The Etsy Equestrians Interview #1:
Amanda of Bel Joeor Metier

Etsy reigns supreme as the online marketplace for creatives to showcase their goods and for shoppers like us to support their ingenuity and hard work. Did you know that there are a number of fellow horse lovers who have their own small businesses on Etsy? Today Saddle Seeks Horse is starting a series of weekly blog post interviews which will feature the Etsy Equestrians. These are horse crazy women like you and me, artisans who have launched products out of their passion and are now sharing them with the world. I’m super excited to lead off with Amanda of the blog Bel Joeor.

(And Amanda is going to be offering up some of her goodies in an Instagram giveaway–keep reading.)

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Introduction: Amanda is a Great Secret Santa

Back story on Amanda: she was my Equestrian Blogger Secret Santa two Christmases ago and all her gifts were thoughtful and amazing (just like her). She lives in an almost century-old house in Vermont! And the horse love of her life is a BLM Mustang named Tristan. Read further to find out more about our inaugural Etsy Equestrian interviewee and check out her Etsy shop.

1. You have a roan Mustang Tristan. Tell us how you came to be a team and describe your barn life/discipline/goals.

After I graduated from college, I had a job lined up for the fall and spent the summer with family in Maine. I got my horse fix by volunteering with Ever After Mustang Rescue. I did a little bit of everything around the barn and also worked on gentling some of the mustangs. Tristan (who was called Big Red at the time, because at 15.1 he was one of the biggest mustangs they had!) was assigned to me when someone applied to adopt him. The idea was that I would teach him some basic manners on the ground. He was ten years old and still could not be touched – he was rounded up from the wild and went to a home that neglected him for years before he was seized and sent to the rescue.

I spent hours crouched on the ground talking to him just to get him to eat a treat from my hand before he let me actually touch him. We worked up to very short under saddle sessions – just walking around – before I moved back to Vermont that fall. His adoption fell through, and I realized that I needed him in my life, so he came to me in January 2006. He hadn’t retained much from the summer, so we basically started over again. I groomed him in the indoor on a long line so he could move away from me if he needed to, and after a 15 minute grooming session he would drink an entire bucket of water from stress.

Long story short, we’ve been together from twelve years now. We evented for a long time because Tristan loved it and was an enthusiastic and reliable jumper. About four years ago, he had a stress fracture of his coffin bone that required surgery and the removal of about ⅓ of the bone, so I retired him from jumping. Now, we focus on dressage.

A long time ago, I realized that my relationship with him was more important than any particular discipline or goals. [Susan’s note: This is the part of the interview that got me a little misty! I had to bold that sentence.] He’s not all that athletic and I’m not all that talented, so while I do have some more traditional goals (certain scores at certain levels, etc.) my overriding goal is to keep him happy and healthy and to enjoy the time I spend with him. Everything else is secondary to that.

2. How did you first get into horses?

I was always horse-crazy. Horses were magnets for me – I would sit and watch them for hours, strain to catch a glimpse of them if we drove by a farm, read every book I could get my hands on, spent hours poring over catalogs and making lists of what I would need for my own horse. I grew up in a Boston suburb whose handful of farms disappeared through my childhood, so there were no real opportunities to be around them. When I was eight, I decided I wanted to play football – I’ve always been a tomboy – and though everyone tried to talk me out of it, my mother took me to Pop Warner sign ups. Right before she was about to sign the release form, she sighed heavily and said, “It’s just too bad, if you play football you won’t have time for those riding lessons your father and I just decided to schedule for you.” Genius parenting move, and the first time I actually got to sit on a horse.

3. Who taught you to sew and besides horsey gear, what else do you sew?

Both of my grandmothers sewed. My paternal grandmother designed and made the most extraordinary quilts, and my maternal grandmother made absolutely everything you can think of. I spent hours sitting by her as we planned out things to make together, and I can still close my eyes and hear the sound of her nails scraping the top of the dining room table as she laid out patterns. My mother also sewed quite a lot; she made our Halloween costumes from scratch every year. So I don’t actually have any clear, specific memories of learning to sew; it’s like the knowledge just seeped into my brain. I didn’t pick it up seriously again until a few years ago, though.

