Meet the Hardest-Working Equestrians

Our search for the #hardestworkingequestrian brought to light some of the most talented and passionate people in the industry. Five finalists were chosen from many amazing entries.

Ainsley @ace_eventing14 inspired us with her story of triumph after a rough few months connecting and achieving new heights with her horse.

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– I’m bummed AECs was cancelled this year. This was our year but I understand. We have worked so hard to understand each other this past 14 months. We had hit rock bottom. Now we finally have trust that is so incredibly strong. When I first sat on Gin she reminded me of everything Connie had. Boldness and athleticism and honesty. She was perfect but soon realized I was far from being as perfect as her previous rider. She is the type of horse that wants someone she can trust. Just to be there incase she is unsure. The trust between us was so far gone that I actually liked doing dressage and really took a mini break from jumping (Im one who likes to gallop and jump). Over the winter I worked so hard to make this our year. I hunted her, I did grids every jump day, and we took lessons from a few different people. Eventually we started to click with the help of Erin and Skye. So once the first event of this season came around I felt safe and for the first time I wasn’t nervous about the jumping. I remember the moment I came trough the finish flags and down the hill at Waradaca, I had the biggest smile on my face. We had completed our first double clear together. And my mom asked if I went clear and I told her that ginny was foot perfect. She told me that I had won for the first time ever. No more “what if’s”. No more “only if I had rode better”. We finally did it! For while after losing Connie (the horse of my dreams) and not being able to finish well, I began to loose hope. That the blood, sweat and tears meant nothing. It does it just takes time. We still have lots to learn. For anyone who needs this, u might not be where u had hoped a few months ago, u might not believe that all work u have done has any impact. It does all of it matters and when times get frustrating and hard, take a minute think why u got into this sport to begin with. Not goals that u had, think of why u wanted to be best friends with an animal that couldn’t speak. Horses are animals dedicated to you and you have to dedicate yourself to them as well. Trust me when I say I know, I was once a child that didn’t take “dream big” lightly. if ykyk. #horses #eventing #hardestworkingequestrian @ecogold

A post shared by Ainsley (@ace_eventing14) on Aug 6, 2020 at 7:04pm PDT

Theresa @arclightequestrian captured us with her determination and commitment to horsemanship as “‘success in the horse world’ goes way beyond just the riding accolades”.

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@ecogold #hardestworkingequestrian giveaway ✨ ? . When my alarm goes off every day at 4:45AM, and I contemplate selling my soul to satan in exchange for just a few more hours of sleep, the words pop into my head. “The horse always comes first.” I can still hear my first riding instructor, Greg, saying it to 10-year-old me like it was yesterday. I’ve stuck by that little mantra throughout my entire journey with horses. From the very beginning when I was a little kid just starting out, to the rough teenage years that were full of frustration and heartbreak, the subsequent 6+ year break from the entire horse world, my inevitable return to riding 2.5 years ago, buying my first horse 3 short months later, and the crazy plot twist that I am currently at: renting my own small horse farm + hay fields with my boyfriend, and caring for 2 of my own horses and 2 boarders on top of my full time job at 25 years old. Phew! If you told me I would be here, now, at any point in my past I would’ve never believed you. It took a whole hell of a lot to get here, believe me. But through it all, one thing has been my driving force that made all the big, scary decisions and sacrifices easy: the horse ALWAYS comes first. As long as that’s what I am doing at the end of the day, then I am totally fine with giving up a lot of other things. When my horses are happy, I am happy. That is what good horsemanship is to me, and making a real commitment to that is what makes a good horseman/horsewoman. To be honest, I think there is a lot of truth in the saying that you either need to have a lot of money, or be willing to work your ass off to be successful in the horse world. And by my definition at least, “successful in the horse world” goes way beyond just the riding accolades. Not that there is ANYTHING wrong with having riding goals, but really, who actually cares about that *if* your horse is miserable? It’s a truly never ending journey to better horsemanship, and it can be a bit overwhelming. But always putting the horse first will keep you on track, I promise.

A post shared by Theresa K (@arclightequestrian) on Aug 3, 2020 at 8:59am PDT

Heather @heathernheck ‘s bubbly personality in her video showed her connection with a new horse and working multiple jobs to support her passion.

