SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

Sidelines MagazineSidelines Magazine

  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Flipbook
    • Subscribe Options
    • Order Individual & Back Issues
  • Podcast
  • Marketplace
    • Business Ads
    • Directories
      • Barns, Farms, Trainers & Clubs
      • Equestrian Services
      • Real Estate
      • Stallions
      • Tack & Feed Stores
    • Classifieds
    • Horse Trailers for Sale
  • Advertise
  • Blogs
    • Show World
    • What’s Happenin’
  • Partners
  • Contacts
    • Contacts
    • Employment
0
Tuesday, March 20 2018 / Published in Sidelines Spotlight

Amy Summer Ellison: From Ponies to Punk Rock to Fine Paper Goods

Amy delights fellow equestrians with her Hunt Seat Paper Co.

By Susan Friedland-Smith

Portraits by Kristin Lee Photography

A degree in political science, job experience as a welder and a stint on the punk rock party scene seem unlikely ingredients for launching a boutique graphic design business, but unconventional is conventional for entrepreneur Amy Summer Ellison.

Amy Summer Ellison and Regal Rowdy

It all started when Amy went to a Photoshop workshop as a teen to help her dad design manuals for his manufacturing company. Amy emerged from that experience with pretend party flyers and editing pictures of horses — and a foreshadowing of what was to come.

Now, the 30-something equestrian artist and Instagrammer from Los Angeles is the entrepreneur behind the blossoming paper product line Hunt Seat Paper Co., designing hip, horse-themed greeting cards and equestrian gifts that delight riders from coast to coast.

Horsey Girl’s Dream

Amy’s foray into equestrianism began on a pony during her fifth birthday party, and that was followed up with riding lessons at Bright Promise School of Riding near Los Angeles. Amy’s mom played a key role in her early horse addiction. “My mom grew up loving horses, but could never have one, so she always gave me horse toys. All my drawings from childhood are Appaloosa horses and I had a billion Breyers and My Little Ponies,” Amy said.

At Bright Promise, Amy eagerly learned all aspects of horse care and riding until she was 9 years old and the barn was sold to new owners who didn’t want to operate a riding school. Meanwhile, Amy’s parents had been taking her and her brother to see different stables on the weekends on a secret mission. “They were looking to buy their own horse property,” Amy said. “I thought we were looking for a new place to ride, not realizing we were shopping for a new house!”

Much to her delight, Amy’s parents purchased a run-down layup barn in Bradbury Estates, not far from Santa Anita, nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. “They tore it all down to a giant five-acre dirt lot, and built a five-star equestrian dreamland from the ground-up. To make it even better, it was the new home of Bright Promise School of Riding! I was the luckiest kid in the whole world!”

Amy took riding lessons five days a week and spent weekends at horse shows. Bright Promise hosted clinics ranging from dressage to equitation and hunter-jumper. Amy immersed herself in horses. “My mom had a dinner bell she would ring when it was time for me to come home, but she’d often have to come down and find me hiding under horse blankets, refusing to eat dinner because I wanted to eat with my horse!” Amy said. Those idyllic childhood moments later gave way to teenage self-discovery and an unexpected riding hiatus.

End of a Horse Era

At 18, Amy didn’t want to go to college, but enrolled anyway, embraced the punk rock party scene and then quickly dropped out. Around the same time, she had a 4-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred mare that was too much horse. Instead of finding joy in the saddle, Amy found anxiety. She felt pushed too hard by her trainer and after one particular argument during a riding lesson, Amy dismounted for the last time and gave up riding.

Amy began working as a welder, earning minimum wage at a shop that made professional off-road racing vehicles. “These were not weekend warrior dune buggies: They were all custom order and cost about $250,000 on up,” she said. “One day I asked myself, What am I doing?! and that’s when I went back to college.”

Determining a career path was a challenge, but a chance conversation with the editor-in-chief of her community college newspaper, whom Amy knew as the local bartender, helped her chart a course. The editor recruited her to work on the award-winning newspaper of Santa Ana College, where she further honed her design and communication skills. From there she transferred to Chapman University, graduating with a degree in political science.

Amy’s childhood was filled with horses, and after a horse hiatus she is back in the saddle again.

A few months prior to graduation, Amy realized she should have studied design, not political science. Undeterred by her lack of formal education, Amy set out on a design career anyway.

“Fortunately, I’ve never been one to take no for an answer and started my own freelance design company fresh out of school,” she said. “It was a tough road, but I’m so proud of my achievements.” The self-taught entrepreneur grew a thriving boutique design studio for seven years in which she worked for Fortune 500 companies and small businesses alike.

As Amy ramped up her career, her parents were winding down theirs. They retired and sold their equestrian center. All of the horses Amy grew up with were rehomed. The new owners of the property were not horse people and they razed the barn, turning it back into a five-acre dirt lot. Amy was heartbroken.

Rowdy Return to Horses

Amy realized that she missed horses in her life and she made this confession public on Facebook in 2013. “One of my old riding friends commented that she still had her old horse, but with three kids and a full-time career, she was looking to lease him,” she said.

