From One Horse Parent To Another

A dressage mom recounts the blessings of her daughter’s equestrian education.

Annette Costello

Dressage. I had never even heard the word before my daughter, Jillian, was born. When she was little, we put her on a pony, one of those round-walker-type pony rides at the flea market. That was it. A horse lover was born. She was 2 at the time. Years later, she took her horse to college with her and even with a full schedule, she continued to train, show and win. At every level of riding she was focused, intent and brilliant.

As a parent throughout all this, you enter this equestrian lifestyle with other moms and dads. After a while, you get to be a veteran and some parents ask you about life after their child’s competitive dressage career. Will their child ever love or work this hard for anything else in her life like she has for dressage? I had the same concerns, but I was certain there was plenty to come.