WB Equestrian Alumni Page

09/13/2026

Thoughts from Montana – Riding Out

Many riders learn to ride in a well-manicured indoor but it’s like learning to drive in an empty parking lot. That’s great until you need to get out on the beltway. What I’ve seen with riders is anxiety creep in if they need to ride out. And the stress increases if the footing isn’t perfect.

We were at a team meet a few years ago and there was a puddle in the corner. That puddle – you could easily go inside or outside of and still be straight - was so distracting barely anyone had a decent course. After that I made negotiating environmental conditions a skill to practice regularly.

If the sprinklers in the indoor would cause wet spots I’d put a cone on them and have riders make decisions on navigating them. In the outdoor when the puddle was huge (the footing was solid) I set a small jump in the puddle.

To get out of the arena, we sometimes held lessons in a nice flat-ish field. With very young riders I liked to take them on ten-minute lead line trail rides up the driveway. Anything to get outside. At shows, take the time to hack around before and after your class or even go school in all the warm up areas. And that’s not to mention trail riding, hunter paces, and cross-country schooling.

I’m not saying to throw caution to the wind, swing the gate open, and gallop into the sunset. Start safe and simple for sure. But I will tell you it is such a breath of fresh air to feel confident riding out.

09/07/2026

Thoughts from Montana – Joy

The horse lifestyle is tough - long days, tears, disappointment, injuries, sweat, bugs, and mud. If you don’t have a sense of joy, you will be swallowed up by the stress. Do you have that underlying sense of gratitude, wonder, whimsy, purpose, and peace right now?
Long story short, when I was a little girl I wanted to be a cowgirl and a jockey. There aren’t many cows in Maryland, and I am too tall to be a jockey.

I think in a way jumping worked as a compromise. For most of my riding career I found joy in jumping anything and everything (chewy boxes, Xmas trees, traffic cones). It eventually got stale. Times change, people and horses come and go, life gets in the way. I couldn’t get out and “cross train” different disciplines as much anymore which made me bored (more on that another day).
Two summers ago, I went on a pack trip in Idaho and with in the first hour out on trail - as we started to climb up the west side of the Tetons - my joy came back… Fast forward to this summer in Montana riding the trails and playing “spot the cow”…. It was fantastic!

For me getting out of the ring to find new challenges was the solution. It could be that, changing barns, a new mount, a new lesson night, or simply a conversation with your coach.

We all know riding is hard, but it is not supposed to lack joy.

09/03/2026

Thoughts from Montana – Disclaimer

There is the potential with this to offend East Coast based English riders. I don’t mean to, but I do think many of us would agree that we need some change. We have issues with horse welfare, toxic culture, lack of support and sportsmanship, and often a lack of joy. We post about the lack of skill, knowledge, drive, desire etc. from current riders but we don’t offer solutions. We get instantly defensive but complain that people can’t take constructive criticism.

Some of what I have to say will be met with “we can’t do that because of” which is valid. Montana is a world away, especially in terms of amount of land and it’s not the same climate as the Mid-Atlantic. Not to mention there is a difference in state laws and liability concerns. Plus types of horses, costs associated with those horses, availability of resources, etc.

Please just take it as food for thought....

Pic from my "office" this summer

08/31/2026

I spent the summer in Montana at a working cattle and guest ranch as a wrangler. It was amazing! Great people, great place, great horses. I did a lot of things I've never done before (anything with cows) but also got back to my riding roots in a sense. There was an old school WB vibe to a lot of it actually - fun, challenging, pushing your comfort zone. I have some thoughts I plan to share over the next few weeks so look for that coming up.....
Emily Merkel

07/09/2026

06/01/2026

Before the summer heat set in we said happy trails to Maggie. She's now in greener pastures. Between her unsteadiness, the melanomas, and age it was sadly time. Personally, she was one of my favorites - the rare lesson horse who can be kind and quiet but also super fancy when asked. She was originally with us as a boarder then we saw an ad for her years later and luckily snatched her right up. Her only quirk was you had to bribe her with one single peppermint to catch her.

04/28/2026

Here’s photos of the field

04/28/2026

Throwback to last year's race. This year Saturday May 2nd. Post 6:57pm. Here is more information then you will ever want about the horses. Let us know who you like!

