On the Buckle x Equitas | “Showing Up As You Are” - Sarah Elebert
There’s a moment many equestrian mums will likely recognise.
You look around and wonder how everyone else seems to be managing it all… The horses, the children, the work, the home life — while you’re just trying to get through the day without forgetting something important. Or losing a shoe (or both!).
Sarah Elebert knows that “moment of enlightenment”… well!
An equestrian coach and mum of three children under four, Sarah has been sharing glimpses of life behind the scenes for all to see via her Instagram account @sarahelebert. This is not the polished version of motherhood, but the real one. The messy middle where horses and motherhood collide.
And it turns out that showing up imperfectly is exactly what other people needed to see.
The Unexpected Power of Sharing
Sarah started to share more of her story again after her third child, son, Shay. What began as casual posts - between breastfeeding, tack room tidies and coaching - slowly became something else; women started reaching out. And, not because Sarah had everything figured out — but because she didn’t.
It occurred to Sarah that her lived experience of equestrian parenthood might help someone else out there - might give a shortcut or a tip that hadn’t been thought of before? And, if it helped but one person - that was reason enough.
What Sarah didn’t expect was quite how widely that honesty would resonate. Some of her videos have now been viewed by thousands of equestrian women — a reminder that the realities of horses and motherhood are far more widely shared than many of us might think.
Because when someone says, “This is hard today,” or “I’m not quite managing it all,” it gives everyone else permission to feel the same.
The horses still need mucking out. The kids still need feeding. The laundry still needs folding and… somewhere in the middle of it all, you’re trying to hold onto the version of yourself that existed before motherhood arrived. (No wonder this is tough!)
More Than One Identity
One of the things that Sarah reflects on in this short episode, is that most is the freedom that comes from allowing yourself to be more than one thing at once.
The equestrian world has always celebrated dedication and resilience. But motherhood adds (yet!) another dimension - one that often goes unspoken.
And yet… so many of us are living it every day.
The Messy Middle
If there’s one theme that runs through Sarah’s reflections in this episode, it’s this:
Most of us are in the messy middle.
This is the stage where nothing is quite ‘balanced’ yet. Where the return to riding looks different to how it once did. Where progress is slower and the wins are quieter (and perhaps a little ‘underwhelming’ on the face of it!).
But the joy, when it comes, is often deeper than previously experienced, too.
Closing thoughts
If Sarah’s reflections feel familiar, you’re not alone. Stories like this sit at the heart of the Equestrian Mums Club - the space where women can share the realities of horses, motherhood and everything in between.
Connect with Sarah
Instagram (Sarah) | Instagram (Equitas)
About Sarah
Equestrian coach with a passion for dressage and eventing
Mum of three young children, navigating the daily juggle of horses and family life
Did not grow up in a ‘traditional’ equestrian background — her love of horses came first and she built her way into the sport
A self-confessed Type A personality who believes small systems and routines make the biggest difference
COO and Co-Founder of Equitas, a global media platform supporting and showcasing women in the equine industry
Shares honest insights, practical ideas, and helpful systems through her podcast, social media, and website
Involved in the running of two additional non-equestrian businesses (balancing entrepreneurship with family life!)
About this collaboration
This On the Buckle perspective is shared in collaboration with Equitas, an organisation working (tirelessly!) to support and advocate for women within equestrian sport.
Equitas and the Equestrian Mums Club share a common aim: to ensure that women are reflected in the sport properly. Not just the showreel or ‘larger than life’ moments, but in all parts of our landscape. Because the everyday, quiet and regular moments are what powers our sport and wider industry.