By Laura Scaletti
Portraits by Elena Doloti
Young girls often daydream about being the next Simone Biles or having a horse of their own. Haley Smith combined both of those dreams when she discovered vaulting in middle school.
With a mother who was a show jumper, Haley and her sister were destined to grow up in the stable and become barn rats. “The barn quickly became our second home. It was a place that gave us roots, where lessons about patience, kindness and hard work were woven into our everyday lives,” Haley said.
For as long as she can remember, Haley has been captivated by all things horse related and horses have been an integral part of her life. “I can still picture myself as a little kid running down the aisles with my sister, proudly helping clean stalls or simply sitting with the horses and soaking in their presence,” she said. “The stable raised us in so many ways. It gave us structure, purpose and joy. Horses were never just an activity for us, they were the heartbeat of our childhood.”
Haley has now made horses her life’s work. She’s currently an assistant trainer for SPeters Dressage, runs her own dressage program and works for ClipMyHorse.tv as an interviewer and producer.
Early Enthusiasm
Haley spent her childhood exploring a variety of equestrian disciplines in the English and Western worlds. “I believe this broad early background gave me a wider perspective and fueled my enthusiasm for equestrian sport and all of its possibilities,” she said.
Following in her mom’s footsteps, Haley’s first stop was the jumper ring. “I loved the thrill of it, the speed and the flying over fences, but around the age of 10 I was introduced to the sport of vaulting and that quickly became the center of my world,” Haley said. “Vaulting combined everything I loved about horses with artistry, movement and teamwork.”
From the moment Haley tried vaulting, she was instantly hooked. “I knew I had found something I wanted to dedicate myself to, as it was completely unique and demands true athleticism. You have to be strong and flexible, but also precise and in tune with the rhythm of the horse beneath you,” she said.
Looking back, Haley believes vaulting is one of the best ways to build a foundation as a young equestrian. “It builds balance, body awareness, rhythm, and, most importantly, trust. You learn to rely on the horse completely, to move with them rather than against them, and to respect every stride,” she said. “Without reins or stirrups to rely on, you learn to follow the horse completely, to move with their stride and to stay soft and centered no matter what happens. That kind of training makes you very sensitive to the horse and gait.”
Vaulting not only gave Haley confidence in the arena, but it also gave her confidence in life. “It gave me the tools to be patient, be present and work as part of a team—skills that have shaped every part of my riding career since,” Haley said. “Standing and performing on a horse in front of an audience teaches you early on how to stay calm, trust yourself and trust your horse.”
Another life lesson learned via vaulting was the importance of teamwork, both with her horse, lungers and teammates. “Vaulting is never done alone. That kind of partnership showed me how important communication, trust and accountability are, both inside and outside the arena,” Haley said.
Equine Acrobatics
Haley competed in her first-ever National Vaulting Championship in 2010. “That was likely when most parents would consider a new sport for their child: Last place and a brown ribbon had my name written all over it. A tall, leggy teenager attempting acrobatics on horseback just wasn’t clicking. The passion was there, but the question lingered—would anything come of it?” Haley said.
That answer would come 11 years later when Haley was standing on an international podium in Budapest, Hungary, receiving two bronze medals in the sport of vaulting. Haley never gave up on her dream of being at the top of her sport. “My truth is simple: Hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard,” she said. “Those early years in the arena taught me to tune in to the smallest details of the horse beneath me, to stay calm so they could stay calm, and to rise to the occasion as a partner rather than a passenger.”
In 2016, as a sophomore in high school, Haley tried out for the Pacific Coast Vaulting senior team based in Woodside, California. A relative newbie in the sport, making the team was a long shot for Haley. “To my surprise, I made the team as an alternate and was determined to turn that opportunity into something bigger. For half a year, I flew every Friday from Colorado to California and returned on Monday, while still attending public school during the week. I was lucky to have incredible teachers who made this possible despite the demanding travel,” Haley said.
In addition to making the team, Haley met Carolyn Bland, the team principal of the senior championship team. Unbeknownst to Haley at the time, this introduction would shape Haley’s future in the horse industry.
By the end of Haley’s sophomore year, Haley and her parents decided she should move full time to California to pursue her vaulting dreams. Haley finished high school online so she could dedicate herself to equestrian sport. “Coming from a family that was not wealthy, my parents instilled in me the importance of contributing to my own opportunities. I worked extra hours at the vaulting club to help support my training and education, and that responsibility taught me the value of hard work and determination,” she said.
That same year, Haley qualified for the summer championship in Le Mans, France, which marked the beginning of her international competitive career. “From 2016 to 2021, I competed in major world championships including the 2016 Senior World Championship in Le Mans, the 2018 World Equestrian Games, the 2019 CHIO Aachen, the 2019 FEI World Cup Final, where I earned a silver medal, and finally, Budapest, where I won Team and Pas de Deux bronze medals,” she said.
Finding X
Four years after standing on the vaulting podium in Budapest, Haley stood on another podium at the North American Youth Championships. However, this time she was a gold medalist in dressage.
The COVID pandemic forced a pause in Haley’s vaulting pursuits. As vaulting requires multiple people, including the lunger and athlete, California clubs went on hold from 2020 to 2021 because vaulting was considered a contact activity.
