JOIN THE CLUB!

Riding clubs of all forms can be found across the country. What should you look for when choosing—or starting—a club of your own? We asked three club leaders to share their insights

- JENNIFER PAULSON

When you think of a riding club, you might look back to your youth and being part of playdates and 4-H projects or maybe high school rodeo clubs. Your memories are probably filled with joyful moments, sharing your horses with your best pals, overcoming fears and obstacles together, and becoming young horsemen together.

Those fun times and fond memories don't have to live in dusty photo albums and corners of your brain that aren't consumed by your daily life. You still have time to share fun times with riders like yourself, learning from each other, leaning on one another during tough times, and traveling to fun and educational destinations to ride. Riding clubs for all ages especially adults-and of all kinds are fairly common across the country. You just have to be willing to look for them, or perhaps even start one of your own.

We caught up with three leaders of riding groups from diverse states New York, Texas, and New Mexico-each with different goals, membership numbers, and perspectives. We hope their insights inspire you to find a group of riders with whom to share your horse life, or even motivate you to start a group of your own. 

GANG UP FOR FUN

Lizzie Iwersen loves spending time with her friends as much as she does riding her horses and becoming a better horsewoman. When she moved to Texas, she set her sights on building a group of friends who could spend time together riding, cooking, and socializing, and she accepted every invitation that came her way to expand her horsefriend circle. Those roots started her Rein Gang Social Club.

"When I moved to Texas, my favorite thing was having a bunch of girlfriends around me that were as into horses as I am," Iwersen shares. "I'm a big fun-haver, and finding a group to enjoy horses together opened up a whole new level of enjoyment for me."