H&S: Can you tell us a little about your move in 2009 from
the world of policy research to the world of equestrian style?
MK: I earned an MA in Education Policy from Stanford in
2003 and moved to Portland directly after graduating, taking a job working for the U.S. Congress. From there, I joined the faculty of the Oregon State University College of Education, doing research on a special project team for the Dean. I had every intention of a long term career in academia. I was co-investigator on a research project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation focusing on innovative high schools and was traveling around Oregon interviewing teachers, parents, school board members, etc. – all the stakeholders – in places that were doing innovative, successful things. The work was intellectually stimulating but I was also having a bit of an existential crisis… The common denominator in the people I interviewed was their all-consuming passion for their work. I wanted to feel that same spark in my own work and it was clear to me that horses were my deepest well of inspiration. I made the rather unorthodox decision to leave a very lovely academic job to start working as an assistant trainer in a Hunter/Jumper barn – at thirty-something. I loved spending days that included more horses than humans, riding one horse after the next, and I really enjoyed the teaching side of things. It was during this time that I started an equestrian blog called Dappled Grey. The premise was that a life with horses influences almost every aspect of one’s life – what we wear, books we read, movies we watch, places we travel… essentially the “lifestyle” aspect of equestrian life before that word was as ubiquitous as it is now. I simply started seeking out products, events, movies, etc. that I was interested in and wrote about them. I guess you could say I was still doing “research,” just of a different kind. The blog amassed a following right away. It became clear that readers were hungry for this kind of content! It was really a new segment of equestrian media vs. the traditional show results or how-to oriented magazines. I turned to Dappled Grey as a full time business in 2009. At the time, it was almost a kind of taboo: you didn’t do a blog for work; it was just a hobby. Of course, now it is an established business avenue.
H&S: How do you go about searching out and choosing
the products that you feature? Do you have some favorite products? Some favorite designers or retailers?
MK: When I started Dappled Grey, it was really sort of driven by
curiosity, my own taste and interests – getting lost down Googlesearch rabbit holes, finding mainstream fashion items that would appeal to equestrians and vice versa. Now, it has a lot more to do with relationships. I have been lucky to get to know and work closely with many equestrian brands and businesses. We keep in contact and they share new things with me. I also get a lot of unsolicited inquiries. It is always fun to open an email and discover an amazing new artist or design – the thrill of discovery! In terms of choosing, it always has to be something that I love. So it really is a genuine reflection of my own taste, but also a sense that others will love it too. There’s a great gut feeling when you know something is really good and will be wellreceived on the blog. The two highest compliments for me are
when a business tells me they trust me to tell their story, and when readers react with enthusiasm to a piece. When I was starting Dappled Grey, I was also starting my horse Fitch under saddle. I would ride in the morning and then work on the blog in my breeches and helmet hair the rest of the day. It was not glamorous but was very authentically a product of an equestrian lifestyle. A great many equestrian businesses were started and continue to operate in this same way, often times by women, combining their passion for horses with an entrepreneurial spirit. We’re a tribe and it is a great fun to support them. I have a lot of favorites – it’s too hard to choose! Daphne Markcrow’s Oughton Limited comes to mind. We’re personally simpatico in our philosophy and her bags are just really gorgeous, timeless, and beautifully made to last forever – and they appeal to riders and non-riders alike. Or Tad Coffin, a double Olympic gold medalist in Eventing at the 1976 Montreal games who has dedicated his life and career to improving horse comfort and performance through innovations in saddlery. Every Tad Coffin saddle is conceived, designed, tested and manufactured at his incredible stable/workshop in Virginia. Of course, to see all of my favorites, check out TSG Equestrian Volume 1.
H&S: Sarah Appel, owner and publisher of Horse & Style,
has said that Dappled Grey was one of the inspirations for the magazine. What inspired you? And what does now?
MK: The unique lifestyle aspect of the equestrian world is the
core inspiration, but I have two principles that are the foundation of what I do: The first is that the equestrian lifestyle, and my content, is for everyone. You’ll hear a lot of people say that it’s silly for someone who doesn’t ride to wear a pair of breeches or riding boots for fashion, but I completely disagree. If a non-rider finds beauty or inspiration in the equestrian world, why wouldn’t we want to share that with them? So I try to select items and write about things in a way that is inclusive and universally accessible, whether or not the reader is a horse person. I also recently read a critique of sorts that described equestrian lifestyle content as essentially frivolous and less important than other kinds of equestrian media. I am a serious student of horsemanship, dedicated to continually learning and growing as a horsewoman and rider in this ever-humbling sport, and I write about equestrian fashion. The two need not be mutually exclusive and I hope to convey that in my work. Joining The Scout Guide has influenced me to think more deeply about their mission and how it applies to the equestrian world – things like supporting small, independent businesses and the idea of buying with intention, celebrating exquisite craftsmanship and attention to detail.
H&S: As an experienced blogger, and having started your
own from scratch back in the earlier days of blogging, how has the web changed over the last 6 years?
MK: It has changed so much! Technically, it feels now a bit
like we were etching on stone tablets back in 2009! Instagram didn’t even exist when I started Dappled Grey. Social media has transformed everything and it is always evolving. Everyone is a publisher now which is exciting, even though it creates a lot january/february ·
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