With no competitions, limited riding, and restrictions on where you can travel, it can be hard to muster up the motivation to be productive or come up with creative new ideas. I admire the people who still have motivation and can create unique activities while quarantined. I had one of those moments with my LRK3DE At Home! But for the most part, I’ve just kind of been going through the motions of waking up, doing school work, going to the barn when I can to help out and ride, forcing myself to eat and workout, getting outside when it’s nice, and going to sleep (usually at an unreasonable time).

A lot of us are in the same boat. One thing that’s helped me is going back and reading some of my favorite articles that I’ve saved over the years. I compiled a list of articles, from clinic reviews to feature stories, and I hope one of them will give you some inspiration – whether it’s to write, get off the couch and exercise, or make a monumental change in your life. 

1. Advice to Young Riders: Get an Education
   • This is especially relevant to me at this point in my life, because it confirms that I want to go get an education and keep pursuing the balance between horses and a “normal” life that worked on throughout high school. 
2. A Plea For Transparency
   • I love this article’s message because it touches on something many in our sport think about: there needs to be more communication between the officials behind-the-scenes and the general public when things go wrong. This transparency can help prevent future accidents. 
3. Show Ready: Manage Your Mind to Achieve a Personal Best
   • Although no one has been competing, it is important to keep up your mental game and find new ways to improve for when the season starts back up again. 
4. Piggy French reveals how she fought back from injury hell: ‘I learned that people will stab you when you’re down’
   • Piggy French is one of my idols, as a rider, but more importantly, as a person. I was elated that she won Badminton in 2019, and I was able to feel on a personal level all her emotions and the way she handles herself on a personal level. She is extremely humble, sometimes too humble, and she has the attitude that it’s not so much about focusing on winning as it is with improving yourself. She works hard, she perseveres, and success finds its way to her. 
5. “If You’re Going To Try To Teach Him To Read, He Needs To Learn The ABCs”—A Clinic With Will Coleman
   • I’ve always wanted to ride with Will, and this article gave me several new exercises and tips that I can apply to my own horse. I love articles that give all the main points of clinics, because you get a little bit of insight into the teaching and training style of a pro!
6. ‘I Couldn’t Change Him but I Could Change Myself’: What Three Tricky Horses Taught Me About Being a Better Rider
   • I love this article because it gives perspective to the big picture and how each horse you get the opportunity to ride will end up changing your life in some way. I believe strongly that you don’t just have one “heart horse,” and this article does a good job proving that point. 
7. Frankie Thieriot Stutes is the Hero Amateur Riders Need  
   • I didn’t know too much about Frankie Thieriot Stutes before I read this article, but learning how she balances being an entrepreneur, a mom, and riding at the upper levels of the sport made me respect her. It’s an inspiring read.