Book Excerpt: The Year of the Horses, A Memoir by Courtney Maum
Reprinted with permission from Tin House
It was an early morning like any other at the upstate polo club: Danny, Carlos, Victor, Leah, and I were readying the ponies for the gallop track. I was...
Horse Rescued from New Holland Auction Returns to Pennsylvania for Devon
BY TINA SILVA
“Roameo” is slated to make his debut in “Leadline at Devon” as he carries his young rider in the show ring. But his path to the show is different from most of...
It Happens! Laena Romond, Molly Ashe Cawley, Tim Maddrix
By Tyler Bui
We all make mistakes. But horse people, as a group, aren’t always the best at handling them. So TPH reached out to some top riders to share their own show ring bloopers...
The Equestrians of Color Photography Project: Meet Maya Aryal, Chloe Bates and Leesan Kwok
The Plaid Horse is proud to introduce some of the photo project’s featured equestrians to our readers in each issue
In 2020, a group of photographers came together to create the Equestrians of Color Photography...
My COVID Pivot – Rebuilding a Life with Horses
BY SONJA BOORMAN
I recently posted a picture of my new Amish-built barn, lush pastures, and emerging riding arena on a barn building Facebook group. Someone commented, “how does it feel to be literally living...
The Plaid Horse Questionnaire with: Courtney Levine
Status: Amateur Hometown: Miami, FL Trainers: Alan Korotkin and Susan Tuccinardi
As a horsewoman, I am most proud of: my ability to be sympathetic as a rider to the needs of the horses I ride....
Cynthia Hankins: Between Two Worlds
BY ANN JAMIESON
Cynthia Hankins has been a judge for 40 years, judging the USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals five times, the WIHS Equitation Finals and ASPCA Maclay Finals once each, and the USEF Talent...
When the Long Road is the Only Road
By Rennie Dyball
As a kid in the early nineties, there was nothing I loved reading more than the free equestrian magazine stocked at my local tack shop. It was the only thing in there...
A BIG Horse Leaves a Large, Lasting Impact
BY PAULINE AGUILERA
The horse/human connection isn’t a foreign notion, but it magnifies tenfold at the time of loss. One’s heart is literally torn apart at the feeling of wanting to communicate with them—wanting desperately...
How Mail Order Love and a Barn In Morriston Changed Me For The Better
BY LAURA EMERT
According to Wikipedia, a mail-order bride is a woman who lists herself in catalogs and is selected by a man for marriage. While I never thought I would find my heart’s desire...
Heal Childhood Wounds with the Help of Your Horse
By The Love Guru Blaire
Everything in life can be looked at on the surface level or you can go deeper and look for the deeper meaning. The latter is how I live and how...
Why is That Jumper Wearing Sun Glasses?!
BY TPH STAFF
The jumper ring is a place where new trends often come blazing out first, but sunglasses for horses?!? That’s a new one.
But if you see Lauren Kolbe’s horse, Cloudy, sporting his goggles...
The Plaid Horse Questionnaire With: Ava Stauber
Status: Junior Trainer: Wendy Smith Hometown: Chicago, IL
As a rider with profound hearing loss: my superpower is being able to adjust to my horse’s mood. I’ve gotten really good at figuring out what he’s going...
It Happens! With Halie Robinson, Richard Slocum, and Emma Fletcher
By Tyler Bui
We all make mistakes. But horse people, as a group, aren’t always the best at handling them. So TPH reached out to some top riders to share their own show ring bloopers...
Can You Tell If Your Horse Really Loves You?
BY LI ROBBINS
When I was twelve my riding ambitions were all about jumping. I jumped everything in sight with Dusty, my scrappy little Palomino gelding. Water-filled ditches, hay bales in fields, barrels on their...
Artic Storm Cat: A Long Lost Dream Horse Come True
By Alison Galeotafiore
Sometimes I wonder if I’m living in a dream, one that so many other horse lovers around the world have had at some point in their lives. Even if it’s common, it’s...
The Top 5 Things That Improved My Plus-Sized Riding Life
By Karen Hopper Usher
From body awareness to gymnastics exercises, here’s what helped.
Every rider needs a suitable horse and every rider needs to keep their own fitness in mind when asking their horse to perform....
Staying On Course: My Battle to Survive Mental Illness
How a simple, plain horse kept one woman from being a statistic.
BY ELIZABETH GIDOS
I was plotting on killing myself after I finished visiting the little dull brown mare whose picture I had seen in...
It Happens! Abby Blankenship, Erynn Ballard, Stacia Klein Madden and Melanie Smith Taylor
We all make mistakes. But horse people, as a group, aren’t always the best at handling them. So TPH reached out to some top riders to share their own show ring bloopers to prove,...
What I’ve Learned from Taking Horseback Riding Lessons with Ten-Year-Olds
By Michelle Murray
Sweat trickles down my back. It’s an early evening in June, but the oppressive Maryland humidity makes it feel like late August. I let out a long sigh and push back the...
Melina Nasab: Horse Lover, Fitness Enthusiast, and Contestant on the Latest Season of The...
BY TYLER BUI
You may recognize Melina Nasab from Clayton’s season of The Bachelor. She’s bubbly, outgoing, and entertaining, but there’s so much more to her than what you see on the show.
Nasab considers herself...
KK Brown’s Equestrian Journey Took a Village (and hard work!)
BY KAMERRA BROWN ALLEN (KK BROWN)
My love for horses began in Woodbridge, Virginia. Our neighbors had horses in their backyard and I loved them! Especially their little pony, Sugar. I always wanted to ride...
