Horse Girls in the Wild: What It’s Like to Be an Equestrian in the City

The boots are muddy. The jacket smells faintly of hay. There may or may not be horse slobber on my sleeve. And yes—I am currently standing in line at a coffee shop next to someone in stilettos.

Being a horse girl in an urban setting is… a vibe. One that often includes going straight from the barn to brunch, trying to explain to friends why you’re limping (again), and mastering the art of disguising breeches as leggings.

There’s a constant contrast:

• Morning rides in a peaceful arena, followed by afternoon Zoom calls.

• Clipping your helmet hair into something kind of presentable before dinner.

• Navigating city traffic with hay in your backseat and a hoof pick in your purse.

But there’s something strangely grounding about it. The barn offers a breath of fresh air in a world that never stops buzzing. It’s where your phone stays in your pocket (or falls in a water bucket), your mind quiets, and your priorities reset.

Horse girls in the city learn to multitask like pros. You become someone who can fix a broken jump standard and finesse a Google Slides deck. You get good at taking up space—because let’s be real, there’s no such thing as a low-maintenance equestrian.

And maybe that’s what makes it all work. The duality. The boots and the heels. The mud and the makeup. The grit and the grace.

Here’s to the horse girls in the wild—finding balance between concrete and canter strides.