With the project, photographers across the nation serve as allies by photographing each participant and interviewing them about their experiences as diverse members of the equestrian community. The resulting images and interview responses are combined in a blog published once a week at www.equestriansofcolor.com.

More About the Equestrians of Color Project

To date, the project has published over 55 stories from breeders, trainers, non-profit organizers, riders, barn owners, and horse lovers across the nation. The impact is significant with increased diversity seen in publishing, advertising campaigns, associations, and nationwide movements.

If you are an equestrian of color 16 years or older interested in sharing your story through the project, you can connect with a local photographer ally at www.equestriansofcolor.com.

This article about the Equestrians of Color Project appeared in the July 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Developing a special partnership with a horse takes equal parts hard work, perseverance, and passion, but once formed, such a bond can last a lifetime. For Japanese-American cowgirl Miko Moriuchi McFarland and her American Paint Horse, Sparkle Grady One Eye (“Bandit”), an unshakable relationship has helped them stand out from the crowd while making a career of trick riding and accomplishing amazing things together during their 18 years together.

Conquering the World

McFarland and Bandit, an overo gelding with one blue eye and one brown eye, have competed in a plethora of disciplines, including mounted archery, extreme cowboy racing, drill team, western pleasure, horsemanship and trail.

As a professional trick-riding duo, they also helped found and train the Trixie Chicks Trick Riders, and have performed trick riding and Roman riding in countless rodeo circuits, including the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Some of their most notable experiences include carrying the American flag during the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Ky., and exhibiting alongside the Budweiser Clydesdales.

According to McFarland, who lives in Lexington, Ky., her special partnership with Bandit is what made it all possible.

“It’s a great thing to have the kind of partnership with an animal where you don’t even have language as a common ground, but you have this unspoken relationship where you understand each other,” says McFarland. “In many ways, I feel like I know Bandit better than I know myself, because he’s always been that steady presence in my life.”

Learning Together

McFarland and Bandit have been fast friends ever since she bought him as a green 3-year-old in 2003. At the time, McFarland was trick riding professionally in Dolly Parton’s Stampede in her hometown of Branson, Mo. When she was little, her parents ignited her passion for horses with riding lessons and the gift of an ornery Shetland pony, but at the time she met Bandit, it had been years since she’d had a horse of her own.

“I put myself through college by trick riding in the Stampede,” says McFarland. “I would go to class during the day and perform six nights a week. I also saved up enough money to buy [Bandit], a little stud colt, from the show’s production manager. Several horses from his bloodline were already established trick-riding horses in the show, so I thought I’d take a chance on him. He had a willing attitude and a cool confidence about him, but no experience, and I was a feisty, overly confident college graduate.”

Faced with the task of training her first horse, McFarland wasn’t sure how to begin. But the man who sold Bandit to her gave her a piece of advice that she’s never forgotten.

“He was an experienced cowboy who was a very calm, gentle hand with the horses,” she says. “One of the things he told me was that my responsibility as a horse owner was to make sure that I was always setting Bandit up for success in any experience or situation. I took that to heart. Of course I made mistakes along the way, but I wanted to learn as much as I could from as many different disciplines and sports as I could.”

Made for Trick Riding

Over the course of their first years together, McFarland made sure to expose Bandit to as many situations and experiences as possible, including introducing him to a variety of disciplines, such as western dressage, horsemanship and Extreme Cowboy Racing.

By the time Bandit was 8 years old, McFarland decided he was ready to learn to be a trick-riding mount. In addition to drawing on her own experiences training trick-riding horses for the Stampede, McFarland took Bandit out west to train with the Harry Vold Rodeo Company in Avondale, Colo.

“At the time, there were probably less than 100 people in the United States who were actively trick riding,” she says. “Trick riding has become more popular over the last 10 years or so, but for a while, it was a dying sport. The Vold Rodeo Company are renowned rodeo professionals who were the go-to people at the time to learn how to trick-ride.”

