Our Mission
We believe that stories matter. Barn rat populations—and the horse industry—will continue to thrive if passionate, diverse horse people of all ages and backgrounds have more opportunities to participate in positive, accessible learning environments that put horsemanship first. To create more opportunities, we need to speak up and share our unique stories about why horses matter and how they can change lives!
Learning from each other will inspire us to make valuable improvements, increase accessibility to equestrian sport, and create a stronger, more understanding community. At Barn Rats United, we seek to facilitate a positive spread of information by building an online story library and providing supportive resources to equestrians, both amateur and professional.
Save the Barn Rats!
What Is a Barn Rat?
Barn rats eat, sleep, and breathe anything related to horses. They are professionals who dedicate their careers to horse sport, health, or education. They’re also amateurs and young riders eager to lend a helping hand and learn, even if it means hanging around a barn in nasty weather or mucking out stalls day in and day out just to be in the environment they love.
Are Barn Rats Going Extinct?
No! Barn rats are still easy to find in most places. However, some equestrians fear that the barn rat lifestyle is dying out due to more equestrian programs focusing on horse sport and riding as a physical challenge to master rather than a lifestyle and partnership to understand.
Why Do Barn Rats Matter?
Barn rats are our foundation and our future! People who put in the time required to build strong horsemanship skills are the lifeblood of the equestrian world. We believe that the horse-human relationship is ancient and precious. The better humans are able to understand horses, the more both species will benefit from our shared interaction.
We value your experience! Please join our mission and share your unique stories about the joys and difficulties of navigating life with horses.
Meet Our Managing Editor
Katie C. has been a barn rat since childhood. She earned a BA in English with an editing emphasis and has worked in publishing since 2009. She and her husband are the parents of two avid horse lovers.
Katie is an amateur hunter/jumper who loves to learn about every facet of the horse world. She understands that each person’s path to and through the equestrian lifestyle is individual and often challenging, and she hopes to provide a place where horse enthusiasts of all levels, backgrounds, and disciplines can find common ground, celebrate horses, and learn from each other.