I’ve done a lot of different things. A whole bunch of quilts, and other blankets, for people in my life. I’ve made some things to make my own life easier – I spent a very long but fun day a few months ago designing and then making a loose leaf tea travel kit. (I’m a huge tea snob.)

4. Tell us about your Etsy shop.

I opened it in November of 2017, with two goals: to earn some extra horse money and to raise money for Tristan’s rescue, Ever After Mustang Rescue.

I make and sell useful things with an equestrian flair. I love having things in my life that are subtly equestrian and also serve a purpose. Or that serve a horse-related purpose and are just fun. So far, I sell handy bags, which are about the size of a cosmetic bag and decorated with embroidered equestrian designs, and fleece saddle covers in fun fabrics. Basically, I started making things that I couldn’t find, and thought I would want to buy. In the coming months I’ll be adding things like wine bags, tote bags, and fun, useful things – all handmade by me.

It’s been a real learning process, both to develop the patterns and send them out there but also to navigate what people want to buy. It’s intimidating to think that people want to buy things that I make, but people have loved them so far!

5. Tell us about your blog: how did you choose the name, when did you start, how you would you describe your niche?

My blog is actually named after Tristan. His full show name is “Tristan’s Bel Joeor.” Tristan is a mythological figure in medieval literature who is sometimes listed as one of King Arthur’s knights, and in some of the early French versions of his story his horse is named Bel Joeor. It translates roughly to “beautiful player.” When I got him, I was applying to PhD programs in medieval history.

I’ve actually been blogging on and off since probably 2002, which makes me really old in internet years. I’ve been blogging about Tristan and horse things since I got him in 2006. I started on LiveJournal (which I still miss!) and then transferred a lot of those old entries over to the blog’s current iteration. I love to write, and it’s always made sense to me to translate my thoughts, feelings, and experiences into writing and then share them.

I suppose I would describe my niche as my journey with my particular horse, with added information about horsekeeping in Vermont. I try to make it clear that it’s about my experiences and my perspective, whether I’m reviewing books or doing some background research on something to present that. I’m doing it because I find it interesting or useful personally.

6. What’s the greatest challenge and joy you face with either your horse or your horse blog or both?

My biggest challenge, by far, is time. I often measure my free time in fifteen minute intervals. I’m always overbooked and over-committed. I do function best when I’m overloaded but I struggle with finding the line where “happily running around getting things done” tips over into “freaking out and scrambling.”

My greatest joy is still seeing Tristan. That sounds really corny, but he is my heart horse in every possible sense of that phrase. When I see him it’s like I can feel that my heart is not in my own chest, but he carries it around with him instead. Seeing his head hanging out of the stall never, ever gets old.

7. You have an interesting day job. Please enlighten us with details!

I work at a museum, where I do exhibits and programs and special research projects. I was a history major in college, and went on to do an MA in history and museum studies. I’ve worked in museums since I was 16, so I’m coming up on twenty years of experience in them. I love history, and I love connecting people to history – that “aha!” moment when something just clicks with them and they really feel it, on an emotional level.

On any given day I might be introducing a speaker for a program, writing an article, conducting an oral history interview, examining an object so that I can talk or write about it, leading a tour of a gallery, reading a book for background, or traveling to examine someone’s collection to choose a piece to borrow. Right now, my two big projects are working on a major new exhibit and writing and producing a history podcast.

I think a lot of people think of museums as quiet and dusty places, but today’s museum is active, fast-paced, and very public oriented. The jobs where you hide away and just do research are fast disappearing. I have to be able and willing to go anywhere, talk to anyone, and learn about anything. This week alone, I’ve researched or given talks about automobile racing, the Soviet author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, counterculture in the 1970s, and Hollywood films.

It suits me down to the ground, and I like to think I’m pretty good at it, but it’s not an easy way to make a living. There’s always a lot to be done, and the constraints in the nonprofit world in terms of pay and resources are really tough and getting worse. I worked full time through grad school so that I could afford to keep Tristan; it was an incredibly difficult time during which I was constantly stressed and sleep-deprived.

8. What is it like to live in Vermont? Were you born there? Have you lived other places?

Small and cold! Vermont is tiny both geographically and population-wise. It’s the second least densely-populated state in the country. When I first got Tristan I lived in a mountain town with a population of 500; now I live in one of the largest cities in the state, population around 10,000. It’s difficult, if not impossible, to be anonymous. I regularly drive from one end of the state to the other for work in a single day.

It’s also one of the most beautiful places in the world. The Green Mountains are present no matter where you are in the state, and it’s a heavily forested, very natural place. Most of the state’s economy is still deeply rural and agricultural; there are only a handful of places in the whole state where you can see strip malls and housing developments. [Susan’s note: Sounds lovely!]

The people tend to be really liberal (there’s a reason Bernie Sanders is our senator, and we were the first state to legalize same-sex unions) and community-minded, smart and passionate. People make art and ski and are really, really into food.

Horse-wise, it’s a fantastic equestrian scene. There is an abundance of good trainers and gorgeous farms. (Tad Coffin, Denny Emerson, Steve Rojek, and Laura Graves are all from Vermont.) The facilities are top-notch, and of course, Vermont gave the world the Morgan horse.

I was not born in Vermont, which makes me a flatlander and is something that definitely comes up. I’ve lived in Massachusetts and Maine, never outside of New England.

9. Besides Tristan, who else is in your family?

I have a husband and a dog; my husband has a cat. (I don’t understand cats – it’s like our brains just don’t interface well. We sort of baffle and confuse each other. Also, I’m allergic to them, which can’t help.)

10. If someone were contemplating adopting a Mustang what would you say to her?

Do your research and take your time. Mustangs come in all shapes and sizes, and mustangs in off the range won’t react like the usual green horse that you may be used to. They react almost more like deer than horses.

So take someone with you who has a really good eye for conformation and a good quick read on personality. You’re not going to get much time to evaluation them like you would in regular horse shopping.

On the whole, they’re tough, smart, and sensitive, but they can also be stubborn, slow to trust, and – since they’re basically mutts, being more of a type than a true breed – their athleticism varies wildly. They’re not for everyone, but they can also be really terrific.

11. Whom do you regard as a hero or look to for inspiration in the horse world?

I love reading Alois Podhajsky’s writings, both about his career and about his philosophy of horsemanship. He was a consummate professional with a really empathetic understanding of the horses in his care. He was also an incredible leader during a difficult time (saving the Spanish Riding School during World War II), a thoughtful writer, and of course a beautiful rider.

12. When you’re not hanging with Tristan, what other interests do you pursue?

I read a lot – two or three books a week – and work on my house. It’s almost 90 years old and we’re renovating it room by room. I bake all of our bread and often try new recipes as well. We travel a lot, whether around the region (which for us includes Quebec) or overseas.

13. Do you have any horse-related bucket list items you’d like to cross off the list?

A few. I’d like to see the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. I’d like to visit the part of Nevada where Tristan is from, the foothills of the Toiyabe mountain range. I’d love to write a book about the history of the first Morgan horse, Figure. [Susan’s note: Yes! Write that book!]

14. What’s your favorite color?

I don’t have a favorite color! I know that’s probably weird.

15. How do your friends describe you?

I think they would say I work all the time! I’d like to think they would say that I’m always willing to jump in and help with a project. That I’m not great at chatting about fashion or television but I’m always up for a long, thoughtful conversation about politics or careers or big picture questions. That sometimes you have to poke me to remind me to answer about that dinner invitation but I’m deeply passionate about and committed to the things I believe in.

That’s a Wrap & Info to Enter The Giveaway!

I hope you enjoyed learning more about Amanda, her awesome pony love story, and are as impressed with her sewing talents as I am. Make sure to check out her Etsy shop with the taco print saddle cover, more handy bags like this unicorn pegasus one, wine totes, and maybe one day–a loose leaf tea travel kit.

One lucky winner (see post on Instagram–going live Monday March 5 after 3 p.m. Pacific) will get the handy bag and wine tote in the picture above (if you’re not a wine drinker, it’s perfect for sparkling grape juice!). Head over to Instagram to see all the official rules.