Overcoming Horse Show Hurdles

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“Why do I do this to myself?” Ah, the one question, without fail, that I ask myself countless times in the days, hours, minutes preceding every horse show.

At 39, you would think I would be overcoming horse show hurdles. As a mother and an attorney, I’ve been up against more challenges in life than a set of 2’6” jumps… but I lose my mind every show, turn green and enter a sort of mental paralysis nonetheless. I will admit that after a year of semi-consistent showing, consistent for covid-era and for one on a budget, I thought I was becoming more confident. I still asked myself the question numerous times, of course, but I could definitely tell I was doing a better job of turning my nervous energy into positive energy.

This last show, however, really set me back. Hamster, the adorable and talented 7-year old who I ride, was an absolute pill with his owner and my trainer. Without going into the details, I will just say that it did not look fun. Then to make matters worse, they changed my show ring. This was not ideal for someone who takes comfort schooling in her rings. Knowing I had to ride Hamster the following day in the ring he wasn’t a fan of sent me spiraling. Now, cue what every rider over the age of 35 needs and should never leave for a horse show without; a fellow amateur friend.

Hands down, what gets me through these horse show hurdles are my equestrian, amateur friends. They promise me I can do it, reminding me how many times I have successfully done it before. They downplay Hamster’s antics in the professional division by saying things like “he was just hungry”. Friends remind me I can ride well and jokingly have great excuses when I miss distances in my last lesson.

My friends play to my competitive side…this time, I am going to win that elusive Championship cooler…they can feel it. They play to my vanity…think of the pictures I will get. But, most importantly, they are the voice of reason, telling me that I have prepared for this and that I need to just trust the process and have fun. During the show weekend, these friends call me for morning pep talks, text me motivational memes, and some even drive an hour or more to cheer me on. Even though I walk into the arena as just me and Hamster, riding really is a team sport.

Besides Hamster and my trainer, who are undoubtedly my biggest supporters, my other teammates are standing at the ingate, sitting on the sidelines, or at home waiting for updates. I can count on them to push me through the finish line. Then they’re there to celebrate with me during that post-show euphoria. We high-five in the warm-up area, hug with relief at the wash stall and together analyze all the videos. Most importantly, at the end of every horse show Sunday, we ask the second most-asked question in the minutes, hours, days succeeding every horse show: “When are we showing next?”

To follow along with Andrea & Hamster’s journey, follow them on Instagram at @Horse_Glam.