Post Position, Name, Born in if not KY, Jockey, Trainer, Race Record (total races-win-place-show), Parents and mom’s dad, odds, last race result, color if not Bay/Dark Bay, *notes*

1. Renegade - Ortiz, Pletcher, 5-2-2-1, Into Mischief-Spice is nice, by Curlin, Won Arkansas Derby, 4-1 *Tough post for the favorite*
2. Albus - Franco, Mott, 4-2-0-1, Yaupin-Adream, by Bernardini, Won Wood Mermorial 30-1
3. Intrepido - Berrios, Mulins, 6-2-1-0, Maximus Mischief-Overly Indulgent by Pleasantly Perfect, 4th Santa Anita Derby, 50-1
4. Litmus Test - Garcia, Baffert, 7-2-0-2, Nyquist-Study Hard by Malibu Moon, 7th Arkansas Derby, 50-1
5. Right to Party - Elliot, McPeek, 4-1-1-2, Constitution-Havin a Party by Emcee, 2nd Wood Memorial, Chestnut, 30-1 *The Beastie Boys have been invited to the deby*
6. Commandment - Saez, Cox, 5-4-0-0, Into Mischief-Sippican Harbor, by Orb, 1st Florida Derby, 6-1
7. Danon Bourbon - Nishimura, Ikozoe, 3-3-0-0, Maxfield-Wild Ridge by Tapit, Won Fukuryu Stakes, 20-1 *Japanese Road to the Derby Entrant*
8. So Happy - Smith, Glatt 4-3-0-1, Runhappy-So Cunning by Blame, Won Santa Anita Derby, 15-1
9. The Puma - Castellano, Delgado, 4-1-2-1, Essential Quality-Eve of War by Declaration of War, 2nd Florida Derby, Chestnut, 10-1
10. Wonder Dean (JPN) Sakai, Yamamoto, 6-2-2-0, Dee Majesty-Wonder Saing Praw by Wonder Acute, Won UAE Derby, 30-1
11. Incredibolt – Torres, Mott, 5-3-0-0, Bolt D’Oro-Sapphire Spitfire by Awesome Again, Won Virgina Derby, 20-1
12. Chief Wallabee – Alvarado, Mott, 3-1-1-1, Constitution-A La Lucie by Madaglia D’Oro, 3rd Florida Derby, 8-1
13. Silent Tactic – Torres, Casse, 6-2-4-0, Tacitus-Magical Sign by Gun Runner, 2nd Arkansas Derby, 20-1
14. Potente – Hernandez, Baffert, 3-2-1-0, Into Mischeif-Sweet Sting by Awesome Again, 2nd Santa Anita Derby, 20-1
15. Emerging Market – Pat, Brown, 2-2-0-0, Candy Ride-Wild Empress by Empire Maker, won Louisiana Derby, Chestnut, 15-1
16. Pavlovian (CA) Maldonado, O’Neill, 10-2-4-1, Pavel-Mandys Grace by Bellamy Road, 2nd Louisiana Derby, Grey, 30-1
17. Six Speed – Hernandex, Seemar, 5-3-1-1, Not this Time-Browse by Medaglia D’Oro, 2nd UAE Derby, 50-1
18. Further Ado – Velazquex, Cox, 6-3-1-1, Gun Runner-Sky Dreamer by Sky Mesa, Won Blue Grass, Chestnut, 6-1
19. Golden Temp – Ortiz, Devaux, 4-2-0-2, Curlin-Carrumba by Bernardini, 3rd Lousiana Derby, 30-1 *female trainer*
20. Fulleffort – Gffalione, Cox, 7-3-2-1, Liams Map-Callmethesqueeze by Awesome Again, Won Jeff Ruby, Grey, 20-1

04/27/2026

Food for thought - Why do you ride? Answering that question can help you find the right discipline, coach, barn community, and horse if you go that route.

I was lucky to ride at two fabulous barns as a junior. I showed a lot on the local circuits - I am naturally a competitive person. I rode for the love of horses and my love of competing. I was (still am) a horse crazy kid who played sports and genetically I’m inclined to make anything into a game (ask me about beach and Christmas Olympics).

When I started teaching I struggled with people who rode and didn’t show. I felt disconnected from them. …Then I went to Wisconsin after college…

I spent three summers teaching at an all boys overnight camp in the north woods. None of the campers rode to compete. I think maybe a handful even rode at home outside of camp. And here’s the fun part - they were good riders! They just rode to be around horses, be out at the barn, and do a fun activity. After a few weeks of honestly being a little confused, I settled in and had a blast teaching.

That experience helped me realize the first step in teaching is to figure out someone’s why. Once you know it - and more importantly once you don’t judge it - everyone is happier. I’m forever grateful for those summers. By stepping outside my comfort zone I became a better teacher and a better human.

04/15/2026

Lameness can be the result of imbalanced feet, a chronically irritated ligament that isn’t addressed until it’s a bigger deal, or even stiffness.