When Perfectionism Holds You Back
By Jen Borgo Raia
In a recent lesson, my trainer had us do an exercise that would have made me very uncomfortable just a few years ago. Instead of finding the correct distance in a...
Meet Jaz Creek, North Bay’s Newest Hunter/Jumper Facility
BY TYLER BUI
Transforming Jaz Creek, Northern California’s newest horse facility, was an ambitious endeavor to reshape the family horse property into a world class training and boarding facility. For years, the property had been home...
The Benefits of Bonding with Your Horse
BY PEARL RUNNING DEER
There he is. You picked him out of a herd of horses. Or perhaps you rescued him from a kill pen. Or maybe your trainer brought him to you and you...
I Found God in a Hopeful Place
BY JESSICA SHANNON
If there is a debate whether or not faith and animals, particularly dogs and horses, go hand in hand, then allow me to settle it. When I was a teenager, my late...
It Happens! Mindy Coretz & Maria Costa
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,...
Mindful Flatting: Including Ground Poles
BY ABBY FUNK
If there is one thing that we can all agree on, horses probably need to jump less than they do. Between the demands of learning, practice, preparation, and actual horse showing, it...
The Equestrians of Color Photography Project: Mariah Eisenbraun & Erica Swank
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...
Margie Sloan’s “So! Who’s Your Daddy” – Merlin & the Foal
This is the first story in Margie Sloan’s “So! Who’s Your Daddy” series about some incredible stallions and their babies
By Margie Sloan
Three colts walk into a barn. The fillies perk up. After...
The Answer to Your Undergarment Needs: Eques Pante
By Tyler Bui
Jessica Andrews decided to take matters into her own hands after years of struggling with athletic undergarments. In 2021, she established Eques Pante, offering equestrian performance underwear. Complete with revolutionary materials, cut,...
The Plaid Horse Questionnaire with: Skylar Wireman
Status: Junior Hometown: Bonsall, CA Trainers: Shayne Wireman, Andre Dignelli, & Lisa Halterman
As a horsewoman, I am most proud of the mare we bred. I recently won a Grand Prix on her.
As a horsewoman,...
How Were You Taught to Take Your Left Foot Out of the Stirrup While...
The Plaid Horse Adult Amateur Lounge on Facebook is 7,300 members strong! Come join us for all types of discussion, like one thread this month where a member asked: How Were You Taught to...
Guide to Appropriate Barn Attire
By Tatum Mitchell
“You have to look the part to be the part.”
That was one of the first lessons I learned as a horse person. Knowing the most appropriate attire for barn activities is a...
Trainer Takes: What is Catch Riding?
By Tatum Mitchell
Catch riding is a regular activity within the horse industry, but for someone new to the sport, it’s a phrase that doesn’t quite translate directly. Even for veterans of the sport, the...
Reflecting on Seasons of Riding and Life
BY CAELIN KORDZIEL
Maybe it’s my age or maybe the arrival of that time in summer when the days are long and the evening fresh air just has a way of lifting my spirits, but...
12 Students Participate in MET Grant Week at Stonewall Farm
By Tatum Mitchell
This week, 12 Metropolitan Equestrian Team students received grants for a week-long equestrian training session at Emily Elek’s Stonewall Farm in Ixonia, Wisconsin. During the first day of the training session,...
Layers of Loss: Understanding Grief
BY JESSICA SHANNON
Grief is heavy and complex. Thankfully, people are increasingly vulnerable in discussing their personal grief, but there had to be a shift in our culture’s validation and acceptance of grief before that...
The Plaid Horse Questionnaire With: Colleen Acosta
Fairway Farm owner and trainer • Cross Roads, TX
I am most proud of: my horsemanship.
I would most like to improve on: organization.
I’d be lost without: spurs in my tack trunk and sticky spray in...
The Equestrians of Color Photography Project: Meet Quinnten Alston, Brittany Hazzard & Lara Rahman
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...
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...
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...
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...
