Meet Anu Joshi, Dressage Rider and Blog Writer
As many equestrians will tell you, horses often have the ability to help a rider discover themselves while revealing the most positive aspects of their personality. This is certainly true for Anu Joshi, a Michigan-based dressage rider and the founder of the popular blog Chetak Horses. With her infectious enthusiasm for horses and an optimistic attitude toward life, her blog and her hashtag #EveryRiderHasAStory seek to tell the stories of individuals while showcasing the diversity of the equestrian community.
Born in Spain to parents of Indian descent, Anu and her family immigrated to the United States when she was a young child. As fate would have it, she was given a book What Do Baby Horses Look Like, soon after she arrived in the US. The rest, as they say, is history. Anu quickly became obsessed with horses. “Quite frankly, my family didn’t know how to handle my interest in horses,” she says with a laugh.
While finances were originally a limiting factor to her equestrian pursuits, Anu was able to begin formal riding lessons at the age of seven. “My parents found an incredible riding school that was really focused on learning a proper foundation,” Anu explains. “I still have incredible memories riding a light grey gelding who was white to my young eyes. I remember so fondly thinking that ‘Opie’ must have been a unicorn.” After that first lesson, she was hooked!
She continued riding with a number of different barns throughout her childhood. Anu was primarily responsible for funding her riding endeavors, working hard to be able to afford lessons and riding time when it was available. Unfortunately, she was met with adversity and encountered a horse trainer who was abusive to horses and verbally abusive to the riders. “This created a trauma situation for me and it has taken me a lot to begin to heal from this experience,” she says. This experience brought her back to her original riding school, where she felt a sense of community and safe in the saddle.
There, she met her heart horse, a chestnut OTTB named Achates. They quickly developed a partnership and Anu was able to purchase him. “He truly is the perfect first horse for me,” she says. The pair made the transition to dressage when Anu was 18, allowing her to focus on a systematic approach to training methods. “He has really shaped my riding the most. When I first bought him, I had a hard shell; but he was able to get through that and give me a better understanding of who I am and who I want to be. Being a sensitive horse, he helped me develop the timing and skills to become a better rider. I like to say that he is the horse that built me,” she explains. “He is a very reactive horse, so competition wise we haven’t done much, but we keep pushing forward.”
“Just keep moving forward and showing up to ride. Eventually things start to get better and you make progress. The important thing is to keep showing up and continue to persevere through the tough times”
Her relationship with Achates has given her a new perspective on patience and a strong sense of perseverance. “I think that the biggest thing that horses have taught me is, that even when things do not go as planned, it is okay. Just keep moving forward and showing up to ride. Eventually things start to get better and you make progress. The important thing is to keep showing up and continue to persevere through the tough times,” Anu articulates.
Her commitment to her riding career led her to Wellington, FL, where she worked for Lisa Marie El-Ramey, a USDF “S” Judge, a working student for 15 months. “I really wanted the experience of going to Wellington, and it was really worth the hype. I wanted a judge’s perspective on my riding, and Lisa was able to really increase my skills and understanding,” Anu explains. “Additionally, I was able to watch Laura Graves and Verades at the peak of their partnership. It was so inspiring to watch riders at that level and learn from them week after week during the winter season.”
Looking to the future, Anu is hoping to move up the levels and earn her USDF medals. However, it was apparent that Achates did not have the potential for the upper levels. “My parents gave me the most kind and incredible gift that I have ever received,” she tells us. “They invested in my riding career and surprised me with a young Andalusian gelding when I returned home from Wellington. It was the most incredible gift and he has already taught me so much.” Basilio is currently two years old and showcases potential for the FEI levels. “My mom chose his name, it means noble or king… that’s why I often refer to him as the ‘little king.’”
Around the same time, Anu started her blog, Chetak Horses, (Fun fact: Chetak is the legendary horse of Maharana Pratap, an Indian warrior). “At first, I was focused on sharing other people’s stories. Fortunately, I have some very kind barn friends who allowed me to practice interviewing them and let me feature them on my blog,” she laughs. “However, it was on Instagram that I began to realize that I needed to share my story as well. When you put yourself out there, you are extremely vulnerable; but, by putting out that vulnerability you give people the permission to start being vulnerable themselves. I realized that I needed to do what I was asking others to do.”
“Horses are for everyone, regardless of their background or abilities. . . . I think that anyone who wants to have a relationship with a horse should be able to.”
Her blog is now a chronicle of her dressage journey with Achates and Basilio while serving as a platform to showcase the diversity of the equestrian community. “I wish more people understood that horses are for everyone, regardless of their background or abilities. Horses are the most incredible animals that help us to learn so much about ourselves. I think that anyone who wants to have a relationship with a horse should be able to,” Anu explains. Anu also began the hashtag #EveryRiderHasAStory to continue to connect with equestrians around the world and learn more about their individual backgrounds.
“My main piece of advice for equestrians is to find a way to persevere,” Anu concludes. “It is a lifetime sport, so you need to understand that it is going to be a process. I think that will to never give up and keep trying is truly the best thing that you can cultivate for yourself as a rider. As you cultivate your perseverance you can begin to improve your skills and reach your goals.”
Learn more about Anu by visiting her blog, Chetak Horses, or her Instagram page, @ChetakHorses.