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@ecogold #hardestworkingequestrian #Zena

A post shared by Heather (@heathernheck) on Jul 24, 2020 at 2:58pm PDT

Caitlin Ann @theblackcowgirl shared a laundry list of tasks to ensure all horses (over 40 head!) are cared for on her family’s horse farm all while giving lessons and creating positive experiences for the community she serves.

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I heard @ecogold is searching for the #hardestworkingequestrian for their #hardestworkingpad ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I am a country girl. My father taught me how to care for horses. I have been doing this my entire life. Sweating in the name of horses. My days at the farm are long and hot. I often change my clothes at least twice bc they are soaked from sweat. I muck our stalls. All 22 of them in the main barn. I push the wheel barrel all the way to the manure pile to dump it. Going back and forth multiple times. I operate the bobcat to do the same. I am the groom for these horses. On a good day, I can wash 5-6 horses easy. We have roughly 40 on the farm. I walk from one pasture to another. Checking the water troughs. Cleaning… No, scrubbing them until they look almost new. And filling them up again. I PICK UP TRASH! Trash all around the farm bc it blew in from the wind or someone decided to litter. Even the small pieces. I get my horses ready for lessons. Not all of them are close to the barn. Some are allll the way by my house. I pick up the saddles, the mounting block, the tack, the grooming supplies, the everything. I wake up early. Before anyone is awake. I go to bed late. After everyone is sleep. I work hard for all of this. All so kids can enjoy a ride or see a horse. GOAT has carried over 500 kids I’m sure. I work hard for her care and comfort. We are are a hard working team. @ecogold ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ SN: I work so hard, I worked the entire sole off a pair of muck boots @muckbootco in 6 months. ??? #ecogold #equestrian #equestrianlife #horsebackrider #blackequestrian #youngblackequestrian #horselover #horsesofinstagram #horsegram #youcannotoutworkme #horsebackridinginstructor

A post shared by Caitlin Ann (@theblackcowgirl) on Jul 23, 2020 at 3:59pm PDT

@gofiguresch showed the transformation her and her horse had over the past 5 years by overcoming fear and listening.

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#hardestworkingequestrian @ecogold I bought Brandi on August 15th, 2014. She was six and I was fourteen. After she gained some much needed weight (250+ lbs) and I started working her more consistently, I realized I was in for a huge challenge. Our first two years together were horrible. I became terrified of her. Some days, we couldn’t even walk around the arena safely under saddle. In June 2015 we went to our first show together. We were signed up for three dressage tests. In the first one, we were ineligible for awards because we scored less than 50% (49.231%). The next test, we were disqualified because she jumped out of the ring mid-test. I scratched the last one because I was too scared to ride. I was preparing to sell her in 2016 to a more capable rider who could handle her shenanigans. I had the ad all typed up, but I just couldn’t push “post.” I found a new trainer after some troubles with my old one as a last resort before I decided to sell her. I’m so glad I did. I had my first lesson with my new trainer in April of 2016. I couldn’t even lead Brandi into the barn. She was rearing and trying to bolt. I was standing in the pasture crying when my trainer came out. We had two strictly groundwork lessons, and our third lesson was when we had both worked up the courage to ride. Everything was uphill from there. We worked our tails off, day in and day out. We started showing again. Fast forward to today. Together, we have won TEN State Grand Championships in Training, First, and Second Level dressage (with a high score of 78.26%!) as well as Equitation on the Flat. Even more importantly, though, she is my best friend. We’ve been through so much together, and I know her like the back of my hand. She now helps my trainer give some advanced lessons and trucks her daughter around in the lead line classes at shows. She taught me to have an immeasurable amount of patience, and to work like crazy for something I believe in. She taught me to be humble and confident at the same time. She taught me that you’re going to have a bad day, but that makes the good ones that much more special. I owe it all to you, Brandi. And I’d do it over again in a heartbeat.❤️

A post shared by @ gofigurecsh on Jul 13, 2020 at 10:44pm PDT

The winner will be selected at random and will receive an Ecogold saddle pad of their choice.

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