Hi you crazy horse person, you.
If you’ve landed here, there’s a good chance you’re the kind of person who feels like horses aren’t just something that you fit into your life; they’re the thing you build your life around.
You might be just starting your journey to build a life around this obsessive passion, you might be reinventing yourself in the horse world right now as you read this, you might be reaching new goals and achieving the big things, or you might be constantly asking yourself “why is this so hard? Am I making the right choices?”
No matter where you are on the ‘make horses your life’ spectrum, or what phase of life you’re in, your financial situation, how close you are to your goals, what you’re doing for a career, or even what discipline you ride, there are common threads that connect us all: we can’t imagine not structuring our entire life around horses, we need to follow this passion, and this life - regardless of what shape it takes (and there are many) - requires tough decisions, sacrifices, and a lot of resilience and perserverence .
This is more than liking horses. It’s more than fitting them in. It’s a dream, a calling, an obsession…
it’s just who we are.
This space is for you if:
You are building or have built your life around horses, not the other way around… your big decisions, financial choices, free time… it’s all built around your passion for having horses as the center point of your life
You have goals and aspirations - of any kind - in the horse world. In or out of the saddle. But this means something to you.
You have ever felt stuck, lost, overwhelmed, or just wondered if you’re making the right choices when it comes to what you’re doing with your life and everything you’ve given to have horses at the center of everything
You have ever wondered if you’re the only one feeling or thinking or experiencing the challenges, ups and downs, wonderful moments, big emotions, self doubt, imposter syndrome - the list goes on (one thing I can promise you from the many deep conversations I’ve been lucky enough to have in this industry across so many different people and life paths and disciplines is that no, you’re not alone in any of that. Not at all.)
You love horse people and want to connect with a community where you feel seen, heard, understood, inspired, and a sense of belonging.
You love horses. Obsessively. Irrationally.
When someone asks what your other hobbies are, you are very confused, because horses are life, and life is horses.
You are building, currently living, or have built a life centered around your passion for horses, horse people, and all things horse related, any you’re doing this any way you can.
Even when parts of this life, passion, and these goals seem impossible, you keep on doing it anyway.
You always turn the conversation back to: “so anyway… horses.”
If that resonates, know that I see you, because I am you. And I write for you, even when I’m sharing my own experiences. I bring your stories to life, I share your unique experiences, I bring in conversations from across the horse world to inspire you, spark conversation and new ways of thinking, and sometimes to just give you the reassurance that yes, those big feelings or difficult decisions or tough moments are normal in the horse world, and you’re not alone.
What you’ll find here:
‘anyway, horses.’ is at the intersection of heart and ambition.
It's for the passionate horse people who deeply love the horses on a foundational level, and have goals and aspirations in the horse world that drive them to shape their entire lives around horses, even when that’s not the easiest thing in the world to do.
This is a space for the horse people who know…
That deep down that you can love to compete and put the horses themselves at the heart of everything you do.
That you can have ambitions in horse sport and care most about the partnership with your horses above all.
That building a successful business or career around horses, or wanting to accomplish big things in the ring, doesn’t make you less passionate about the animals than those who enjoy their horses at home, at liberty, or in any other way.
That there’s no one right way to build a life around horses, and every path is equally as valuable.
Some of us are riders, some are breeders, creatives, trainers, activists, show managers, grooms, vets, barn managers, innovators, journalists. Some of us want chase Olympic dreams, and some of us want to simply feel confident and do our personal best in the ring. Some are at the top of the sport figuring out how to balance family and sponsors and not let people down and keep this whole thing going. Some are scraping their way up bit by bit to what feels like an impossible dream, but one they can’t give up on. Some are working in careers outside of horses and navigating what it’s like to sacrifice family time, friendships, vacations, and financial cushions in order to ride after work and use PTO for horse shows. Some are professionals, some are amateurs, some are juniors just starting out on the journey to figure out the path to their dreams. Some have tried many paths, with horses being the constant, and some have chased a singular goal.
This community and the content it centers around spans disciplines, ages, demographics, careers, and levels.
But it’s built for a certain kind of horse person.
We are not the casual enthusiast.
We are not the hobbyist.
We are not after a soft life.
Here you’ll find:
Intimate, personal, unfiltered essays on all aspects of what it takes to be in pursuit of an extraordinary life built around horses
Honest, frank, but supportive discussions
Stories from across our community
Monthly Substack lives - sometimes solo sessions on specific discussion topics you’ve asked to go deeper on, sometimes with special guests; from industry experts to inspiring figures in sport to the people figuring things out just like you might be, and sharing how they’re navigating it all, what they’ve learned, and the feelings that go along with those experiences.
The ‘anyway, horses.’ podcast - the official podcast launches fall 2026 on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, but Substack will always be the testing ground. Even before the official podcast launch, starting from day one you’ll get access to twice monthly podcast episodes only released here on Substack. After the official launch, every episode will air here first, and special bonus solo episodes, the cuts that didn’t make the public episode, and special members-only episodes will air here regularly.
