An Ammy in the Schooling Ring

Adult amateur riders are experts at juggling work and family while still finding time to go to the barn, even if it doesn't feel like it most of the time. But, it can be an uncomfortable space when you're constantly comparing yourselves to junior and professional riders.

When I returned to riding in 2023, I knew I'd be sharing group lessons and show rings with children less than half my age, but I hadn't expected the emotions that would accompany the adult ammy experience.

Let's Start at the Beginning

After many failed attempts at enrolling me in dance and tumbling classes, my parents signed me up for western riding lessons at the age of five. Ann, my first instructor, and her horses taught me how to understand and respect horses from the ground and in the saddle. They taught me, for most people, success in this industry isn't given, it's earned.

Don't get me wrong. I am one of the lucky ones, since my parents were able to enroll me in lessons in the first place, but my journey has been less than easy or linear. Coming from a non-equestrian family, most things in the horse space weren't simply gifted to me. In the summers, I worked for my lessons, pulling weeds from the pastures, mucking the arenas and stalls, and cleaning tack on the porch. My first and only western saddle was purchased at a tack swap, and my first and only horse I've owned was a rotund, sassy Pinto mare named Maggie my grandmother helped us purchase for $1,000. From barrel racing lessons to trail rides, some of my best childhood memories were from the barn.

Between juggling academics and extracurriculars (marching band, jazz band, symphonic band, chamber choir, show choir, and theater - yes, I'm a music nerd), I had to make the difficult decision to give up riding and 4-H amidst my high school career. As it goes with most things, the choice came down to time and money, emphasis on the money. So, after over ten years in the saddle, I sold everything. My riding clothes, my saddle, my horse.

Now Jump to Today

However, as cheesy as it sounds, you can take the girl out of the barn, but you can't take the barn out of the girl. After college, grad school, moving cities, and getting married, my husband, Carter, encouraged me, in the nicest way possible, to get a hobby. Ten years after I left riding, in October 2023, I came back in a new discipline - hunter/jumper. My new trainer, Ali, reignited my love for horse riding and introduced me to the world of English riding, a whole different beast.

Carter had no idea what he had unleashed. With our newfound adult funds, I dove straight in, shifting from one lesson per week to two, from lessoning to half-leasing. I purchased a used saddle and a tack trunk, then filled it to the brim with saddle pads, grooming supplies, and more. Every Amazon order has peppermints in it. Every Instacart order, bananas. I had officially earned the title of adult amateur.

Then, after jumping for the first time in May 2024, I decided to make attending a schooling show my next milestone, since I rarely attended shows as a kid. My warmblood partner, Cronos, and I trained for months to prepare, and in January 2025, we attended our first show at the National Equestrian Center in Lake Saint Louis, where we brought home blue and red ribbons in the Academy 2' classes.

Later that summer, we won 3rd in a Hunter Classic out of 19 horses, which has become one of my proudest moments in the sport. With multiple shows under our belt, our relationship was stronger than ever. But life had other plans. My trainer moved across the country and my half-lease with Cronos ended. Falling in love with a lease horse broke my heart, but our year together was worth all the tears.

The Adult Ammy Experience

Now that I'm at a new barn with new trainers and new horses, I've had time to reflect on my experience as an adult amateur in this sport.

I may be the anomaly, but nearly every person I've had the privilege of riding beside has been nothing but supportive and uplifting, both younger and older than me. There are women double my age I look up to in this sport, talented individuals who have given me advice I hold onto each and every day. I've ridden with incredibly gifted and humble children and juniors who've cheered me on as I jump over crossrails and 2' courses.

Almost all the people I've met in this industry have surprised me with their kindness, which is refreshing when the sport can often feel like a "keeping up with the Joneses" game. The cost, let alone the cost of success, keeps rising, making it more difficult for the majority of people to achieve their goals. For ammys, even though the passion is there, the funds typically aren't, which is why most of us have to maintain a full-time job. But that doesn't stop us from wanting to find our heart horse, buy the best saddle, or wear the nicest show clothes. Our favorite section of the tack store is the consignment section, and Facebook marketplace is our best friend.

Since A-rated shows typically far exceed the budget, I compete at local schooling shows, which gives me the opportunity to shake out my nerves and produce solid rounds with my equine partner. At 28, I'm often in the ring with elementary-aged kids and their ponies, and they usually whoop my ass. But, when it comes to sharing the ring with young riders, one particular moment comes to mind.

In the spring, I was hacking in the warmup ring between classes when a child, no older than 10, and her spotted pony pulled up beside me. We were competing in the same Academy O/F and U/S classes, and she had watched my first two rounds. I had been beating myself up about them because we were very chippy, and I was nervous about picking up the correct leads in the U/S. She thought I did a "really really good job" and wished me good luck in the flat (along with saying Cronos was cute). I usually don't talk to other riders in the warmup ring, so the encounter caught me entirely by surprise. The simplest compliments from a child turned my entire weekend around.

Of course, I threw the encouragement right back at her, but she didn't need it. That girl went on to beat me in every single class that day, and she absolutely deserved it, both in skill and character. The next day, she beat me again, but I rode much, much better, turning a learning experience into a win. Later that summer, I ran into her again when picking up my 3rd place ribbon for the Hunter Classic, and she was so happy for me.

As a child, I was bullied by the other horse girls for my short stature and lack of resources, so meeting many compassionate, young riders has given me a lot of hope for the future of the sport. Kind and respectful children and juniors turn into knowledgeable and talented amateurs and professionals, and they are who we need to keep this industry alive.

I'm also hopeful the equestrian industry will begin to pivot and become more accessible for people with tighter finances, because everyone deserves to have the rewarding, humbling, life-changing experience of learning to ride and building a relationship with a horse.