During their time in Colorado, McFarland worked carefully with Bandit, teaching him how to get used to the way her weight might change and shift as she performed different trick-riding maneuvers on his back, under his belly or around his chest and sides.

“Everything I asked him to do, he did with a willing attitude,” she says. “That’s something that has always impressed me about Bandit.”

Turning Points

Bandit’s willingness to please was put to the test during the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Ky. During the closing ceremonies, McFarland and Bandit were honored with the task of carrying the American flag.

“They wanted us to do it in a liberty stand, where you stand on top of the saddle and ride at a full gallop,” says McFarland. “The only catch was that there were 20 other horses in the arena. That part was intimidating for me because I knew I could account for Bandit, but I didn’t know if the other horses might spook.”

As they prepared to enter the arena, McFarland gathered the flag and her courage in both hands and made Bandit a promise.

“I told him, ‘Let’s carry this flag and represent the United States well, and if you can do your job, then I promise I will take care of you the rest of your life,” she remembers. “You don’t have to worry about anything—just help me get through these next few minutes.’ I was so nervous!”

Within moments, a star-spangled McFarland and Bandit galloped through the arena at full speed. With her horse running steadily and smoothly beneath her, McFarland stood proud and straight atop Bandit’s withers, the stars and stripes flowing gracefully from her outstretched hands.

Affinity for Archery

After that ride, she knew it was time that she and Bandit find new ways to enjoy their partnership. In 2009, McFarland tore her ACL in a riding accident on a different horse, so she knew that her trick riding days were numbered.

Over the next few years, McFarland and Bandit worked together to coach and train the founding members of the Trixie Chicks Trick Riders, now one of the country’s most popular trick riding teams. They also embarked on a variety of other adventures, including learning mounted archery.

“I enjoy mounted archery because it welcomes riders and horses of all breeds and backgrounds,” says McFarland. “It doesn’t matter what breed of horse you have or what discipline you ride. It doesn’t matter what kind of tack you use or what training your horse has. Everyone can compete together because what matters is your strategy and your partnership with your horse.”

The Next Generation

While Bandit continues to be one of McFarland’s main riding horses, he has taken on a new role as leadline pony for her 5-year-old daughter, Emii. Now 21 years old, Bandit is demonstrating a new talent for gentleness and slowness as he introduces Emii to the world of horses.

“As a trick rider, you achieve an entirely new level of partnership with a horse when you trust him with your life by doing trick riding stunts in a high-intensity, high-speed performance,” says McFarland. “But it’s a whole other level when you can entrust your child’s life to a horse. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner than Bandit because he’s been able to do everything I’ve ever asked of him, from high-voltage performances to being a leadline horse for my daughter. That’s one of the things that makes him so special.”

Proud to Stand Out

On a more personal level, McFarland has learned a lot of valuable lessons from Bandit. As a Japanese-American, she says it hasn’t always been easy to be a part of the horse industry, but Bandit has shown her the value of standing out in a crowd.

“Bandit commands attention wherever he goes, and he wears his colors loud and proud,” McFarland says. “I think that’s helped me find my courage and my own level of comfort in knowing that I may look different, and my name may sound different, but in the arena, it’s all about the partnership with your horse and what you can do, rather than who you are or what you look like.”

It’s a lesson she hopes to pass on, not just to her daughter, but to other young men and women establishing their places in the horse industry.

“People are being more intentional about confronting prejudices nowadays,” says McFarland. “It’s empowering to see people of color representing themselves in the horse world. Like Bandit’s markings, I choose to wear my heritage as a badge of honor. Every single person is special and unique and brings qualities and experiences to the horse industry that will only help us grow. No matter your background, you can make your mark in the equine industry because horses help level the playing field.”

This article about Miko McFarland’s trick riding career appeared in the October 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Horsewoman Shelly Watts noticed this gap in the equestrian clothing market and decided to do something about it. That’s how rider clothing line Muirneen was launched.

Horsey Background

Watts has been riding since she was a preteen, but didn’t truly connect with horses deeply until her daughter JoJo turned 8 and started asking to ride. The two now ride together, and Watts says the time spent caring for the horses before and after lessons is what drew her to love them.

