof. I think it’s a more meaningful approach versus just visualizing it . . . A level of toughness and confidence comes through having to actually do it.”  

Teaming Up As Husband and Wife

In addition to focusing on the mental aspects, Rose helps riders grasp how vital correct body position is to progress and the well-being of your horse. “You could ride lameness into a horse with incorrect body position,” says Rose. Although not an expert in the field of rider biomechanics, he is married to one—his wife, Emily Rose, is a Certified Equine Rehabilitation Practitioner at Reaching Strides Equine Rehabilitation and an integral part of the Rose Horsemanship Center team.

“I make sure the horse is safe, but if the rider is struggling to sit the canter or feeling pain while trotting, Emily and I work together to get that sorted out for the rider and horse’s sake,” says Rose.  

Emily actively competes in dressage and is Rose’s business partner. “One of the things I enjoy most about working with my wife is our ability to help people—whether horse health issues or rider biomechanics. I can troubleshoot issues with Emily. It’s all in-house; I don’t have to outsource for that expertise. Emily is such a high-level professional, I have one hundred percent trust in what she recommends. And if Emily sees a horse for a physical issue and it turns out to be a behavioral issue, she can refer to me, and I can quickly step in to help. The response time is so much quicker because we are working together.”  

For Ryan and Emily Rose, it’s all about creating lasting connections between horses and the people who love them.  

Learn more about Ryan and Emily Rose and view upcoming clinics and events at  rosehorsemanship.com.  

This article about Ryan Rose is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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