Showing horses is challenging, rewarding, exciting, and sometimes stressful, where riders and their mounts work together to achieve their goals on a public stage.
Samantha Foust of San Juan Capistrano, California, has been riding and showing horses since she was a child and is very familiar with all the excitement and emotions that showing brings. However, this past year has been a new show experience for Samantha because she’s riding double in her classes. That’s right, Samantha is pregnant with her first child, a boy, and is due in mid-June.
Foust and her husband Bronson found out she was expecting their first child just a couple of weeks before the 2020 AQHA World Show, where she planned on showing her talented roan mare Cool Cruzen Lady aka Hazel (VS Flatline x Suddenly A Cool Lady).
Samantha spoke to her doctor, who told her that, as long as her pregnancy was healthy and normal at checkups, there was no issue with her continuing to ride. She is an experienced equestrian who has been riding and showing for many years and Hazel is a broke, reliable mount, so Samantha felt confident in her ability to ride safely.
With her doctor’s clearance, Foust and her husband decided to go ahead and show at the AQHA World Show, and it was a memorable decision for many reasons. Samantha brought home her first globe with a Reserve World Championship in Amateur Western Riding and won the Level 2 Amateur Trail. According to Samantha, “Those win pictures are particularly special because we had accomplished our goal, and my son was technically in those pictures with us.” Baby’s first show was a huge success.
Foust recently competed at Sun Circuit while six months pregnant, her final show before her son is born. She and Hazel had multiple top-five placings in their favorite classes: trail and western riding. Samantha was noticeably pregnant this time around, and she relied on chap extenders, a basic zip-up shirt and went without a belt and belt buckle to accommodate her growing baby bump. She was thankful to Hazel, her trainer Tonya Brown, her mom Kelly Ihde, and her husband, Bronson, for supporting her as she continued to ride with her extra passenger.
Being a mother is an all-consuming experience, and many moms admit it is easy to lose sight of their hobbies and dreams during the experience. Foust is thankful that her family encouraged her to pursue what she loves, and she is looking forward to exposing her son to the fun and excitement of horse shows once he is born.
Foust says that riding was great for her mental health throughout her pregnancy. She recommends other moms-to-be to consult with their physician before riding, but if cleared, she reminds them to listen to their bodies during the process. She found she got tired and sore more quickly while pregnant, so she would shorten her lessons, reduce practice time at shows, and do more stretches to warm up for riding.
Overall, Foust is grateful to have such a great horse to ride and cherish the photos and memories of showing her son riding double along with her. We wish Samantha and Bronson all the best with their future little horseman.
CLICK HERE to see Samantha and Cool Cruzen Lady in this month’s GoMag.
