We are celebrating Plus Size Riders as our July Featured Riders of the Month on YourDressage!
Here, meet an equestrian who shares about finding self-acceptance with the help of friends, a great trainer, and a Mustang dance partner.
By Lindsey Dean
Growing up, I was the little girl who always dreamed of owning and riding her own horses one day. I remember watching dressage on television during one of the summer Olympics, and being so awe-struck that people actually got to dance with their horses, on an international stage, to beautiful music. My mother, who was a hunter/jumper in her days, shared stories of her riding experiences with me. When she was at work, I would secretly try on her velvet hunt cap, tucked away neatly in the closet, and hold her ribbons, just imagining what it was like to ride and win, as she used to. I would read horse books, fact and fiction, plan out dream barns, and ask for a horse every chance I could. The dreams just weren’t going to come true and, being a plus sized girl my entire life, I never saw myself being accepted into the equestrian community anyway.
In 2020, my mom actually began taking dressage lessons and wanted me to start riding along with her, too. I was so discouraged by my weight at the time, as well as the fact that I knew I’d never be able to ride at my size, so I began to change my habits and work hard on my health. We researched for weeks, looking for the right barn and trainer who would accommodate me, as a larger rider. We looked at over half a dozen places, some not quite the facility we were looking for, or some with no trainer who would accept my mother and I as plus sized riders. Then, after weeks of searching, we finally found our perfect barn – Sawda Equestrian. The head trainer, Jessy, welcomed us with open arms, and an open mind. Jessy invited us both for lessons on her schoolmaster, a now-21-year-old mustang named Thor.
“Thor the Mustang” is a 15.2 hand red dun mustang from the Carter Reservoir herd. He was born in 2002, based off of his brand, and he was rounded up at the end of 2003. The Carter Reservoir herd, specifically, goes back genetically to the Iberian horses left by the Spanish, which is where he gets his primitive dun markings.
Jessy adopted him when he was eight years old, from an animal shelter in California, after his previous owner passed away. Thor was only halter broke at the time, and Jessy began to train him up to be her riding partner. Thor has since competed in endurance riding in California, successfully competed through Third Level in many USDF-recognized dressage shows, as well as competed in schooling shows up to Level 3 Western Dressage. He and Jessy even earned the majority of her USDF Bronze Medal scores together! He’s truly her heart horse and their unbreakable bond is undeniable. Thor is now practically retired from higher level work, and lives his best lesson horse life teaching Jessy’s students both English and western riding.
Both Jessy and Thor have taught me to become confident and fearless in the dressage world; a world where not having a “perfect” body can be intimidating for a plus size rider, or any rider who struggles internally with body image. Over the last year, I have gone through a weight loss journey, inspired greatly by the desire to be better for my horses, especially for Thor. In 2022, a barn friend stopped me in the aisle and talked to me about their own experience with weight loss surgery, and how it transformed their life and their riding. I had considered surgery in the past, but never had the courage to accept that I needed it. However, it was because of that friend that I went through with gastric sleeve surgery in January of 2023. I’ve lost over 200lbs in the last four years, a combination of hard work, losing weight on my own, and then with the weight loss surgery program. I’m very proud of such a tremendous accomplishment, which has now given me more opportunities, strength, and confidence in my riding.
It was five months after my weight loss surgery, in May of 2023, that I finally felt comfortable enough to enter a local in-person schooling show. In the days leading up to the show, I was never nervous about riding the tests. I was more nervous about how I would look, or what others might think of me as a plus sized rider, than about my riding itself. It is always difficult to push those thoughts out of my brain, as I’m sure some of my fellow plus sized riders can relate.
But, nothing will ever compare to the feeling I had traveling down my first centerline with Thor. In those moments between the bell and our final salute, there was no judge, no audience, no fear, and no self-doubt. I couldn’t physically see or feel any of that… in that moment, it was just Thor and I, dancing together. When I dismounted after my first test, tears welled in my eyes and my heart was bursting with pride. Jessy, who read my test aloud from the sidelines, was beaming ear to ear – both as a proud coach and a proud horse mom. Thor and I rode both an English and Western dressage test that day, and came home with a second and third place ribbon.
My partnership with Thor has taught me a greater sense of self-love and acceptance. At the end of every ride, Thor loves what we do together, and couldn’t care less about what I look like. Thor’s golden heart continues to teach, and encourage me to love myself, more and more with every ride. I’m extremely thankful to Jessy for welcoming me into her program and for sharing Thor. In a sport where we are often surrounded by slim, “picture perfect” riders, it’s hard to feel like you could ever fit in as anything else.
It’s uplifting to see USDF spotlighting the beauty that is the plus sized equestrian in modern day sport. We are all athletes, regardless of size. It takes guts to do what we do with our horses. I encourage everyone in the equestrian community to keep an open mind, and open heart, while remaining inclusive to all people who want to be a part of the dressage community. We should always aim to build up the sport, rather than limiting it.
My final words of wisdom? Ride the horse. Sign up for the shows. Go out on the trails. Take the lessons. Ride for fun or ride for ribbons. Just DO IT. Don’t let anything, anyone, or your own insecurities hold you back. When you’re in the arena, it’s just you and your horse.
