3 Female Equestrian Entrepreneurs

~ Julia Arnold ~ Leave a comment

I’m passionate about a lot in life. Two of those are horses and entrepreneurship, especially when we are talking about female-led companies. Because, yes, I’m also a big fan of supporting my fellow females.

I recently had the chance to interview and write about three awesome women who have made names for themselves in the equestrian world as business-owners. Not only that, the piece was published in Horse Illustrated, one of my favorite publications.

April 2017 HI Cover

You can pick up at copy of the April 2017 issue at your local bookstore.

 

IMG_1549
I don’t know who loved this article more– the awesome ladies I wrote about, or me, simply because I got to write about them!

Many thanks goes out to the business-owners: Christy Weflan of St. Croix Saddlery and Legal Horsepower, Julie Browning Bova of her eponymous interior design business, and Laurie Sharma, who started equestrian apparel brand Equine Couture as a one-woman venture with a single sewing machine.

Talk about GIRL POWER!

Until next time,

Julia

Calico Magic

~ Julia Arnold ~ Leave a comment

Someone recently told me there is something magical about calicos. I’m pretty sure I agree.

We recently convinced my husband to let us bring a cat into our home. Within just a few weeks, we are in love with her– our little barn cat-turned-house cat.

Allow me to introduce you. Meet Pikachu.

pikachu-arnold-with-logo-1-copy
My husband says I’m obsessed. (He’s right).

 

pikachu-at-stairs-2-with-logo-copy
Peek-a-Choo! 

 

walking-towards-me-with-logo
A little blurry, but I wanted you to see her in motion. She prances with her soft lil’ paws.
black-and-white-closeup-with-logo
Whoa now. Gotta love cat eyes. #creepycool

 

back-shot-with-logo
Bye!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Julia

The Horse Lover’s Holiday Gift Guide

~ Julia Arnold ~ Leave a comment

Christmas is in a few weeks. A few WEEKS! But it’s not to late to find a fun horse-themed gift for the horse fan in your life.

Here are four of my favorites.

For the little horse lovers, I think this Melissa & Doug Stamp Set makes a great gift (Amazon).

51lwlioslnl

Equine Enthusiasts of any age would love this beautiful coffee table book (The Horse, Parragon Books, Amazon).

81pq4mi5qcl

 

I’m obsessed with the elegant equine-inspired products from Julie Browning Bova Design (find this dish, as well as equestrian-themed phone covers, socks, blankets, and more online at JBB Design).

View More: http://gabriellecheikh.pass.us/juliebrowningbovadesign

 

Last but not least, I love this soft, loose tank by Little Atoms  so much I bought one for myself and my riding instructor (find yours on Etsy).

 

riding-tshirt

 

What are you shopping for this season?

~Julia

Find me on Facebook.

HorseWyse Magazine

~ Julia Arnold ~ Leave a comment

YEEHAW!

I’m excited to share a peek at the article I wrote that was recently published by the Australian equestrian magazine, HorseWyse.

Here is the cover!

fullsizerender-29
“Be a Horse Crazy Kid” is my piece.

 

img_0017
Title Page!

 

fullsizerender-27
I shared two of these photos for the article. One is of Ellen, a friend, and one is of my daughter saying “whoa.”

 

 

fullsizerender-28
Last but not least, another happy image of Ellen when she was younger, as well as my daughter in the upper right, being led by Alyssa Wick at Hardwood Creek.

I’ve always wanted to visit Australia. Maybe this is a sign I get to go soon!

🙂

Thank you for reading.

~Julia

My Daughter: A Little Rider

~ Julia Arnold ~ Leave a comment

Recently, for an Australian magazine that is printing one of my articles, I took some photos of my 4 year-old daughter riding.

She’s a natural, in my opinion ;).

Below you’ll find a few of my favorites!

 

e-from-below-with-logo
Here she is! Riding Leader at Hardwood Creek Farm, in Minnesota.

 

You have to love this sweet, patient Morgan horse: he must be wondering if anyone is even on him!

Elizabeth at Hardwood Creek Farm with logo.jpeg
First she wanted to avoid puddles, but soon she decided she wanted to go in “ALL THE PUDDLES!”

 

Here is Alyssa Wick, trainer at Hardwood Creek, leading Elizabeth.

alyssa-leading-leader-with-logo
Alyssa is basically Elizabeth’s idol!

 

Last but not least…

elizabeth-on-leader-with-logo
I love this shot; it naturally captures the joy she is feeling and the beauty of childhood (and horses!).

Thank you for stopping by!

~Julia

First Horse Show

~ Julia Arnold ~ 1 Comment

I took part in my first horse show last weekend. It was nerve-wracking, scary, and lots of fun! I rode an adorable Morgan horse named Gemini, trained by the Wick family over at Hardwood Creek Farm in Minnesota.