“I felt it was a much better way of learning and connecting with the horse,” she says. “[Together] my daughter and I fell head over heels for the sport.”

Business Inspiration

Watts is the development director for Detroit Horse Power, a non-profit that teaches Detroit, Mich., students how to ride horses.

As she became more involved in the horse world, Watts, who is Taiwanese, noticed a lack of diversity, particularly when it came to models and apparel shown in equestrian magazine and advertisement images.

“I didn’t feel like there was anything that represented us,” says Watts.

That was the spark she needed to create Muirneen Equestrian, named after her off-track Thoroughbred with the same name.

“I started Muirneen Equestrian to really showcase more of that diversity, whether it’s the everyday rider, the hobbyist, or even your more experienced Olympic-level equestrian,” says Watts. “I created a line that really spoke to me about diversity, as well as making sure that the clothing was ethical and created in the United States, creating living-wage jobs—which isn’t easy. What I really wanted to do is create something that reflected my values.”

Watts launched her diverse equestrian clothing line in October 2021. Although she doesn’t have a fashion background, she has a keen sense of what works for her preferences and the market. Her experience owning a small business for many years helped Watts launch this new venture.

Challenge Accepted

Creating clothing in the United States has proven to be much more difficult than Watts had ever imagined.

“Many companies employ labor from overseas, and it’s a lot cheaper,” she says. “It’s a lot more accessible, whereas here, that’s just not the case, so it increases the cost quite a bit. But I thought it was worth it to make them handmade in the USA, and make sure I was contributing to living-wage shops. For me, that was a non-negotiable.”

Watts wanted to have the photos associated with her products representative of a greater population.

“I knew that if I had control over what types of images I put out into the equestrian world, that I could make it more diverse and reflective of the beautiful diversity that exists within the equestrian community, but maybe it’s not highlighted as often,” says Watts.

She says Muirneen is often approached by customers wanting custom clothing for schooling programs that reflects their students, or by clients who appreciate the company’s ethics and values.

“I think one of the best ways we live out our values is by showing young equestrians that are coming to our site that there are companies that care about diversity—not just race and background, but also plus sizes, too,” says Watts. “We’re working to create clothing that makes everyone feel comfortable, not just a certain subset of the population.”

The response to Muirneen Equestrian has been incredibly positive, from schooling programs to high-level athletes. The company has been named the official apparel sponsor for the USA Pentathlon team through the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Looking Ahead

Watts wanted to start her business small and sustainably, creating the best footprint possible and with a solid foundation before expanding to new lines. With some initial success under her belt, she is looking forward to expanding her product offerings.

“When people come to me for custom apparel, it’s kind of my testing ground,” says Watts. “Do I want to mass produce this? Or is this more suited for custom apparel?”

When asked what advice she’d give to someone wanting to launch a company in the horse world, she emphasizes the need for living out your values as the key to achieving your goals.

“It’s not glamorous,” says Watts. “It’s a lot of hard work, a lot of sleepless nights, and it must be driven by your passion. You need consistency in your drive. You do this day in and day out. Success doesn’t happen overnight, it’s something you have to work at. The more your values and passions show through your company, the more it will resonate with people. People are seeking authenticity and genuineness, and you need that for your company to be successful.”

This article about equestrian apparel and clothing originally appeared in the July 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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During the last century, Pat Kelly’s father was a jockey of some renown. Riding for mostly white horse owners, he grew a reputation for his ability to connect with horses and developed his skills as an equestrian. Since then, high-profile African-American jockeys have become scarce compared to their hispanic and white counterparts, and all equestrian sports are being challenged to increase inclusion. But the process is complex and connected to economics and gender, as well as to race.

“I’ve been riding since I was a little girl, and then and now, black and brown people have always been the ones to have the most intimate relationships with the horses—grooms and handlers and sometimes trainers,” says Kelly, a Cowgirl Hall of Famer and the founder of Ebony Horsewomen, Inc., a Hartford, Conn.-based non-profit that encourages young African-Americans to participate in the equine industry. “But the number of people of color and women competing in upper-level equestrian sports or working as trainers has traditionally been something else,” she adds.

