Barn Lounge

BY JESS CLAWSON Briley Koerner believes in the importance of connection—both with horses and people. She started riding at six years old, and still thinks of her first trainer,...

BY SUSAN GILSTRAP When we think about top AA horse shows or prestigious circuits, what are the thoughts that come to mind? Do we imagine a typical, rich...

BY LAUREN MAULDIN There are a lot of reasons I love going to big AA circuits. These premium shows offer amazing prizes, draw top competition, and bring together the...

BY JESS CLAWSON Frankie Owens was almost born in the saddle. His parents, Candie and Frank, were established professionals in the industry by the time he and his sister,...

BY SISSY WICKES Rob Jacobs first crossed my screen few years ago in relation to the Gochman Grant and Pony Finals. Kids participating in Pony Finals under the grant...

BY PAIGE CERULLI Winner of the Constance Wickes Prize in Creative Nonfiction The instructor leads me to a brown and white pinto pony – he’s...

BY JESS CLAWSON Pearl Running Deer knew from a young age that she wanted to make it in the horse showing world, but that the path might not be easy for...

BY PUBLISHER PIPER KLEMM This week, I got insecure. If you pick up The Plaid Horse’s March Issue, you’ll see a truncated Publisher’s Note. I missed the deadline of...

BY SHAUN SELLERS “When you're following your inner voice, doors tend to eventually open for you, even if they mostly slam at first.” — Kelly Cutrone Growing...

BY JESS CLAWSON Many of us see the barn as our happy, safe, away-from-real-life-problems place. But what happens if you don’t experience relief or euphoria when you go to...

BY SUSAN GILSTRAP We have all been there. We’re getting ready to go into the ring, checking to make sure our jacket is buttoned and number on our back. We might be breathing, or not. We know...

BY LAUREN MAULDIN Poor is a relative word, and horse people know that. I can't deny the huge luxury it is to have a horse, any horse. In a...

BY JESS CLAWSON Chrissy Serio is everything today’s riders want to be. Raised by a legendary horsewoman, she grew up at Derbydown, and has had the life horse-crazy kids...

BY EDITOR SISSY WICKES For decades, horse shoppers in most disciplines traveled to Europe in the hopes of finding a hidden gem, that diamond in the rough standing in a remote barn...

2018 Equestrian Voices Distinguished Entry BY KIM HINSON “Do you think I’m doing the right thing getting a divorce?” I asked Megan, my twelve-year-old daughter as I tucked her in.  I always asked...

BY EDITOR SISSY WICKES In the changing paradigm of top riders and trainers, there is a group of professionals who maintain a steady presence at the top levels of the sport. Caroline...

BY KIMBERLY MALOOMIAN As I sit here facing 30 hours of travel time en route to a ‘real world reality check,’ I can’t help but reflect on my first three weeks of a...

BY LAUREN MAULDIN As a struggling adult amateur, it's only been a somewhat recent development for me to have any opinion at all about horse show prizes. For the longest time,...