The Blonde & The Bay by Madelyn Houser

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The Blonde & The Bay by Madelyn Houser

Quarter Horses + Dressage. 🐴
FEI Dressage Rider paving my own untraditional journey. Founder of The Blue Duck Memorial Fund. 🦋

• Adult Amateur dressage competitor based in Central Texas
• USDF Bronze and Silver Medalist
• Follow us on Instagram //

17/09/2026

Jury is still out if I’ll actually make this series a thing, but regardless, here’s a piece of wisdom for you coming from non-professional equestrian. 🙂 Moral of the story: perfection isn’t a real thing and learning is sexy! 😜

16/09/2026

Just two girls not-so-patiently waiting for a cold front in South Texas. 🖤

Although I would genuinely love a 60°F morning and cozy sweater more than most right now, there actually is something I admire about this time of year. I think the awkward stretch between the beginning of August and the first cool breeze of September in Texas is a good reminder that we don’t have to rush through a transitional period in life, you know? Lord knows I have truly had my fair share of messy-middles lately.

Summer isn’t suddenly gone. Fall never arrives all at one time. There’s this small, weird-ish window where one season is slowly loosening its grip on us while another begins to make its own entrance. I think life with horses, or just generally speaking, can sometimes feel a little like that, too. I’m preaching to myself here, but not everything has to be solved or figured out immediately. Not every transition needs to be rushed because we’re ready to get to the other side of it.

Every now and then, we have to let ourselves be somewhere in between. Because, in my experience, the reward is always worth the patience.

In the meantime, I’ll be over here dressing for fall while still breaking a sweat but at least I’ll have cute clothes with high moisture wicking capabilities. 🪄 Kerrits Equestrian Apparel makes the transition from summer to autumn a bit simpler with pieces that truly work for both seasons. I adore the In the Zone Coolcore Long Sleeve Riding Shirt (in my favorite pattern: Black Horse Whimsy) because it keeps me extra comfortable with Coolcore technology but also serves as a great layering staple BECAUSE the fibers of Coolcore are shaped for temperature regulation and not just for cooling purposes! The more you know. 🤓 Basically? Bring on the ‘ber months.

So, here’s to embracing the messy middle, trusting the timing, and Kerrits keeping us comfortable through all of the in-between. 🍂🤍

14/09/2026

In an earnest effort to meet my off-property riding struggles head on, we decided to haul to our local arena last week for a fun little adventure. I do believe my smile in the second slide would accurately depict our experience! This was my very first time to ride Paloma in a new environment without needing Krista to swing a leg over beforehand. Paloma did absolutely phenomenal. And, I ended our ride feeling so proud of myself that yes, I did get emotional and shed a joyful tear from the saddle. 🥹 I’ve worked really hard to gain Paloma’s trust since the day she became mine, but in the same breath, I’ve put in the equal amount of energy into learning how to trust another horse once again. Feeling the fruits of our labor begin to take shape is just SO freaking special. So yes, this was a huge milestone in our partnership and I’m immensely grateful for Krista Leutzinger’s patience, support, and encouragement in every facet of my journey with P. 🤍

Side story: this particular arena fronts I-10, and as I was sitting on P chatting to another barn-mate, an 18-wheeler had a full on BLOW OUT. 😳 It legit sounded like a bomb went off right next to us!! What did P do? Simply lift her head to look in the direction of the highway. I immediately gave her the biggest hug and profusely thanked her for taking care of her mama. Marked safe! 🤪

09/09/2026

Palomaaaaa. 👀🫣🥲

06/09/2026

I still have more days than not where I genuinely doubt myself as a rider. I know!! I have talked in great detail about my confidence throughout my years online, but the reality is that it’s still something I struggle with more than I’d like to admit.

Riding off property in new places and environments is where I feel the most challenged. There is something about leaving the comfort of home that can easily make me second guess my abilities even when I know logically that I’m prepared. Now, I’ve come a long ways since my gnarly fall in 2013 while at a competition. I’ve done things I once never thought I’d be capable of achieving! However, my personal successes don’t mean the yucky feelings simply go p**f. Being somewhere unfamiliar still tugs at the “what if?” part of my brain.

To make matters even better, I put a lot of pressure on Maddie. I am a chronic perfectionist and over-achiever. I know what I am capable of while in the saddle, so when my anxieties creep up, it’s super easy for me to think I should be past this point by now. I should be more confident. I should be able to handle my sh*t. I’ve done some hard things in my day. Why do I still carry this weight?

I used to assume that if I put myself through enough uncomfortable situations, eventually the internal noise would just shut up. To be clear, exposure certainly helps! Each time I’m willing to be vulnerable, sit with the discomfort, and realize that I’m actually okay, I always deposit a coin in my trust piggy bank. My goal isn’t for the noise to completely disappear though. I think my goal is to hear without letting it take over. I can know I’m well equipped and still be nervous. I can know that I don’t have to convince my mind that nothing bad is going to happen. That’s not real life! I do, however, have to trust that if something DOES happen, I CAN handle it.

I think this is what confidence looks like for me right now. Confidence isn’t never questioning my skills. Confidence is learning those feelings of doubt don’t get to determine my future. When my “what if?” taps its finger on my shoulder, I’m trying my damnedest to answer it with a different style of question:

What if I can?

03/09/2026

Three days. Thirty lessons. Filled before noon on opening registration day. Nothing but GRATITUDE. 🙏🤍🦋

I couldn’t make the 2026 Blue Duck Memorial Dressage Clinic happen without the generous help of my sponsors, Kara O'Laughlin, LAMP and Jill Tweedy. These two women are a few of my biggest supporters, and I’m so grateful that they not only believe in me, but believe in my passions for the untraditional and unconventional. October 9th can’t come soon enough!!

24/08/2026

Every year around this time, I start creating more of a conversation about my Blue Duck Memorial Dressage Clinic. And, with each passing year (2026 marks the fourth, wow!!), I find myself wanting to further chat about what this clinic actually means to my heart.

My clinic series was originally inspired by my own untraditional journey with Ryder. Ryder taught me that there most definitely isn’t one singular way to arrive at dressage, and that sometimes the most meaningful experiences are the ones you could’ve never originally imagined. After we lost Blue in 2024, I changed the name of the clinic to the Blue Duck Memorial Dressage Clinic as a way to honor him, too.

As many of you know, Blue was my husband’s team roping horse before he became my dressage horse. He quite literally lived between our two worlds. Seamlessly. Our blue roan embodied so much of what I personally believe about Quarter Horses… Blue was living proof that a foundation bred Quarter Horse, and a horse without a traditional dressage background, could absolutely have a seat at the dressage table.

More than that, Blue represented possibility.

Blue showed all of us that our horses don’t have to fit neatly into the box we originally put them in. Their stories can be rewritten. Our stories as equestrians and riders can be rewritten. Blue taught us that a horse’s past does not have to dictate their future… that where we begin does not have to define where we end up.

I guess this is what the clinic represents to me.

They’re a celebration of the unconventional path in a traditionalist society. Of the Quarter Horses and other assorted stock breeds who are proving to be successful in a Warmblood-dominated industry. Of riders who are finding their own way in this sport on their own terms. It’s a celebration for the horses who have changed us, challenged us, and who have left an imprint long after their time with us on earth has ended.

The Blue Duck Memorial Dressage Clinic is a little piece of Ryder, a little piece of Blue, and a whole lot of belief they both gave me in what is possible when you’re willing to take the road less traveled. 🤍

Address

734 Stadium Drive

76011

Website

http://www.theblondeandthebay.com/, http://theblueduckmemorialfund.com/

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