Strides for Equality Equestrians (SEE) is excited to kick off a two-year anniversary celebration, happening all throughout the month of October in the form of “SEE Month”. SEE’s goal during October is to raise awareness about our mission of opening doors for equestrians from diverse backgrounds while also fundraising to continue our work and future projects.
Opportunities to participate in SEE Month include:
Unable to make a monetary donation? Simply sharing this email, the SEE month website, or any of our social media posts helps us reach our goals.
These donations and the resulting support and awareness will help Strides for Equality Equestrians bolster its efforts to provide opportunities to deserving riders. Our programs currently include the twice-per-year Ever So Sweet Scholarship (accepting applications for Winter 2022 through 10/15), ongoing Access Program Grants, and maintaining a directory of allied barns and programs around the United States.
For those interested in applying for Ever So Sweet Winter 2022 or a future award, SEE leadership committee member Sally Spickard will host an Instagram Live (@stridesforequality) on Sunday, October 2 at 6 p.m. EST with all three former ESS recipients: Helen Casteel (Summer 2021), Sierra Lesny (Winter 2021), Nora Huynh-Watkins (Summer 2022).
Additional opportunities currently available and closing soon are a Sponsored Rider opportunity at the Barnstable USEA Educational Event & Three-Day (applications close 10/10) as well as a Training Mini-Camp in Florida with Ashley Johnson (applications close 10/15).
Any individuals or organizations wishing to participate in SEE Month as a donor can indicate their interest using this Google Form.
For more information about SEE Month, please click here.
About Strides for Equality Equestrians
To help SEE the Change and BE an Ally and to learn more about Strides for Equality Equestrians please visit www.stridesforequality.org. You can make a tax-deductible donation on the SEE website or at the USEA Foundation website www.useafoundation.org under the SEE program in the drop down menu.
Strides for Equality Equestrians (SEE), founded in 2020 as an allyship program for the equestrian community, seeks to address the lack of racial and ethnic diversity in equestrian sports. SEE promotes a more inclusive culture by listening to and addressing the concerns of Black, Indigenous, and people of color within the community while educating equestrians about effective allyship.
One of my passions is continuing to be a good student, because I think no matter how old I get, there are multiple reasons learning new things inspires me. First and foremost, it helps me be a better rider and trainer, so my horses benefit. Second, it helps me be a better teacher by exposing me to different ways to have a relationship with a horse or a student.
This month we’re going to begin a three-part series on how to create positive riding experiences by making sure the words you say to yourself and the thoughts you think to yourself are positive. Referred to as self-talk, internal dialogue, or brain babble; the words you say to yourself can have a huge impact on your performance. In fact, your thoughts and voice are actually considered behaviors, and just like how positive physical behaviors (i.e. a balanced transition) can create success, your verbal behaviors can also accomplish the very same thing. So let's spend the next few months talking about how to talk to yourself!
Being spontaneous has paid off for Kevin Keane and Sportsfield Candy. “I bought him on a Wednesday and showed him on a Thursday,” Keane recalls about his first event with his Irish Sport Horse gelding, then 9 years old, at Plantation Field Horse Trials (Unionville, Pennsylvania) in September 2016. “I owned him for part of a day, and the next morning I showed up at a CCI and jogged him up for a two-star, and we went clean and clean and clean.”
THANK YOU to everyone who has already entered the USEF/USEA Recognized CDCTA Spring Horse Trials scheduled for Sunday, April 9 in Berryville, VA. We will continue to take late entries through Friday, March 24 using USEA’s Xentry system. If you still want to come compete, please enter! The late fee has been waived through Friday, March 24.