However, traditions are being challenged. According to Kelly, the young women and men on Ebony Horsewomen’s equestrian team not only concentrate on their riding skills, but they’re also mindful about how race and gender can affect their success in the show ring and even compromise their ability to achieve high-point status.

“It used to be that some people attending some shows would clutch their pearls when our teams would show up to compete,” Kelly says. “But that’s beginning to change.”

The Economic Factor

These days, she says it’s economics, not race, that is more likely to play a significant role in diversity within equestrian sports.

According to the 2017 Economic Impact Study of the U.S. Horse Industry by the American Horse Council Foundation (AHCF), approximately 34 percent of horse owners have a household income of less than $50,000, and 28 percent have an annual income of over $100,000. The bulk of horse owners have an income between $25,000 to $75,000, at 46 percent.

Additionally, the Great Recession of 2008 took a bite out of the industry, especially in the number of those owning horses and whether and how often they participate in shows, especially at the higher levels.

The industry’s middle class took the hardest hit, says Kelly.

“Showing is expensive; so are lessons, and I see fewer [middle class] kids at shows.”

When they do show, Kelly says that regardless of race, less-affluent competitors frequently assume that they’ll place poorly. That’s generally because more affluent riders from higher-profile equestrian centers take part in shows more often and are better known to judges at bigger show venues and more likely to place higher.

“There was the case when one well-to-do rider at a Connecticut show was clearly outridden by a less affluent, less-well-known rider,” Kelly recalls. “To the surprise of many at that show, the [affluent] girl who won went up to the other rider and said, ‘This belongs to you.’”

Economics, coupled with geography, often dictate the level of diversity within any given equestrian community, says Clinton Kaiser, DVM, of Sarasota Equine Associates in Florida.

Owners in less-affluent areas tend to keep their horses at home, which stymies inclusion. They generally forgo the costs of show-related expenses in favor of less expensive activities, such as trail riding with their friends.

Women Throughout the Levels

Inclusion in equestrian sports is further affected by the fact that men continue to dominate the ranks of upper level trainers, according to Julia Farmer Lyons, trainer at Michael Lyons Horsemanship.

“When it comes to getting a trainer for high-profile competition, let’s say women [who attend Lyons Horsemanship clinics] will generally choose a man,” Farmer Lyons says. “I don’t know if that means that women [trainers] are not interested in doing the stuff that high profile requires, but that’s what we see.”

But there is some good news. Farmer Lyons says that the ranks of women participating in previously male-dominated disciplines is growing, while the playing field in others is leveling.

“In my experience, we see more and more women are competing in jumping, eventing and dressage competitions at the highest levels,” she says. “And we are seeing more and more women competing in disciplines that have traditionally been dominated by men, such as reining and cutting.”

Reining sports, which developed as cowboys’ leisure pursuits, were long dominated by men. But since 2007, Mandy McCutcheon has enjoyed championship status in several high-profile reining competitions, was a member of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. reining team, and is the first woman and non-pro to represent the U.S. at a Reining World Championship, according to the United States Equestrian Team Foundation.

Inclusion of Boys in Equestrian Sports

The numbers of young men involved in equestrian sports dwindled sharply after the early-to mid-1900s.

“Have you ever heard boys say, ‘You run like a girl’ or ‘you throw like a girl?” asks sociologist Jean O’Malley Halley, author of Horse Crazy: Girls and the Lives of Horses. “At a certain age, boys don’t want to be associated with a sport dominated by girls.”

According to Kelly, in the past, there were fewer young men competing in jumping or dressage.

“But we are seeing changes,” she says.

Whatever is driving the effort to cultivate inclusivity is critical to the industry in general, says Fernando J. Marqués, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, clinical associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

“Diversity and inclusion are a source of strength, creativity and innovation,” says Marqués.

This article on inclusion in equestrian sports appeared in the February 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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