I Knew I Needed This In My Life

When Shelly Watts returned to riding, it restored a sense of balance in her life — and led her to showcase the diversity she’s found in the equestrian community.

By Shelly Watts

My amazing little girl is the reason I started riding again after a long hiatus. I never thought I would be an adult beginner re-rider. I am a mom of three, a devoted wife, and at the top of my career as a fundraising executive. The last place on earth I thought I would be is standing next to my ex-racehorse, Muirneen, bonding while hand-grazing, and strategizing on my new equestrian clothing brand. My life is not going exactly how I imagined it would.

I started taking riding lessons as a teenager and enjoyed the athleticism involved in the sport. I wore the same tan breeches and black velvet helmet to every lesson. I never tacked up a horse or did anything but brush my lesson horse before riding. I hopped on and off a saintly Morgan before and after each lesson, never learning proper horsemanship or the purpose of a girth.

I felt invincible and did not even know falling off a horse was an option. My lack of true interaction with the horses made it difficult to commit to the sport. After a harmless fall while posting without stirrups, I gave up riding altogether. I never looked back.

Three children and two marriages later, I found myself fundraising for one of the most influential organizations in the country. I had just started the job, but I was already burnt out, stressed out, and questioning my life. I loved my work, but I have always struggled with finding the proper balance between life, career, and family.

It wasn’t until my 8-year-old daughter, JoJo, mentioned wanting to ride horses that I began the search for a lesson

barn close by our home. I’m not sure what attracted me to Empire Farms in Chesterfield, Mich. However, as soon as I drove on the property, I was hooked. The beautiful scenery and sight of their majestic horses lowered my stress level after a busy workday. I was mesmerized by the sights and sounds of the barn’s hustle and bustle.

I thought this was something JoJo and I could get into together. I’ve seen her self-confidence really soar, she’s become more coordinated and better able to follow directions. These days, kids are always on technology, and that’s what’s sucking them in. At the barn, we’re not on our phones; we’re out in God’s beautiful creation, and as soon as you step into the barn your blood-pressure drops. There’s something about connecting with nature and being outside and doing an activity that doesn’t have you glued to a device.

My daughter happened to be feeling under the weather for one of the first lessons she was supposed to attend. I took her place and rode this amazing lesson horse named Jazzy. She took good care of me and could sense my nervous adult brain. After that, I knew I needed this in my life. Equestrian sport for me is kind of a bridge between two worlds: the older world where everything was run by horsepower and now, where everything is electronic, automated, and fast, fast, fast. We’ve kind of lost that old-world work ethic. So for me it’s a beautiful blend of what I love about the past and what I’m seeking to attain in the present.

With horses, you can’t rush the process or fast-forward to ‘OK, I’m just going to do this and then I’ll be a really good equestrian.’ It takes a lot of time, it takes dedication, and it takes patience and understanding with your horse.

I am so busy: I travel for my job, I’m always on call, there’s always something going on. So that beautiful, slowed pace is something that I really craved.
For the first couple of months, I felt like a complete outsider. Even though the trainers and riders were welcoming, I had stepped into a world I didn’t understand in the slightest. I couldn’t comprehend the apparel, bits, bridles, or anything, for that matter. When I started doing research, reading magazines, and looking at equestrian websites for clothing, I noticed something very startling and quite strange.

Why did all the riders look exactly the same? No one looked like me or my daughter.

I have served in Detroit as a professional fundraiser for a long time. I am very aware of the lack of diversity in most sports, but this was far more surreal than I even expected. I would see the same figure, face, and skin color on every equestrian model. I was absolutely stunned. My barn was filled with diversity. My amazing trainers were covered in tattoos. We had beautiful black and brown riders. We had equestrians in all shapes and sizes. None of these riders were represented in the equestrian media. I had to do something.

I pondered this predicament for quite some time as I eased into the equestrian world. My journey didn’t stop there. There were many boarders at our barn who owned horses. I didn’t even think non-trainers could own horses. Once I discovered this simple truth, I knew I needed a horse.

After a long, arduous horse search in the United States and Canada, my trainer found this quirky black horse that was good with beginners and needed some groceries. I instantly fell in love and bought her the next day based on a video. She was the Dynaformer mare named Muirneen that was sold as a yearling for $450,000 and now was an off-the-track Thoroughbred being sold for one-hundredth of her original selling price.

As I continued to wrestle with the lack of diversity in the equestrian sport, Muirneen and I learned to trust each other. My Dynaformer mare saved me from falls on a weekly basis. She helped me to find balance in a way that I did not know was possible. Instead of working from dawn to dusk each day, I would head to the barn after work to spend time with my new companion and friend. During my regular trips to the barn, I slowly came to the realization of what I wanted to do. Actually, what I needed to do.

I needed to start an equestrian clothing brand that featured diverse models. I named it after my ex-racehorse Muirneen. I wanted to show the world that our sport was filled with the most incredible human beings, and they did not look like the models in the magazines. I shared the vision to Troxel Helmets and Weaver Leather, and they signed on to be sponsors even before our launch.

I organized a complex photoshoot with 17 human models and 11 horse models with my new clothing line. We had models of color, including Imani and Justin, the most beautiful black models you have ever seen. Imani is a new rider and learning how to canter. Justin is the smallest equestrian at the barn and learning how to trot without stirrups. My sweet model Addie is an inspiring new jumper and has the cutest purple and blue hearing aid. My trainers joined in with their full sleeves of tattoos. We had models of every size and shape, and it was magnificent. I believe that God has uniquely crafted each equestrian, and I am honored to showcase His workmanship in my clothing line.

We need to do better and showcase the gorgeous diversity that exists in the sport. Magazines need to do better and feature equestrians that look like me and my daughter, like Imani, Justin, and Addie. Equestrian websites need to do better and revere riders of all ages and skill levels.

Shelly Watts lives in Macomb, Mich., where she is the founder of Muirneen and a self-described beginner adult re-rider in the hunter/jumper discipline.

Photos: Muirneen Equestrian