A supportive, engaged, equally as passionate community of horse people. From the subscriber chat to future in person meetups, community is what this all centers on.
Why Substack?
Substack acts as the heart & homebase of the ‘anyway, horses.’ brand, but subscribing is much, much more than just subscribing to a Substack. Yes, you’ll get four articles every week. You’ll get monthly lives, and bi-monthly podcast episodes. You’ll get to connect and discuss and engage in the subscriber chat.
But this is only the beginning.
The future of ‘anyway, horses’ is big. It’s live, in person events. It’s a weekly podcast with top guests from across the horse industry, and with the people who’s stories you normally don’t hear, but that really should be shared. It’s a docu-reality video series (coming 2027) that peels back the curtain on the choices, life decisions, ups and down, and human experience of the people who have built extraordinary lives around horses. It’s merch that you’ll be proud to sport at the barn and in your everyday life and that helps you recognize fellow AH members in the wild. It’s special collaborations with your favorite brands, creators, athletes, and events in the horse world.
By subscribing here, you don’t just get access to a Substack. You become part of the ‘anyway, horses.’ world.
Who am I ?
I’m Erin Lane, and I write, create, and pretty much do everything I do for people like us: the people who are building, have built, or want to build a big, wonderful life centered around horses… in whatever form that takes for each of us.
I’m 37 years old and I have been in love with horses since I was born, and have been riding them since I was nine years old. I’ve always felt a deep and inexplicable calling to do two main things: build a big and meaningful life, and make my entire life revolve around horses.
If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know that my journey has been very non-linear, and that it’s still very actively evolving. I’ve had several career paths - both inside and outside of the horse industry, I’ve ridden multiple disciplines, I’ve been an amateur and a professional, had many ups and downs, my goals and ambitions have evolved to mean new things over time, and I have reinvented myself countless times.
I have experienced many moments of joy and fulfillment and a sense of purpose, and I’ve had equally as many moments of “oh my god, what am I doing? Will any of this ever work out, or am I making all of these sacrifices and crazy choices for nothing?”
I’ve been a trainer, a rider, a media producer, a journalist, a content creator, and a mom slash all of the above. I have struggled and still struggle with the financial realities of what a life built around horses involves. I have had many moments of feeling like I have no idea what I’m doing. And I’ve also had some incredible experiences, like working with and building close relationships with some of the biggest names in horse sport, and covering some of the biggest events in the world.
Through those incomparable experiences and my own personal journey of ups and downs, I’ve experienced a lot of sides of the horse world myself, and I’ve also been fortunate enough to hear the stories and experiences of many, many people from across the horse world - from Olympians to breeders to grooms, but also those not at the top level; the everyday trainers, the riders trying to make it, the amateurs wondering if it’s crazy to miss out on other parts of life to keep pursuing these passions.
For the past few years I’ve personally been trying to find my real place in this horse world that I love so much. The goals I once had have changed as I’ve learned more about myself and what will actually give me purpose. My career choices have changed. Even my riding has changed. But at the heart of it all, I have always known that those same two points of navigation I’ve had since childhood were still the compass I needed to follow.
‘anyway, horses.’ was born out of the desire to bring all of these stories, experiences, and conversations out into the open, and build a community around these things we all share. While all of our circumstances, goals, and life paths may be radically different, I think we - the horse obsessed, the fanatics - share more than we may realize.
I really believe that everything I’ve done in the horse world in these past two and a half decades of being immersed in it have been the building blocks that have lead to the launch of this brand.
I am so excited to get to share all of this with you, and I know it’s going to grow so far beyond me and my own stories, which is the biggest gift of all.
‘anyway, horses.’ is for the people who are building a life with horses ‘any way’ they can. Who are confronted with the challenges, hard moments, sacrifices, and difficult decisions and do it ‘anwyway’. Who are so horse crazy that in every conversation, we are always waiting for the moment to say….
“so anyway… horses.”
My hope for you:
I hope this space gives you the feeling of been seen, heard, and understood.
A source of inspiration, relatability, and sometimes, also a little entertainment.
To think, “Oh wow, that’s exactly how I feel, I just never had the words, and I thought I might be the only one”
To have your own lightbulb moments.
To feel supported.
To maybe get some great ideas, some clarity, some motivation, and inspiration for how to build that life around horses, how to reach those goals, and how to keep going when the challenges show up.
That you are able to follow your dreams, your ambitions, that passion for horses you just can’t ignore… and that you’re able to find a way to do it that lights you up, even if its not easy (which, lets face it, it usually isn’t when it comes to the horse world)
And you don’t have to do it alone. Here you can find new insights, hear stories from me and from all across the horse world, see and hear many different journeys, experiences, and points of view, connect with other people who share in this passion for horses, learn a few things, maybe share a few things with others, and know that there is and always will be a place for you in the horse world.
Here are a few of my most popular personal essays to get you started:
