Our Featured Adult Rider for the Month of August is Haley MacLean!

Haley is a great example of a rider who began in our junior beginner course and then returned to Lancers as an adult rider. She has now been riding for around 17 years! She started riding in the beginner course at age eight or nine and started membership lessons right after because she loved it so much. She rode as a junior rider until she went to university at which point she rode with the Dalhousie Equestrian team. After two years away from Lancers, she decided to come back as an adult rider and is now in our J2 ride. During her summers, she also taught and rode at the Equus Horse Centre for approximately nine years.  

Haley’s favourite horse is Jacob and has been since she first rode him when she was 15. She was therefore was extremely excited when she was able to get her name on his stall plate during the Lancers’ Christmas Party in 2010. Haley thoroughly enjoyed attending and competing in the Downtown Horse Show in her pre-teen/teen years and she has definitely helped with a few barn clean up days over the years. Hay deliveries have of course taken up her time over the years too.  

Haley’s favourite memory from Lancers is when she cantered for the first time. She explained, “It was an indoor lesson in the dead of winter and my ride was all taking turns cantering around the arena to the end of the group. I was so nervous but luckily I was riding Cash and, the angel that he was, cantered as soon as I put my leg behind the girth and carried me around the entire ring with no further prompting while I likely bumped around like crazy on top. I was officially hooked for life after that”.  

Many years have passed and Haley reflects the importance of Lancers to her, noting: “Lancers was such a safe space for me for so long, especially during those harder, pre-teen years where you feel more insecure. Having somewhere to go after school where everyone was so friendly and all had the same passion for animals that I had was such a great feeling. Almost all of my long-term friends I still know and hang out with today were made at Lancers. So who knows who and where I would be without its influence! Not to mention all the great horses at Lancers I have loved over the years from Panda when I was a kid to Jacob in my adulthood. It’s a super special place I was very lucky to find and take advantage of.” 

Haley just completed her Masters in journalism and she certainly sees a career in writing in her future. Where ever she goes, she hopes to keep riding in her life and if she can stay in Halifax, she will continue at Lancers for sure! When not writing or riding, Haley likes to play basketball and also creates pet portraits of animals for extra money in her free time! You can check out her website here: (pawpaints.ca) 

We look forward to many more years of having you with us, Haley!