We Need to Mentor For the Kind of Kids We Want In Our Sport
BY HALLIE DAVIS
These days, a lot of people in our industry like to talk down about the young riders of today. Recently, a post went viral on Facebook from a highly regarded trainer about...
No Shame In Our Game: Horse Loving Signs
BY LAUREN MAULDIN
If there's one thing the internet is good for, it's a solid viral sensation. First, there was dog shaming. You know, those hilarious hand-written signs photographed next to an innocent looking dog......
Smothering the Shame: Regaining my Confidence in the Equitation Ranks
BY LAUREN AUBERT
Since my very first taste of showing on the A-circuit as a young child, I have always envied the classic, statuesque equitation riders with their floating half-seat at the canter, floating...
What it’s like To Be a “Horsegirl” in School
BY EMILY MCNEILL
While watching a movie in history class, a calvary stampedes onto screen. Immediately, your classmates swivel towards you. In the midst of completing punnett squares in biology, a question regarding horse genetics...
The Suicide Conversation We Should Be Having Before “They Will Be Missed”
BY BLOG EDITOR LAUREN MAULDIN
This week Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain became two of the over 30,000 Americans* that will die by suicide this year. In the aftermath of their loss, social media flooded...
Images of the Upperville Atmosphere – Tuesday, June 5th
With its green canopy of ancient oak trees, glossy hunters and top competition, few horses are as scenic as the Upperville Colt & Horse Show in Virginia. If you're not lucky enough to hack...
How to Add Pizzazz to An Equestrian Themed Party (Without Breaking the Bank!)
BY JENNIFER WILE RUBIN
I recently hosted a party for my horse-crazy daughter. Before I really got started with party planning, it was important to me to settle on a theme. I always find that...
Adult Amateur Confessions: The Most Embarrassing Thing I Never Properly Learned To Do
BY RENNIE DYBALL
When I was first learning to ride as a kid, my lesson program was all about the basics. Before cantering, we had to be masterful at the trot. I’m talking months of trotting, even bareback...
It’s Time to Ban Smoking at Horse Shows
BY PUBLISHER PIPER KLEMM, PH.D.
Standing in the bleachers by the pony ring at The Devon Horse Show this year, I got a waft of an unwanted, familiar smell – cigarette smoke. I looked up...
Body Image, Health and Wellness in Adolescent Equestrians – Reader Response
BY KIRBY L. WYCOFF, PSY.D., NCSP
The May 22, 2018 article by Rennie Dyball entitled “Riders, Body Image and ‘The Look” struck a chord with many in the equestrian world. Ms. Dyball bravely and candidly...
Val Renihan: Midwestern values in the modern world
BY SISSY WICKES
Val Renihan Impacts the Next Generation
What is the true measure of greatness? Is it trophies on the wall? Is it creating a legacy that will outlive you? Is it living a life...
Riders, Body Image and “The Look”
BY RENNIE DYBALL
A couple weeks ago, I went to my local tack shop for spur straps and somehow found myself in the dressing room, mentally debating whether to buy a new show coat that...
That Time I Had a Temper Tantrum at the Horse Show as a Full...
BY PONYMOMAMMY
Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is. -Vince Lombardi
Here is the truth, I am competitive. Mostly with myself. I like to win. I mean, why else would I be willing to pay...
Ribbons in the Trash: Is There a Greener Award for Shows?
BY BLOG EDITOR LAUREN MAULDIN
I might be a thirty-three year old woman, but I love ribbons as much as any pony kid out there. I’ve kept every ribbon I’ve ever won, a feat possible...
Celebrating the Round: Land Rover Kentucky 3 Day Event
BY BLOG EDITOR LAUREN MAULDIN
We should always remember to celebrate our accomplishments in this sport -- and that comes in all forms. Even if a round went terribly, it's important to acknowledge what it took...
Kyle King Wraps Up a Successful Season
BY VYLA CARTER
Ever since a young age, Kyle King has proclaimed himself a professional rider. “From the age of about ten or eleven on I pretty much worked as a professional rider,” King explained....
There is No Room for Ego in the Barn
BY BLOG EDITOR LAUREN MAULDIN
I’m pretty good at faking confidence. It’s over compensation really, a mask I pull to smooth over issues from low self-esteem and a solid dose of imposter syndrome. When...
A Simple Catch Ride… Maybe Not
Reprint of July/August's 2015 Pony Issue. Read the full Magazine at https://issuu.com/theplaidhorsemag/docs/tph070815
BY JESSICA CHOPER & ARMAND LEONE
As long as there are ponies there will be a need for pony catch riders. Tiny children matched...
Judges Scott Hofstetter and Bill Talbert Answer The Questions You’ve Been Wondering About Hunters...
BY MACKENZIE SHUMAN
This year at the Colorado Hunter Jumper Associations Medal Finals, I was able to sit down with the two judges at the end of the show and ask them a few questions...
4 Tips to Help Your Horse Beat the Summer Heat
By Elleni Paulson on behalf of Purina Equine Nutrition
Heat and humidity place an added burden on horses during training, showing and transporting. Especially during the busy summer travel and show season, it’s important to make...
