American Stalls: Designing Your Dream Barn
By Troy Anna Smith
Yash Balasaria, CEO of American Stalls, has one overriding goal for his family business. “We are just looking to make your life easier!” he cheerfully tells The Plaid Horse. Balasaria has...
Internet Shopping for Horses 101
BY DAPHNE THORNTON OF TWO BIT TRAINING
Buying horses on the internet has gotten interesting…for both buyer and seller. I am not unsympathetic to the plight of Sellers. People kick tires, look at horses they can’t...
Sweet Briar College: 100 Years of Equestrian Women
By Sarah Welk Baynum
Nestled in the rolling hills of Sweet Briar, VA, is a collegiate equestrian program that has been a part of campus culture for over 100 years. In fact, Sweet Briar...
5 Strides With: Rain King
An “interview” with the young hunter, via his rider, Taylor Ann Adams
The 5-year-old Dutch Warmblood has won multiple Young Hunter championships in Florida
1. How does it feel to be a top 5-year-old hunter?
I don’t...
Neal Shapiro: Aim High – Part I
BY ANN JAMIESON
A Walk in the Park
As a child, Neal Shapiro liked to draw. There were two things, in particular, he enjoyed drawing: horses and airplanes. Neal's father first lifted him up onto a...
An Adult Amateur’s (Unrealistic) New Years Resolutions
BY LAUREN MAULDIN
It's that time of year again when everyone is focused on self-improvement—and I'm no exception. For most of my life, I've fallen into the resolution trap. You know, when you start to...
Get to Know the Equine Mastery Education System
‘‘With the Right Horsemanship Tools, Our Industry Could Be Revolutionized’’
By Annie Birmingham
Raegan Comeaux has trained riders from their first lessons all the way to the Indoor finals, but began to notice a growing trend...
Equine Elixirs: The Power of Positude and Calmakazi
How Positude and Calmakazi supplements address spooky, nervous, anxious, hormonal and temperamental behavior
If you’re looking to address your horse’s behavioral or temperamental challenges, you don’t want to miss Equine Elixirs’ popular product duo: Positude...
The Equestrians of Color Photography Project: Ateasha Baltodano and Josh Boggs
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...
Capital Challenge: A Look Inside the Storied First Stop on the Indoors Circuit
BY SABRINA BRASHARES/JUMP MEDIA
Capital Challenge kicked off the Indoors season this year once again, bringing the best in the nation to Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD.
The 29th edition of the horse...
Wordley Martin: How to Build the Perfect Arena for Your Horses and Riders
By Amanda Picciotto Feitosa / Jump Media
There are a number of factors to think about when building a new riding arena. Like many aspects of the equine industry, a new arena can be costly,...
Savannah Strome: Rider and Environmental Activist
BY RENNIE DYBALL
You don’t need to spend much time with Savannah Strome to pick up on the special connection she has with her animals. Hand grazing one of her horses at a show in...
What Do These Equitation Finals Stars Have in Common? MDC Stirrups On Their Saddles
By Piper Klemm, Ph.D.
As a group of the best junior riders in the country battled it out in the Big Equitation finals this fall, there was a common piece of equipment on many of...
How to Keep your White Breeches White
Constantly finding yourself with brown, stained breeches that once sparkled white? Members of The Plaid Horse Adult Amateur Lounge shared their best tips and tricks to keep your white breeches stain-free.
The winning products? Fels...
Lyn Pedersen: Riding, Recovery, and Giving Back
By Piper Klemm, Ph.D.
Alcoholism and addiction are epidemics in this country. Millions of people struggle with these serious, life-changing issues (see sidebar below), and the horse show world is no exception.
Lyn Pedersen wants people...
What if I’d Missed the Horses?
BY JANA MAUNEY
For years when people greeted me, “Hey, how are you?”
I quipped, “Livin’ the dream!” frequently letting my voice drip with sarcasm as some task or other that awaited my attention—one that I...
What Having a Baby Taught Me About Riding
Both require softness and strength
BY KAREN HOPPER USHER
A good canter has always been my favorite gait. Some people describe the rolling sensation as a “rocking horse” canter. A former dressage instructor of mine talked...
The Horse Industry’s Support of Literacy
The Ocala Horse Alliance’s Black Stallion Reading Project
BY ELLIE TRUEMAN
Literacy is the most critical skill needed for any measure of success in today’s world. A love of reading, instilled early in life, has proven...
A Play-by-Play of an Adult Amateur Winter Lesson
BY LAUREN MAULDIN
The adult amateur, regardless of geographical location, is typically skittish in the winter. Less sunlight, colder temperatures, and holiday stress make a trifecta that can result in some interesting behavior. While many...
Connected Horse: A Powerful Program for People Affected by Memory Changes
Bay Area therapeutic equine program for those affected by dementia and their care partners announces a national training program to expand reach of evidence–based initiative
(Sacramento, CA): The country’s premiere therapeutic equine-guided program for people with...
Dianne DeFranceaux Grod: “I Just Like All Things Horse” – Part III
BY ANN JAMIESON
Foxfield Jumping Derby
The Foxfield Riding School was founded by Bill and JoAnne Postel and Nancy Terrill. Legends in California, they ran a huge program starting little kids and bringing them along to...
Back in the Saddle: The Things I Took for Granted
BY STACY BANNERMAN
I don’t think I’m paralyzed, but something’s not right, and a voice in my head says, “Be still.” So I am.
Three seconds ago, I was riding Buddy, a four-year-old horse just getting...
