Adventures in Riding and Writing: Meet Miki Clements-Collier

For Miki Clements-Collier of Mason, NH, riding horses and writing in her journals have been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. With an abundant equestrian life and diverse horseback riding background, Miki is a popular clinician, judge, and steward in New England. Now, as an author and blog writer, her passions have merged together..

The horse bug bit Miki early in life, and she has pursued an equestrian lifestyle ever since. “Horses were an addiction for me,” she tells us with a laugh. “I started riding horses when I was eight years old after lots of begging and promises to my parents; it was truly one of the best moments of my life.” Her riding ability and dedication to the sport were soon realized, and when she was 14 years old, her parents purchased her a two-year-old prospect. Together, they competed all over New England and even qualified for the prestigious Medal Maclay twice.

“I was really lucky,” Miki explains. “I rode with the Fairfield Hunt Club, and they gave me so many opportunities. I was able to ride anything and everything, which expanded my skills and let me log hours in the saddle.” Her riding life then brought her to Kentucky, where she was able to jump into fox hunting with both feet; she even had a brief stint as the co-District Commissioner (DC) of the Long Run Pony Club.

Fast forward 20 years, and Miki is back in New England. She heads back down to Kentucky to watch the Rolex 3-Day Event and visit with her friend Carroll, who, at that time, had several horses for sale. “He knew that I was looking for a horse, and ended up giving me one heck of a deal,” she says with a laugh. Miki came home with not one, not two, but FOUR horses in a package deal. “I did have a bit of a problem, though,” Miki recounts. “I had nowhere to bring the horses!” She quickly connected with a friend of a friend who had a barn in New Ipswich, NH, and she was able to bring the horses there.

The purchase of the horses was accompanied by a twist of fate. Within a month, Miki was married to the man who owned the farm: Sarge Collier. “It was so sweet, I was up riding in the ring, and he brought a bottle of Dom Perignon up for us to enjoy after my ride. How could I ever say ‘no’ to that?” she giggles. Miki and Sarge have now been married for over 19 years.

Sarge was no stranger to horses himself. He started riding quite young and helped ride the fences on a working ranch during his time in college. “He never rode English, always Western,” Miki explains, “Although, I did convince him to hunter pace with me after we were married!” Sarge and his 17.3 gray Appaloosa Percheron named Cupcake were a familiar sight, riding all over the New England area. Unfortunately, Cupcake was laid to rest earlier this year. Sarge currently trains hunting dogs.

Miki still owns two of the horses that brought her and Sarge together. Calypso and Rhumba are full sisters (Hanoverian/TB mares). “When they were younger, they were identical, and you couldn’t tell them apart,” she says. “But now that they are 23 and 24, they are starting to grey in different areas.” Miki still rides them consistently, often ponying one while riding the other.

In addition to her own horses, Miki stays busy teaching a handful of riding lessons and serving as a New England Horse Council (NEHC) rated judge and steward. “I really enjoy it, and it is a great way to attend horse shows and enjoy the equestrian community. I just love judging the short stirrup ring, that is my favorite. The hope in their eyes and the excitement of the little children, that is truly what it is all about,” she says. She recently earned her International Mountain Trail Challenge Association (IMTCA) judge’s license as well.

Recently, Miki found herself without a job after a significant layoff in her corporate position. This new life phase encouraged her to return to another one of her passions: writing. “Now I have two active blogs, and I am working on my second novel,” she says. One of her blogs, Miki’s Picks, is about hiking the trails of New Hampshire. In contrast, her other blog, Self-Employed Again, chronicles the trials and adventures of being self-employed after many years of working in a corporate setting. She is also penning her second novel regarding the fox hunting scene in Kentucky, “It sounds trite, but it just came to me. Unfortunately, the guy that I bought my horses from died a few years ago, his death brought up a lot of memories and stories. This book is a fictional account of some of those stories which allows me to take more creative liberties,” Miki explains. Her first novel, a book about a young woman headed west, is currently at the editor’s undergoing minor revisions.

Miki is also a familiar face at The Cheshire Horse. She first started shopping with us nearly 20 years ago. “I’ve been a customer forever… In fact, I bought my oilskin chaps there on one of my first visits,” she recounts. “I’m happy to say that they still fit!”

Over the years, Miki has brought her students to us as well, allowing our sales staff the opportunity and pleasure to help outfit them in their riding gear and show ring apparel. “When I trail ride, I ride in Western tack. Marianne [the founder and owner of The Cheshire Horse] has always been so good to us and helps us find exactly what we need. My husband and I attended a seminar regarding lightweight Western saddles (a must for him because he was riding a 17.3 hand horse!). We were delighted by the Fabtron Saddles, and Marianne helped us order the perfect saddles that would fit both our horses and us. She even took his heavy Circle Y in trade.”

When Miki isn’t in the saddle, at the computer writing, or hiking the trails of New Hampshire, she enjoys spending time with her young grandson. Together they go biking, hiking, kayaking, and riding. Both of her children live in the Boston area.

“My life with horses has been wonderful,” Miki concludes. “I am so lucky to have the experiences that I have had and met some of the most incredible people.” At The Cheshire Horse, we are proud to have customers like Miki, and we look forward to reading one of her books. We hope she plans to write her memoirs next!

We love introducing everyone to our loyal customers! It is fun to learn more about the incredible equestrian community that we are a part of. Are you interested in being a part of our Equestrian Spotlight? Email us at [email protected] to become a part of this exciting blog series.