Jen moves for access
“It’s important to me that I live a life that’s meaningful and has an impact.”
Jen loves movement because it brings her outdoors, where riding becomes quiet, focused, and deeply present. Through @BlackEquestrians, she is also working to expand who gets to feel that joy, and to build a future where cost and access do not decide who belongs in equestrian sport.
Jen’s idea of staying active is simple. She wants to be outside.
“I love being outdoors,” she says, “so, for me, physical activity is the best way to enjoy that.” Whether she is riding or hiking, she values the quiet of nature and the feeling of being alone with her horse or dog, away from noise and expectation. She also knows what she does not want. “I can’t work out in a gym because I find it boring to look at and uninspiring,” she says. So she chooses movement that takes her where she feels most alive.
Jen first started riding at a summer camp when she was 10 years old. She had loved horses long before that and asked her mom if she could learn. Over two weeks at camp, she learned basic horse care, how to tack up, and how to ride. The learning never stopped. Jen is clear that riding is not a skill you check off and move on from. “You have to constantly be learning,” she says. “Each horse is different,” she adds, and good riding requires precision. “You have to constantly stay in the practice of giving clear but subtle cues,” she says.
Much of what she loves is relationship. “Definitely the connection with the horse,” Jen says. “They’re like big dogs you can ride,” she says, and she laughs about the personality horses bring. “Every horse is different and there’s a lot of fun in discovering their personality,” she says.
Her horse, Piper, taught her how sensitive that connection can be. “Under saddle, he mirrors whatever his rider’s attitude is,” she says. “If you’re tired, he’s very slow and pokey,” she says. “But, if you’re raring to go, he’s right there with you,” she says. The bond is not only in the ride. Jen describes care as part of the therapy. “After a ride, I really enjoy the time I spend brushing down Piper,” she says, then taking him out for grass. Even in winter, after riding indoors, she often takes Piper outside for a walk. “So we can both get some fresh air and enjoy the scenery,” she says.
Because she rides alone often, Jen keeps herself honest. She takes videos of her sessions to review posture and equitation, knowing that precision can slip without feedback. She also supplements with yoga when she can, because riding depends on flexibility and core strength.
Jen’s story also holds the reality of barriers. She is direct about the cost of the sport and how access can depend on more than love. “Horseback riding is very expensive, and stables are often far,” she says. Not having a car once meant she could not ride as much as she wanted. Even when she was finally able to get a car and buy Piper, budgeting became a constant practice. Later, law school required another hard choice. She made the decision to lease Piper to a new home because “it’s just not feasible to have a horse and be in school at the same time,” she says. Still, she found peace in where he landed. The home includes a rider who has represented Canada at two Olympic Games, and Jen receives photos, videos, and updates that she says “always make my day.”
One of Jen’s proudest memories is showing Piper, a dream she held for years. When a coach hosted her at a stable for the summer and the property held rated shows, the biggest barrier was removed. She entered classes, earned ribbons, and still returns to one video in particular. “I still regularly look back at the video of our first equitation round together,” she says. “We came first in that round,” she says.
Alongside her personal riding story, Jen is working to expand the sport’s story. She has long been aware of the racial disparity in equestrian sport and wanted to do something that created visibility and belonging. She started an Instagram account called @BlackEquestrians to increase representation of Black people in the sport. Her goal is bigger than content. It is impact. “It’s important to me that I live a life that’s meaningful and has an impact,” she says. She wants to help people and elevate the next generation, including in her future legal career supporting women and people of colour navigating business and tech. And she wants to bring that same energy back to horses. “Eventually, when I’m making lawyer money, I’d like to be able to provide riding grants to Black youth so they can try riding,” she says.
Jen moves for the environment, for connection, and for the kind of access that helps more people see themselves in the saddle.
Jen moves for access.
Who helped you open a door, or what door do you want to open for someone else? Share your story here!