I was the one riding, of course, so my husband gets the credit for the following photos. He didn’t do half-bad, considering he was also keeping our two little ones in check!

Plus, arenas are notoriously bad for photos– poor lighting, lots of photo bombs, fast-moving, etc.– but I wanted to share them with you anyway. Enjoy!

 

cool shot zoomed in copy
That’s me: Number 289! Atop Gemini, a beautiful Morgan horse from Hardwood Creek Farm in Hugo, Minnesota. This is a Saddle Seat Academy Show: The Capitol Classic, July 2016.
Lining Up with a smile copy
Getting in the line-up after an amusing ride with Gemini. Morgans are known for their smart and active personalities. They are also lookers!

 

Julia at show close up copy
Trying to enjoy the ride…literally!
victory lap black and white copy
I love the horse’s movement here. Morgan horses in this discipline have a high-stepping trot. This is me doing a little victory lap after winning one of my classes (I was shocked too!).

 

Cool window shot for blog
Cool profile shot of the horse. I’m happy he didn’t get totally spooked when we went past the big window. Horses startle EASILY.

 

cool shot copy
There were only a few other people in my classes, which I liked. Too many riders in one area gets stressful.

 

Julia and Gemini copy 2.jpg
I like to think he enjoyed taking me for a ride!

Thanks for joining me :).

Best,

Julia Arnold

Horse Channel Articles

~ Julia Arnold ~ 1 Comment

I feel so fortunate that I’ve had the chance to write about some amazing people for HorseChannel.com.

If you’re a horse person too, you might like to check them out!

In this piece, I emphasize that it’s never too late to get involved in the horse world!

Barb
This is Barb Anderson, a fantastic rider at Hardwood Creek Farm.

 

I also loved writing this one, about a mother and daughter pair I know who both ride.

Lynette and Ellen
This is Lynette and Ellen– a great mother-daughter pair!

 

Finally, if you love art and horses, you will probably love the artists I feature in this piece.

wilf-the-brave-david-mcewen

 

I don’t want to leave you empty-photo-handed, so here’s a shot I took at a recent horse show here in Minnesota (F.A.S.H: Friends of the American Saddlebred Horse). [Trust me, it’s no easy feat getting a clear shot of a moving animal in a poorly lit arena! And I love this shot!]

FASH Shot 3

Thank you for reading!

~Julia

 

 

Country Life

~ Julia Arnold ~ 3 Comments

There is a lot of construction on my current route to the barn, so I took the scenic route yesterday. I was so inspired that I stopped about 5 times on the way home from my riding lesson to take some shots of what I found along the road.

 

All Good Organics
I love this tiny shop. It’s tucked back from the road.

 

Hardwood Creek Fence 2
What’s prettier than a white fence enclosing beautiful horses? This is Hardwood Creek Farm in Hugo, Minnesota, where I ride.
Abandoned House
As I told my husband, I have a thing for crumbling old buildings. I wonder how long this sweet home has been empty.

 

Black and White Tree & Haystacks
I LOVE the creepy tree on the left, and I love the hay field!
Crumbling Bricks
There was no shortage of cool old brick buildings on my route. I like the wood and brick on this one.

Thanks for stopping by! You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook.

~Julia

Beach Photos

~ Julia Arnold ~ 2 Comments

We hauled both kids and took the 3.5 hour flight down to the Gulf Coast of Florida last month. I was excited to try out my new camera in a different environment. So while no horses were to be found in the area, I still enjoyed some beautiful natural moments.

Here are some of my favorite shots.

 

Driftwood
Beautiful driftwood!

 

Flying Bird
Taking flight.

 

E and J On Beach copy
A wonderful moment. 

 

Cabana Sign.JPG
I loved the graphic appeal of this sign. 
Palm Tree
Obligatory Palm Tree Shot!

 

It's Cold!
“It’s cold! It’s cold!”
Kids in Sand copy
My sweethearts.

 

That’s all for now, though I could add about 100 other favorites :).

Thank you for stopping by!

~Julia

 

 

 

 

Family Park Date in Black & White

~ Julia Arnold ~ 4 Comments

I love color photographs. I really do!

Every once in a while, though, I love black and white photos even more. Sometimes a photo says more to me in black and white, as these did, below. I have no explanation for this.

These are a few recent photos of my husband, son, & daughter at the park. It was a record-breaking warm day in February, and as you can see from the clothing, we took advantage of it!

 

John and Daddy with logo

 

Climbing in B and W

 

John on Swing in Black and White with Logo

 

Sweet E in Black and White with logo

 

Sun & Trees

Thank you for visiting! You can find more of my work on Instagram and Facebook.

~Julia