Through The Big Sky Classic in Bozeman, Montana, Horse Spot had the pleasure of meeting Maddie Thomas. If not for this incredible horse community, our East Coast team might never have crossed paths with her. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to be on-site at these shows, connecting with exhibitors face-to-face.

Maddie is the first rider featured in our Rider Spotlight series, and we couldn’t be more excited to share her story. Her passion for horses, design, and the Montana equestrian community is inspiring and quite magical. Be sure to check out her advice section—she’s wise beyond her years! We can’t wait to see where her graphic design and riding careers take her. Who knows? Maybe one day, she’ll be designing alongside us at Horse Spot!

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1. Tell us about your riding career. Did you grow up riding in Montana?

I grew up all over the place. I was born in Tennessee, and when I was one year old, we moved to Indianapolis, Indiana. In between NC and MT I lived in Indianapolis again for 8 years. My family felt we needed to get out of the city. We fell in love with Montana after visiting for the first time. Six months later, we packed up everything and moved across the country.

I grew up riding Western. When I was three years old, my parents let me choose a movie while getting my haircut. Naturally, I chose Spirit, and I’ve been hooked on horses ever since. Every weekend, my mom would take me to the local state park for trail rides until I was five and old enough to start lessons. I didn’t start riding English until fifth grade but I only did that for a year before taking a break until COVID. I fell back in love with riding all over again, but it wasn’t until I visited Montana for the first time that I tried English again.

Starting in Western gave me strong horsemanship skills that I now carry with me into English riding and show jumping.

I currently own two horses. My 18-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred gelding, Reece, has done everything from equitation to jumpers and eventing. He’s been semi-retired but he has started showing interest in eventing so we are going to do that for as long as he wants. He also helps my mom with lessons—he’s also great with little kids. 

Then there’s Ruthie, my big jumper horse. She’s a 13-year-old Holsteiner mare, and I actively show her in the .90m classes. She has shown up to the 1m classes and schooled up to 1.40m at home. She is truly an incredible horse and I am beyond lucky to get to call her mine.

2. Where are you going to school? What inspired you to major in Graphic Design?

I attend Flathead Valley Community College, studying Graphic Design with a focus on Web Design. Their programs are phenomenal. I’m a huge art and design nerd. It’s the perfect set up for my goals and passions. I love that I can earn a quality two-year degree and start my career earlier instead of spending four years at a university.

3. You’ve been an advocate for Horse Spot ever seen using our platform at the Big Sky Classic. What did you enjoy about it?

From one designer to another, looking at Horse Spot and all your graphics made me squeal, “Oh my God, I love them!” It just makes me so happy to see.

From a functional perspective, Horse Spot has been a game-changer for my time management. I honestly wouldn’t survive without my parents! As someone who deals with raging ADHD, Horse Spot has helped me stay on schedule with class times and it has given me a clear window for when I need to get ready and warm up. Without Horse Spot, it can get messy but now, everything is so streamlined. I know it’s also made the show staff’s lives so much easier!

4. What is the best part about living and showing in Montana?

The best part of living in Montana is that there’s no sales tax—plus, the mountains! I live just 20 minutes from Glacier National Park, and my family and I will casually drive there on a Sunday or whenever we want to enjoy a beautiful day.

I also love the long summer days. The sun stays out until 11 PM, so I’m always at the barn late.

The Montana horse community has been amazing. They are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and everyone is so welcoming and willing to help. Just last year, my barn family met the folks behind Trotty by Nature, and we immediately thought, These people are so cool. We just kind of took them in! I even offered them my tack stall at a show. I can proudly say that my Trotty by Nature sweatshirt is worn nearly every day at the barn.

I know that if I ever needed help, I have an entire community of people who would be 100% willing to step up. It’s a great feeling.

5. As a seasoned rider, what advice would you give young riders? 

First, don’t focus only on success or how you perform. At the end of the day, it’s about having fun, improving on what you’ve been practicing at home, and growing with your horse. It’s okay to mess up, make mistakes, and have bad rounds—those stumbles are what make us better riders, and they certainly don’t define who we are.

Second, you’re not running out of time. I’ve noticed that a lot of young riders feel like their riding career ends once their junior years are over. As someone who started competing at 16, I realized I had only two years in the junior ranks, while others had several more. But life doesn’t end when you move into the adult amateur ring—I promise you that.

Third, surround yourself with people who truly support you and believe you can accomplish anything. The right people will always stand beside you. When I went to Vegas for Nationals, that really hit home—I don’t think I could have done it without my incredible support system.

Surround yourself with people who truly support you and believe you can accomplish anything

And finally, building off that last point, you can’t do it alone. It’s okay to ask for help.

6. Who in the horse industry inspires you?

Hands down, it would be my trainer, Jen Moody. She is the most wonderful, kind, and supportive person I know. I can’t even fully put into words how amazing she is. From day one, she believed in me, and I had never experienced that before. It took my confidence from rock bottom to sky-high—just like that.

I feel like I can ask her anything, and if I don’t understand something, she explains it in a way that’s constructive and easy to grasp. She’s helped me and my horses so much, and I’m beyond grateful for her.

7. What moment are you most proud of in your riding career?

Riding at Nationals in Vegas on my horse, Ruthie, in the .70s during my final junior year was an unforgettable experience. I barely knew her at the time since she was a new horse for me, but we went double clear in everything. I didn’t beat the pony kids whipping around the turns, but I had so much fun.

Coming from Montana, nothing could have mentally prepared me for how big Vegas was—it was an incredible experience.

8. What do you do best? What are you working on?

I’m stronger all around on Reece since I have had him for 3 years. With Ruthie, she’s all over the place, and her pace isn’t always consistent. We’re working on regulating it in lessons at home. She just loves to go fast and take tight turns—she’s a jumper through and through.

My favorite thing to do is ride tight turns. It has gotten more challenging as the jumps have gotten bigger—there’s definitely been a learning curve. Finding the right distance to set myself up for the turn is something I’m working on.

One of my strong suits is riding for optimum time. I enjoy planning my track based on the clock.

9. What have you been excited about recently?

I’m starting eventing with my older horse, Reece. In May, we’re heading to Spokane for our first-ever eventing show. They offer an intro-level beginner/novice course with really inviting jumps.

10. Lastly, tell us about your all time favorite heart horse. 

Reece is my heart horse naturally since he was my first horse and taught me everything. But Ruthie is 110% my soul horse. She has her quirks, and you can tell she loves me and my family. She will throw hunger strikes if she isn’t working enough or if I leave her for more than 4 days, she even watches football with my dad at horse shows—it’s so funny. She’s completely converted me to the funky ones.

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Photography Credits:

Montana Photos by Chuck Thomas Photography

Las Vegas Nationals Photos by Andrew Ryback Photography

Big Sky Classic Photography by Emma Lynne Perkuhn Photography