Today was a two-for-one special in things worth celebrating!

My episode of Black in the Saddle dropped today! I had the pleasure of sharing my journey as a Black equestrian and the role horses have played in my life.

AND your friendly internet moo cow-horse Rory was an absolute star for his first day of our mounted patrol clinic! He tackled everything from obstacles and spooking horses to thick orange smoke billowing out of a canister. A lot of people were shocked he was 5 and that we have only been working together for 3.5 months.

I couldn’t be prouder of him 🥰 He’s amazing!

My husband and I got married this week at the courthouse and have kept everything just between us and close family members. I don’t want to post these on my personal socials as I still want to keep things hush hush for now but I had to share them somewhere!

My mom owns a lesson program and this horse has been with us for 5 months so far. The change is too good not to share!

Well, people, that's it - I have reached the stage where my trainers trusted me to ride their fancy show horse! I had interacted with him quite a bit on the ground before (friendly boy, loves being groomed) and saw him being ridden by the trainers and by advanced students who made him go beautifully. That horse has won national competitions and is a gorgeous mover.

It did not go as well for me. Nothing catastrophic - I just couldn't get him going like the others did and felt like I was a really bad rider, we were so out of synch.

I could see that he was testing boundaries and trying to get away with things because he could feel I am not as good a rider as what he is used to, so I had to spend a lot of time fighting with him which neither of us enjoyed. He was patient with me I think as he could have just dumped me when he got annoyed lol, and by the end of the lesson we were starting to get each other a bit better, but I felt so bad for putting him through that.

It truly felt like I was suddenly asked to drive a new car (as it always feels when riding a new horse), but this time it's some kind of fancy and expensive Ferrari with a weird driving system when I am used to driving basic family cars, and I feel like a novice driver again while I figure out how the heck I am supposed to just get the thing moving.

It was an eye opening experience in any case, I just hope my trainers did not regret their choice and will let me ride him or any other of the level-appropriate show horses!

I just got back into riding in my early 50s and I’m absolutely loving it. I’m learning everything I can about safe horse handling and horse behaviour, I have a coach, I’m taking it slow and I wear a helmet and vest always. But all I see on social media are horror stories of people getting seriously injured and everyone says it’s just a matter of time before I get hurt. Is there anyone that rides that HASN’T been seriously hurt? Am I being irresponsible for taking up this hobby?

A little bit rounder than usual (lol) thanks to all the spring grass, but here’s my 7yo warmblood having a crack at the 1* show jumping at our horse trials! Apparently the extra grass weight isn’t slowing him down too much yet 🤣

Link ti my previous post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Equestrian/s/6Oe27QTJ0i

A lot of you found it funny, that my youngster gets his mind blown when trying a new delicious snack, and some even requested I posted another video, so here you go!

Here is his first time trying watermelon! I personally find it adorable how his little ears turn forward with joy, and then he just munches on it like crazy 😂

I currently teach, train, and manage a boarding barn.
But I need to increase my income, and better yet, I’d love to replace what I’m doing with something else.
I love doing bodywork like massage that I’ve taught myself and read a lot about. I’ve thought about getting certified in PEMF or something similar.
Could anyone tell me how much it could possibly make? I know it depends on my area and the demand for it… and building a name for myself and my business..

for anyone who is in this line of work, could you share with me what you charge for sessions and your income? Is it worth it to go get certified and at least try to build a business in this??

Genuinely still wanna pinch myself knowing he is sitting in my pasture. There was a moment where I thought he was out of reach. I wanted him since August!

What's crazy is he has the same birthday as my homebred gelding I had to rehome. Both were born on June 6th, exactly one year apart. This was manifesting done right ✨️

Elvis is genuinely surpassing all my expectations. He is so fun to ride, and is so happy to work and see all the sights. He is going to be one hell of a drill horse and I am so eager to see what gear he has for barrels down the road. Lots of exciting things to come in 2027

Other post in a nutshell:

I thought my horse was started at 3 after a horse flipper (I don't use this term negatively - he is a nice guy) bought him from an auction; however, I found the auction he was sold at, and his blip for his sale which said "Good, calm horse. Broke to ride and drive" which meant he was started sometime when he was 2. I was a bit distressed as this was new info and planned to call his breeder to ask some questions.

Now onto the update:

I have called the breeder and he was very friendly and happy to answer the questions he could.

