I'm fairly new. Growing up, I always loved horses, but I didn't get a chance to take lessons or be around them. I was in dance growing up, so that took up a lot of my time and a lot of funds on my parents' end. I could only pick one activity to be super involved in. Then finally, last summer, I realized that this is something I've always wanted to try. It's only been a little over a year. I started looking for some barns near the cities to start riding. Then, I just started taking lessons and I totally fell in love with it. So, now it's my thing. I take lessons at Capall Stables in Lonsdale. It’s anywhere from 40 to 45 minutes to get there, which isn't terrible. I really like it. I've felt comfortable there. My trainer is really good and she's helping me get ready. I'm going to try to do my first academy show this summer. That's kind of what we're training for right now: adult walk, trot, and canter. It’s basic, but I'll do it in a western saddle.

 

I was on a Zoom call with Caitlin Gooch, who is the @theblackcowgirl on Instagram. She hosted a session with other Black horse women focused on helmets. There aren't helmets that are made for Black people, our natural hair, and protective styles. Helmets just don't fit us correctly. It's either you wear a helmet that isn't sitting right, which isn't all that protective, or you wear no helmet. Kids don't have the option to not wear a helmet. It's a problem and another example of how the horse industry is just catered toward White people. So, I was on this Zoom call and they asked where everyone was from. I said, "I'm from Minneapolis"  and I guess Jenny, who started The CREW, watched a recording of the call. She heard that I was from Minneapolis, found me on Facebook, and messaged me about it. That's how we got connected, which is kind of funny, but everything happens the way it does for a reason. I volunteer with The CREW Urban Youth Equestrians now. I'm usually out there Tuesdays. I try to go out there once a week, but hopefully, in the winter I'll go a little bit more because we won't be doing lessons anymore. We still need to work with the horses.