Each month, we will be profiling one of our Strides Student Members, so everyone can get to know each other a little! This month, we’ve chosen Colleen Embree-Jay, who is from Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada!
How long have you been a member of Strides? Since October 2023
What’s your favorite part of Strides? Everything! The accessibility to this kind of information in this way is mind blowing. I love the monthly focus & lectures. Office hours is an amazing platform. One can learn so much from seeing other rider’s issues and most do apply directly to me.
How has Strides helped you? Just in the month that I have been in Strides, I feel my partnership with my horse has really improved. The 30 Days to Round Challenge was a new beginning. And now the work with half-halts and the other topics being addressed in the Office hours video is a game changer.
What kind of horses are your favorite? I have owned may horses over the years and I love all warmbloods but my special relationships have been with trakehners.
What’s your goal for next year? To be more one with my horse. I will say specifically, balance, rhythm, suppleness, on the bit and round for my horse Prestley. For me, focus on rider position, soft feel, relaxed arms, better seat and use of both my legs and inside leg to outside rein!
What is something unique about you, your journey or your horse? My mother told me the first word that I ever said was “horse”. And so began my passion for this lifetime. My parents tried their best to squash my passion for horses but it never worked. I broke my back on a horse when I was 23. But that didn’t stop me. A month after I got out of my body cast, I won a 25 Mile Ride! No matter what career path I was on, I always came back to horses.
In the 90s I ran a breeding farm & stallion station. I was VP of Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association and traveled to Europe to learn how to set up a Stallion testing program in Canada. I took workshops with John Lyons & Monty Roberts. My own riding was always on the back burner and then I didn’t ride for about 10 yrs. When I turned 70 in 2020 I asked myself “what do I regret not doing in this life” My answer was TO RIDE BETTER! So I found an older horse and started back. Interesting about my horse Prestley is that I just found out that he is a relative of a mare we had in our breeding program in Ontario. I always regretted not keeping one of her offspring for myself. Now I have a relative of hers! After getting Prestley, I took a few lessons but also found Amelia Newcomb on Youtube. I watched everything she posted. Then I signed up for her workshop on Half Halts, next 30 Days to Round Challenge and now Strides.
What achievement (with horses or not) you most proud of? I was Miss Toronto in 1973 and when in the Miss Canada Pageant, riding 3 Day Event was my talent. I worked as a model & actress for 20 years in Toronto and NYC.
I am very proud of the work I did for Canadian Warmblood Horse Breeders Association, as well as the Breeding farm my girlfriend & I had in Ontario.
I’ve been married to a very supportive husband for 29 years! That’s a real achievement because he loves Dragon boating and I love riding.
What challenges have you overcome? When I was younger, if I were a horse, you would say I was a hot horse, which can be a real problem as a horse trainer. But that is how I used to be. Now I am full of patience and kindness from years of good training!
Physically, over the years, I have recovered from a broken back, broken legs, broken arm and many fingers. And now I am facing a hip replacement.
Financially, having horses has been a challenge but I have always found a way.
Any final thoughts? When I sit on a horse I feel at home. Why, I don’t know but I do.
After having broken 3 vertebrae in my lower back, I was no longer able to ride 2 point so had to quit jumping. Sitting trot was also not an option.
But dressage has always been my first love and I don’t care how much I can do, I just want to ride some dressage.
What Team Amelia is doing for people is so wonderful. You are all so kind and caring to everyone that I have seen involved in your programs, no matter what their level of riding. Your patience and concern for everyone is truly remarkable. I can see why you say Dressage for All!