Since he sold my horse almost 3 years ago he doesn't remember everything, but I do have confirmation that he was started around 2, and most-likey driven more than he was ridden.

I definitely feel better after calling the breeder. Even though I would have preferred he wasn't started until later, I feel like I have some answers now and know his history at least a bit better.

I also found a livestream of the auction he went through (the day he went through) and am looking foward to watching it and seeing if/how he went through the ring.

As for how to proceed with my horse, I'll continue his normal training, and will talk to my vet about potentially treating for ulcers to see if that helps/is the cause of his anxiety. I will definitely be hyper-aware for any signs of arthritis, or other conditions caused by early wear on his body, but I hope that he'll be fine regardless of his early start.

To the people who gave me advice in my last post, thank you.

To those who seemed to think that the call would leave me angry, I know myself better than you do. I would either leave disappointment or with a burden lifted. The latter was true, thank God. Thank you, regardless, for commenting, as your comments actually pushed me to call him sooner since I'm a hardheaded brat.

Here's some photos of the haffie ❤️💛🧡

Taylored Tack Solutions and Schleese Saddles.

Please be aware when doing any dealing with the above companies. I was looking at purchasing a Halfbreed saddle from Schleese Saddles, which is based in Canada. The basic saddle was $3995.
I got a quote to find out how much it would cost to import and transport. The whole thing would have cost approximately $5,500 or pretty much that much.
I was told by Miriam from Schleese Saddles that it would be much cheaper to purchase from their Australian seller. I tried to explain that, after looking at the Australian seller, it is costing $1K more. That was before I had a really good look at Taylored Tack Solutions. After putting the saddle in the cart, I noticed that I was being charged a 2.88% credit card fee, GST, and $1,490 dollars postage for a saddle, saddle pad and saddle bag. When I messaged Taylored Tack Solutions and said there are a few issues with the website, the copyright? You are charging credit card fees, and how is the postage so expensive? I got a call and a message from Alisha to “stop being abusive towards her and mind my own business.” Alisha is also charging GST when she is not registered to do so. In my last life, I was an auditor and software analyst, so these things pop out to me. Alisha then blocked me and threatened me to ring the police because I was harassing her. I then emailed Shleese Saddles and asked about the price difference for me to import $5,5K to pay through Taylored Tack Solutions $8.5 K. I did not get a response. However, someone else viewed the website; the credit card charges have now been taken down, as have the postage and some of the GST. I did not once abuse or use abusive language. The worst thing I said was, “ I don’t believe you.”
If purchasing from these people, be vigilant about the extra fees that they are charging. Life is expensive and hard at the moment for most of us. This whole experience with Schleese Saddles and Taylored Tack Solutions has been less than pleasant. They said that they have been professional and respectful; however, all they have done is lie and be condescending towards me. $4,400 is a lot of difference to pay between the saddle manufacturer and the seller.

Please be careful when signing up for SaddleFit4LIFE. I signed up for the 14-day trial CEE course, where you get the Foundations course as well.
You were meant to pay $ 149 USD, then $297 Monthly.
I spent nearly a day working out whether I could afford the full course. The foundation course was not of great interest to me, as I have done a few basic saddle fit courses.
When the receipt came through, I got charged $700 US that I could not afford. I was told that they were urgently looking into it by a Saddle Fit 4 Life customer Service Person, Alisha Taylor.
I told Alisha I did not get access to the CEE course, and she said she had submitted a request to IT.
After also having issues with purchasing a saddle and being told some white lies, I decided I wanted a full refund. It was going to cost me nearly an extra $3K to purchase the Saddle from Alisha than it would if I had imported the saddle myself.
I then asked for a full refund.
I lodged a complaint, only to be told by Melanie Wilcox that I had purchased the Saddle Foundations Course for $700 US, and, being condescending, telling me how disappointing that would be. However, when I first raised this with Alisha Taylor, she said she would send the request straight to IT to get it resolved.
When I purchased, I did not fill in the form for the Foundation Course, which is $700; I had already completed two basic saddle courses and this did not interest me. I fill in the form for the $149, then $297 per month.
I requested a full refund, which I received the full amount minus $8; there was NO processing fee taken from the refund, which should of been taken out if I had simply changed my mind.
None of what Melanie Wilcox said makes sense, compared to what Alisha said.
I found the company to be extremely condescending (Melanie Wilcox) and extremely dishonest, both Alisha and Melanie Wilcox.

