Freshman Abbey Holiman stood in the saddle and urged the horse into a steady canter, and together, they bounded over the two foot jump. They landed gracefully, Holiman already looking toward the next jump as the horse began to pick up speed again.
Holiman rides horses English style every weekend, practicing cross country, dressage and jumping.
“I love it when the horse gets off the ground,” Holiman said. “And I love exploring the different personalities of the horses — their likes, dislikes, quirks, and all. I love figuring that out.”
Holiman started riding Western style five years ago, but did not enjoy it. She switched to English after a year.
“That’s when I fell in love with [riding],” Holiman said.
She had always possessed a love for horses, but as a child, it was dismissed as the “horse phase” that some young girls fall into.
If you love something that much, and you enjoy doing it, it’s hard for your passion to die down,” Holiman said.
Holiman does more than just ride during her weekly lessons; she also helps around at the stables when needed, and competes occasionally. She plans to continue this lifestyle of riding even after graduating, taking up a job that involves horses.
“I would like to [be around horses] as long as I live,” Holiman said.
Having grown up around disabled children, she would like to help them using horses in a practice known as hippotherapy as a job.
“It’d be cool if I could help kids learn to ride,” Holiman said. “It’s a cool program.”
