Brought to you by The Plaidcast
In the industry today, it’s easy to believe that perfection is the key to success. Riders often obsess over diagonals, leads, and textbook position before daring to move up. But for Maggie Jayne, one an accomplished rider and trainer, the real key to success is something else entirely: bravery.
Maggie grew up in a family where her father, Alex Jayne, encouraged bold moves that would make many parents and trainers nervous today. Instead of carefully climbing each rung on the ladder, Maggie skipped steps and learned confidence in the process.
Skipping Children’s Jumpers
Most riders progress from ponies to children’s jumpers, gaining confidence at a lower height before moving into the bigger divisions. Not Maggie.
“I didn’t do children’s jumpers,” she recalled. “I went straight to junior jumpers. I had an amazing Thoroughbred, and I was 12 years old doing Grand Prix classes.”
It wasn’t about ambition so much as belief. “He believed I was gonna move through the ranks very fast, and he had me very well mounted and very safe,” Maggie said. “And I did. I had no doubts in my mind.”
At the time, she was still showing ponies as well, sometimes holding up rings at major horse shows as she raced between small ponies and high juniors. It was an unusual path, but one that shaped her fearlessness.
That philosophy lives on today, both in her training and in her family. Her nine-year-old nephew has been jumping courses since he was four. He may not know every lead or diagonal yet, but he knows how to ride.
“He doesn’t know what lead he’s on, but he can do a beautiful opening rein. He can do any inside turn. He can do a slow five to a one,” Maggie said proudly. “Does he know exactly what it’s called? No. But we’ve schooled him at home so he can step in the ring and answer all those questions.”
Piper Klemm, host of The Plaidcast, noted during their conversation that the sport has become obsessed with perfectionism and that bravery, looseness, and feel should come first. Maggie agreed, adding: “Fear inspires people to obsess over details, and sometimes dumb details. It doesn’t matter. Not for what these kids are doing now.”
The Risk of Fear
For Maggie, that obsession with detail doesn’t just slow riders down. It keeps them from learning the qualities that matter most. Instead of focusing on fear or nitpicky corrections, she believes young riders should be taught to trust their horses, go with the flow, and ride with confidence.
Bravery, she argues, is what allows a rider to move up. Technical polish can come later. Feel must come first.
Learning Through Experience
That philosophy doesn’t mean throwing caution to the wind. Maggie is quick to point out that her father always made sure his children were well mounted on safe, capable horses. Bravery without preparation can be dangerous, but bravery paired with the right horses and coaching can be transformative.
Looking back, Maggie believes that pressure and big experiences shaped her into the rider she is today. “I definitely felt the pressure from time to time,” she admitted. “But I wouldn’t change anything. It pushed me to become who I am today and be able to handle pressure situations with horses and with students.”
Lessons for Today’s Riders
In a sport that often prizes polish above all else, Maggie’s approach is refreshingly bold. It’s a reminder that the fundamentals of good riding—feel, bravery, and adaptability—are more important than whether a nine-year-old knows their leads.
“Good riding is good riding,” Maggie insists. Whether a rider ends up in hunters, jumpers, or equitation, what matters most is the connection with the horse, the confidence to ride forward, and the willingness to take on challenges.
Those lessons, she believes, are what truly prepare riders for a lifetime in the sport.
For more perspectives from Maggie Jayne, listen to her full interview on The Plaidcast. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform for conversations with the most influential voices in the equestrian world.
