The Trials of Buying a Horse for My 59-year-old Self
By Mary Ann Rohbaugh
I started riding at 8 when my aunt bought me a pony she found tied up in someone’s front yard eating grass. I think he was their lawn mower. He cost...
Betty Oare: It’s Been A Good Life, So Far
by Ann Jamieson
Starting Out
Betty Oare first entered a horse show when she was about four. Her father, legendary Arthur Reynolds, Sr., ran the Metamora Hunt Club stable, that hosted the show. Riding a pony...
Should Fairness Govern Horse Shows? USHJA Amateur Jumpers Weigh In
By Ariane Stiegler
Today, amateur jumper riders represent the largest group of equestrians who compete across the country. We support our sport and its Grand Prix riders. I myself serve on the USHJA Amateur Task...
Book Excerpt: Milo’s Eyes
By Lissa BachnerReprinted with the permission of Behler Publications
Now, while others were toasting the New Year, we were in a barn in our down parkas and warm boots, waiting for two horses from Germany....
5 Strides With: Juju VDM
An “interview with the show jumper (via her rider, Savannah Hemby!)
The 13-year-old Warmblood mare won the $25,000 EPIC Sporthorses Grand Prix at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show
1. How did it feel to win...
10 Tips for Trying Ponies at Pony Finals
BY EMILY ELEK
Pony Finals always leads to a flurry of people trying ponies. With all the children and ponies in the same place, it’s like the best of everything from a sales perspective. What...
Violet Tatum: Fast Track to the Top
BY TYLER BUI
Top-ranked junior rider Violet Tatum has amassed an impressive collection of championships and victories in the five years she’s been riding. And she’s only 13 years old.
Taking after her mother Jenny, Tatum...
Redwood Tack: Providing Riders with a One-of-a-Kind Saddle Shopping Experience
BY TYLER BUI
Leah Matanky turned her passion for horses into an unexpected career.
Redwood Tack, which she established in 2014, offers the highest-quality saddles and tack through a personalized shopping experience. While her showroom and...
WSHJA: Bringing Education and Opportunities to the Northwest
By Tyler Bui
The Washington State Hunter Jumper Association (WSHJA) was created to promote the hunter jumper sport in Washington and to provide its members and professionals with opportunities to further their involvement in the...
Virginia Bonnie ’22 Succeeds in the Show Ring and Beyond
This month, The Plaid Horse introduces readers to a standout school and one of its standout students: Foxcroft School’s Exceptional Proficiency program, and student-equestrian Virginia Bonnie.
For over 30 years, Foxcroft School’s Exceptional Proficiency (EP)...
Yoga for Every Equestrian
Horses are incredibly intuitive animals. It is one of my favorite things about them. They sense your energy the second you walk into their space. I will never get over the fact that these...
How Can Riders Prepare to Feel Their Best on Show Days?
ShowMD’s Dr. Barb Blasko provides her top tips.
As equestrians, we are often guilty of taking better care of our horses than ourselves. But focusing on your own optimal performance conditions will only improve your...
Hope In the Darkest Moments: Streaker and Majesty’s Journey with VetBlue
BY SYDNEY JONES/PHELPS MEDIA GROUP
Sometimes a horse’s life isn't full of blue ribbons and victory gallops. Unfortunately, horses are not always dealt the best hand, which was the case for Streaker and Majesty. Streaker,...
Sunrise, Sunset: Pivotal Years with a Life Changing Pony
BY BIANCA JONES
I knew when I first saw him, that I wanted him. Sonny was a 14.2 hand sorrel quarter horse pony. We were told he was 10 when we bought him, but one...
From Another Lifetime: Katie Monahan Prudent
BY ANN JAMIESON
One of the most successful riders in U.S. Show Jumping history, Katie Monahan-Prudent was a member of the 1986 gold-medal-winning World Championship show-jumping team, took part in six World Cup finals, won...
Checklist for Preparing To Go to a Horse Show
By Sabrina Brashares/Jump Media
Preparing a horse to go to a horse show goes beyond sending in entries, taking lessons, and working on their fitness. There are several important details that have to be...
Never Give Up A Chance To Ride Your Horse
BY SARAH BRZOZOWY
Jobs, homes, children, partners, responsibilities. Adulting takes a toll on our time, and on our stress levels. As an Assistant Superintendent of Schools, a wife, and a mother of two heavily scheduled...
One Trainer’s Opinion On Camaraderie Between Barns
BY SARAH CARTER
I have always known the horse world is competitive. Personally, I’m competitive with myself but appreciate the successes of my colleagues. As a member of the middle class, I recognize that getting...
Can Your Horse Recognize You in a Lineup?
BY TANJA SCHNUDERL
Can your horse tell you apart in a group of humans? The latest research in equine-human recognition.
After being at home sick for about a week I’m finally back at the barn, walking...
Play versus Work: A Mindset and a Process for Improving the Relationship with Your...
by Elli Pospischil
Do you remember when you used to play?
Wasn’t that a carefree time when you played with dolls, played hide & seek, played board games, played catch, played Simon Says, played charades, played...
The American Saddlebred: The Horse America Made
BY MORGAN MARTIN
Though hunter/jumper competitors know the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show as a heritage horse show in Texas with Grand Prix and International Derbies, but there is more breed representation there. Pin Oak...
Tracy Fenney: Horses in Your Blood
by Ann Jamieson
Tracy Fenney was elected the National Equestrian of the Year in 2020 during the height of the pandemic. The timing of it was perfect for her, because "It was a good year...