“Rather than stepping away from horses, my longtime trainer and mentor, Carolyn, decided we should focus on continuing the education of our vaulting horses via dressage, which also gave me the opportunity to expand my own skills as a rider. That time became a turning point in my career, because it was when I first began exploring dressage,” Haley said. “The transition felt like a continuation of what I already loved, just expressed in a different way.”
Haley jumped into dressage with full force. A competitive person, Haley wasn’t interested in just learning dressage, she wanted to test her new skills in the show ring. “Two months into dressage, I entered my first local competition. I was rung out of the arena after going off course multiple times and not knowing where to halt. I could not even find the letter X,” she said. “I laugh about it now, but going from the top of one sport to the very bottom of another was a lesson in humility.”
After a year of focusing on dressage, Haley recognized that she needed to enhance her education if she wanted to take the sport seriously. After competing at her final world championship in vaulting, Haley moved to Vessen, Germany, to work as a student under Stefanie Viehoff-Wolf at the end of 2021.
Haley spent six months working in a very traditional German stable. “I have fond memories of building close relationships with the other working students and learning from their determination. From breaking in young horses to watching Steffi prepare Grand Prix horses for the Bundes Championship, it was an experience I will never forget,” she said.
Expanding Horizons
In 2023, on a horse-scouting trip with Carolyn, the duo tried horses at Blue Hors in Denmark. While trying a variety of horses, the sport manager noticed Haley’s riding. “At the end of the trial, he pulled us aside and asked whether I would like to stay as a professional rider and American asset for the team. Working there under Nanna Merrald and the incredible history of Blue Hors was nothing short of a dream come true,” Haley said. “From the professionalism to the sportsmanship, horsemanship and team camaraderie, that was a very special time in my equestrian journey.”
After her time with Blue Hors, Haley returned to the United States and committed to working for Steffen Peters in San Diego, California, as his full-time assistant. Haley was first connected with Steffen via her job at ClipMyHorse.tv, when she was sent to interview him about his Olympic partner Suppenkasper, aka Mopsie or “The Rave Horse.”
While conducting the interview, Steffen asked Haley if she’d like to try riding Mopsie. “Like every other opportunity in my life so far, I jumped at the chance with excitement in my eyes. At that stage in my dressage career, I had no idea what it was supposed to feel like, but what I felt on Mopsie was the essence of the sport I was quickly falling in love with,” she said. “I will remember the feeling of being on Mopsie for the rest of my life.”
In 2024, Haley turned pro. “Becoming a professional was never something I rushed. From my vaulting career, I learned the value of slow precision and attention to detail, and I wanted to bring that same mindset into my riding. It was important for me to develop fully as an athlete first, to build the pillars and grounding roots that would sustain a long-term career,” she said.
Haley feels honored to have the opportunity to work side by side with Steffen and absorb his level of horsemanship and training knowledge. Thanks to Steffen and the foundation laid by Carolyn in the early days and still today, Haley has her own 13-horse program at Arroyo Del Mar.
“I have a deep love for young horses, which is evident throughout my program. I developed my own 4-year-old into a successful Prix St. Georges horse by the age of 8, and today I ride multiple young horses under 5 years old each day,” she said.
In 2024, Haley began her partnership with Great Lady TC, known as Gigi. Gigi was a mare with a long history at the top of the sport in Europe before crossing the pond to become Haley’s mount. However, Haley didn’t want to just be Gigi’s next home—she wanted to be her forever home.
Their first few rides were much like Haley’s first vaulting competition, not something you’d likely want to stick with. “She was rearing, pinning her ears and testing me. One thing instilled in me as a vaulter was that if you want to create magic, you must form an unbreakable bond with your horse. There are no tricks or shortcuts. The horse must trust you completely if you ever hope to create something beautiful in this sport,” Haley said.
Haley was determined to earn Gigi’s trust no matter how long it took. Eight months after those first tumultuous rides, the duo was representing the United States on the international stage in The Netherlands and Germany, finishing the summer at the top of the podium in Traverse City, Michigan, at the North American Youth Championships.
“I first went to Hagen in 2024 as part of Steffen’s team, working as a groom. I was able to watch the very best riders up close, see how they prepared, and experience the sport at its highest level from a completely different perspective,” she said. “To return in 2025 with my own horse was surreal. Stepping into the arena as a competitor gave me perspective on how far I had come in just a year’s time.”
Lasting Impression
Through her job with ClipMyHorse, Haley has been able to combine her love for storytelling with her passion for all things equestrian. “Balancing this work with my riding career can be demanding, but I’ve found that the two roles complement each other. The media work constantly inspires me, giving me a deeper appreciation for the journey of others, while my own experiences in the saddle allow me to connect with riders on a more personal level,” she said.
Haley hopes her own journey can inspire young riders to chase their dreams. “Horses have given me the chance to see what’s possible when you work hard, stay patient and surround yourself with the right mentors. My greatest hope is that by sharing my path and building my program, I can help open doors for the next generation and encourage them to believe in their own potential,” she said.
For Haley, success will never be measured by ribbons on the wall or titles she earns along the way. “It will be measured by the lasting impact I leave behind—the horses I’ve developed with care, the riders I’ve mentored with encouragement and the example of doing this sport with integrity,” Haley said. “My biggest goal is to build a legacy rooted in the love for the horses, respect for the process and a commitment to carrying the sport forward with purpose and passion.”
Follow Haley on Instagram @HaleySmith_equestrian_
Photos by Elena Doloti, elena-dotoli.com
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