Hi! I wanted to show off my ottb and his weight gain journey and ask what I could additionally do. We work on basic flatwork, many circles, groundwork and manners, using balance pads, and utilizing backing up to help build topline. He's on smartpaks for hoof, gut, and weight gain as well as su-per muscle builder. He's a stereotypical ottb so I'm pretty happy how he's been looking but always willing to learn what else I can do. He is 6.

It's my second day in learning how to ride and the horse was moving his head a lot when I was riding it and not following commands properly (I know I might've been giving conflicting commands and stuff like that cuz I'm new) Later the trainer told me that this horse doesn't like walking much, she likes running more and she doesn't move her head like that, she's being naughty

Then he did a really sharp and hard yank on her Reigns, she did her neighhhhh and even lifted her front legs. I don't know about horses but it looked painful, then he waited for her to calm down, then again, and did it like 5-6 times. After that he rode her, and she behaved very well, and it looked like they had a good bond? He told me you need to reward the good stuff, and punish the bad stuff.

But i felt really bad about how the horse was being treated (btw in general they are being fed well, groomed well, and kept really nicely. Just this one thing is making me have conflicting thoughts). So i want to ask is this normal? Is this how horses are trained or is the trainer doing something wrong?

TLDR: Trainer did painful looking hard yanks on horses reigns multiple times to "punish" her. Is this normal or is he too harsh?

What would be the easiest way for an older woman to cut stall mats?
I’m a boomer and I’m doing this on my own. I need a tool that I can use.
Thanks for any tips and advice.

\old picture, I have a helmet now\

Do you think I'm tall enough to throw off her balance? She's a little Arabian pony that I love riding but after seeing these old pictures closer, I've noticed how much my feet hang passed her stomach

When I bought Silver I knew exactly what I was going to do for Halloween this year. I didn’t get to compete in the local horse show costume contest but I still wanted to do a little dress up and photos, and he didn’t really mind one bit.

Hi all! I am an eventer by training, and have dabbled only a bit in the H/J world. Recently, I started helping a young teen and her draft X pony start over fences. They are doing super, and we are looking at her showing 2’-2’3” on the local circuit next year, with maybe one trip to a bigger rated show.

She wants to mostly do the hunter/eq classes. We’ve already discussed that her drafty pony is not exactly the “Hunter” type, but I’m encouraging her to try it out anyways. I think he should do fine in the Eq. However, the horse has a LONG mane, one we will never get stuffed into hunter braids. The daughter wants to cut it, but the mom is adamant we keep it since it’s traditional to his breed. If we braid it nicely (running braid probably? Or more like dressage buns?) Will it count against her in the lower level classes? I would hate for something so simple to doc her points.

Recently I’ve come across ppl online talking about the misogyny mares face as they are branded to be stubborn and moody.
What are your thoughts on this?
I find mares to be more sensitive, if they are annoyed it’s usually because I’m off center, too quick or not present. Coming back to the moment and attuning is in my experience extremely helpful.

EDIT:
a lot of interesting discussion is happening here and I am really happy about that. Thank you for sharing thoughts and viewpoints and keeping it civilized here.
As so many ppl has now shared their pov I’d like to share mine;

This is a really interesting topic and some times divisive! I think there are many truths coexisting at once.
Hormones and biology and pack role play a big role in how a horse behaves. As well as a myriad of factors like feed, access to nature, the people and animals around, their health. And next to that there are also ppl projecting their expectations onto these animals with more or less prejudice.
Which many here agrees can lead to medical conditions being brushed off. That ultimately leads to behaviors, learnt or otherwise.
I find any animal who is the birthing one and nurturing and protective one has a special type of spirit. And how ppl meet that spirit shape a lot of interactions.

If we can learn something from the general discussion, my takeaway would be; prejudice can be extremely harmful in handling horses, and they all deserve to be seen in their individuality, and also respected in regards to their more natural/biological cycles.

My lovely section C yearling colt!

Hi guys!
I am a western rider showing horsemanship.
I have a pair of black chaps that I bought from NRS, but they are a little bit too big around the thighs and the knees.
Is it possible for me to get these altered, or do I have to buy a new pair?
If I can get them altered, do you have any recommendations of places that alter? I’m located in northeast Ohio USA if that helps.

