#nofilter

Whether Alex Bauwens is shooting arrows off the back of a horse or sliding to a stop, she’s documenting it on social media to connect with like-minded riders.

- Nichole Chirico

When you see Alex Bauwens’ Instagram page, you get the real deal. No filters, no Photoshop, just photos and videos showcasing her daily riding adventures. Sometimes it’ll be a video of her doing a trick shot off the back of a horse with her bow and arrow, other times she’ll have her drone in the sky to follow her as she treks through the untouched desert terrain, and occasionally you’ll see photos of her most recent artwork as a professional painter.

It doesn’t matter where she is or what she’s doing, Bauwens always finds a way to enjoy life from the back of a horse.

Horse Crazy

For as long as Bauwens can remember, she’s been horse crazy. Growing up in Northbrook, Illinois, her love for horses started at 3 when her mom, Julie, got a horse: an appendix Quarter Horse named Diamond Dancer.

“I was the kid that insisted on wearing their riding clothes to school,” Bauwens jokes. “Since then, my whole life has involved being around horses.”

From the first time she had a chance to sit on Diamond Dancer, horses were all Bauwens could think about. And to prove to her family that she had what it took to be dedicated to the sport, Bauwens began spending as much time at the barn as she could, pulling weeds and mucking out stalls. From there, she began taking jumping lessons and immediately fell in love with it. However, shortly into her riding career, her mom was in a riding accident that left her in the hospital.