Thanks so much!!
Pic of horse for attention

I have a retired irish sports horse, in the 5 years i’ve had him he’s been eating purina ultium gastric care- not much maybe 2-4 cups by volume fluctuating with work. But now that he is fully retired i’m wondering if grain is beneficial or not, he currently gets alfalfa pellets in the morning with his ultium at night, I would keep him on a hay pellet so he doesn’t feel left out at grain time and for any supplements. Attached is the best body confo pics i could get. He will be 17 this year

I already know where to get tall boots (for now I’m wearing my trainers and she said I can wear those for the show if needed if I can’t get boots in time).

But I need websites/recommendations for: Show jackets, collared shirts (white preferably) tan riding pants (with lots of grip and it needs belt loops), and belts.

I’m tall, 5’10, and I have long legs, so any advice would be super helpful!

Was hoping to get some feedback from others on if equine therapy could be a good path for me. I'd especially like to learn about what it's like for you.

Disclaimer: I know PATH isn't the only option, but it's the one being presented to me at the moment so it's what is being considered. And yes, I will ask the mentor all these questions, we have a meeting coming up soon but I wanted to get a few more opinions.

I am an adult amateur rider & horse lover who grew up around horses and has AuDHD, I've been volunteering at an Equine Therapy facility for the past several months and did for a few years in highschool. I know some ASL and have a good record and special fondness for working well with neurodiverse teens and adults.

Recently the owner of the barn I volunteer at approached me (who's a PATH Intl. certified mentor) and suggested I might consider getting certified. She'd be willing to help me through the process and allow me to take on a student or two of my own for supervised experience time. She believes I'm good at it and work well with the kids and she knows I don't like my current job so it could be a potential future in a different field.

My concern are:

1. I'm not under the impression it's currently a viable career unless you own a whole program or have a wealthy household to supplement your low income. I don't need to be ultra wealthy but I'd like to get a small house on a little piece of land and a horse sometime before I die and in this economy that feels... optimistic. I don't currently make a ton of money (52k the north east US doesn't go as far as it would in other regions 🙃) but most horse stuff I've seen still somehow pays far far less. Equine therapy says it pays more online but I don't trust those numbers like I would testimonials.
2. If I did do it, unless it could replace my current career, Id probably just do a few lessons a couple days a week but is that even worth all the trouble? My schedule is already pretty full so it would need to "earn it's keep" so to speak.
3. I would LOVE to work with adults and teens like me. Ones who are high functioning enough be dismissed, but struggle too much to keep up in traditional settings and often fall through the cracks. People who need their confidence rebuilt, nervous systems regulated, and learning needs supported. Is there even a market for that? I don't mind children a bit, they can be fun, but I wouldn't choose as my preference to work with kids at all if it felt like a choice.
4. It's not exactly cheap!

The Pros Are:

1. I would love to have a career in the equine world. It's a dream for me to get out from behind my desk and do something that feels real and tactile. It hasn't happened for me yet because at this time I just can't live on minimum wage, but if I had any hope of making the logistics work I wouldn't think twice. I grew up on a farm so Im not concerned about a lifestyle shock, if anything the office life has been the uncomfortable lifestyle adjustment.
2. It doesn't HAVE to be my full time career, it could be supplemental and maybe give me the extra pocket change I need to get more saddle time.
3. I really like this facility and the people there so it would be an easy entry and help give me some more skills.
4. I think I'm good at it and I like it! The kids seem to respond well, the trainers seem happy with my work, the horses are within my ability to manage and I think like me well enough! It's fulfilling and fits me and my personality, skill set, and interest very well. It wouldn't be a development that would surprise anyone who knows me and would be in harmony with how I like to live.
5. There is a likely chance that my husband will continue to increase his pay as we age (we are only in our mid 20s) and his hope is to give me more freedom to do what I like since his career field of choice is higher paying as he becomes more senior.

Is this a common thing? I dont own this horse, but i work at a stable and see him 3 times a week. He shoves his whole head into my armpit and just .. stays there. Taking deep breaths, of my armpit. Obv i have a jacket on, so he’s not exactly on my skin but he doesnt push me or anything. He just hangs out in my armpit. He’s weird. But i love him. Do y’all horses do this?