Amy went out to meet Regal Rowdy, a sweet, bay off-the-track Thoroughbred, and fell in love immediately. “I was a kid again,” she said. “Rowdy was perfect for me. He was seasoned, forgiving and taught me how to ride again. I would wake up every morning thinking about him, and would sit at my desk everyday counting down the minutes to barn-o’clock.”

With Rowdy as her inspiration — “For Regal Rowdy” is on the footer of the Hunt Seat Paper Co. website — Amy has not only built a small business of fine paper goods, but also a community of like-minded horse lovers via her Instagram account and in person at her vendor booth at various Southern California horse shows.

Hunt Seat Paper Co.’s products possess a classic yet modern look in main colors of turquoise, black and white, and with copy like “Resting Mare Face” and “Best Trainer Evar.” Among its lineup of greeting cards, there are horse sympathy cards and horse show parent thank you cards — one for moms and one for dads. There are even beer koozies and posters celebrating the resilience of OTTBs. Wrapping paper designs of snaffle bits, hunt caps and horseshoes round out the product line along with Pony Pins “Fall Off Club” and “No Bucks Given.” And it all started as quick sketch on a Post-It note.

“I doodled the Hunt Life Vintage graphic on a Post-It, just for fun,” Amy said. “I fell in love with it, so one day I made it into a vector design in Adobe Illustrator and had it printed and framed in my office. I would stare at it a lot and that’s what got my mind moving on making more and more little equestrian graphics. I spent about two years making equestrian graphics when I’d find myself bored and sick of working. So by the time the idea hit me, I had quite the stock to pull from.”

Doing Good, Looking Ahead

During the voracious California wildfires in October 2017, Amy designed a fire-engine red Equine Warriors Society pin which she sold with 100 percent of the profits going to support California equestrian fire victims. She even personally collected horse items from fellow boarders at Rowdy’s barn ranging from saddle pads to lead ropes — all for the Orange County Canyon Fire 2 relief effort.

In December, when multiple fires broke out across Southern California, Amy sold the pins again and via Instagram stories, encouraged her 17,000 followers to be educated on best practices for wildfire evacuation and aftercare. This cause is close to Amy’s heart as Rowdy had to be evacuated from a wildfire in 2016.

In addition to Hunt Seat Paper Co., in early 2018 Amy became chief creative officer and co-founder for CloudKeyz, a startup that’s revolutionizing property management tools from old metal call boxes into a touchscreen mobile app. Although her day job has changed, her commitment to delighting fellow equestrians with Hunt Seat Paper Co. products moves forward. And her relationship with Regal Rowdy will continue to inspire her to create.

For more information, visit www.huntseatpaperco.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Double D Trailers Info

Tagged under: Amy Summer Ellison, hunt seat paper company, kristin lee photography, Susan Friedland-Smith

What you can read next

Lou Cirignano – Riding and Thriving Through Cancer
Allegra and Octavia Peardon: Moving to France, Horses and All 
Cutest Horse Races Ever: Leadline Racing at the Aiken Horse Trials

Download Sidelines Digital now from your favorite app store!

Sidelines Magazine - Apple store   Sidelines Magazine - Google Play store   Sidelines Magazine - Amazon store
Update iOS app. Re-download Google Play and Amazon app.

Follow on Instagram!

sidelines_magazine

Sidelines Magazine
A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself The spor A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself 
The sport of eventing is a demanding and mentally challenging discipline that requires a combination of physical and mental fortitude from both the rider and horse. While having a coach can be incredibly beneficial, self-coaching can also play a crucial role in a rider’s success.

I think that given the opportunity, most riders would like to be coached every day. The reality of life in the horse world, however, is that the majority of us need to absorb as much from the lessons we have on a limited basis and then practice those skills at home to improve.

When I am riding, I try to have a plan for the horses each day and focus on what I’m looking to achieve. It’s important to be aware of the steady improvements rather than trying to solve everything all at once. This is especially important when teaching horses new movements or exercises that they might struggle with, and we need to give them time to learn and understand what we are asking for.

I have a couple of quotes that I use regularly when I’m teaching, and these are mottos that I hold myself to in my daily work as well.

The first is, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.” This is a quote that was said to me many years ago when I was still motor racing and I keep it in the back of my mind each day. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same thing every day with your horse and bad habits are hard to break, from both riders and horses!

This leads me to my next quote, which is, “If what you are doing isn’t working, try something else.” It really is as simple as that! Many riders I see keep asking a horse to do something the same way over and over with an ongoing negative response and they wonder why things don’t get better. In these circumstances, I recommend that the rider change something, even if it’s wrong.

Read the full article by clicking the link in our bio! Don’t forget to keep your eye out for our April subscription!
📸Photo by Alex Banks Photography
The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
It's finally Spring🌷🌻☀️! Get your barn s It's finally Spring🌷🌻☀️! Get your barn set up with a Pyranha SprayMaster Misting System. 
✅Provides whole barn insect control! 
✅Easy to install with basic tools!
✅Electric pump & programmable automatic timer!

Get yours today!
@pyranhalife

#pyranhalife #madeintheusa #pyranha #equestrian #horselife #horselifestyle #barncare
Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

#dressage #equestrian #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #dressagehorse #equestrianlife #showjumping #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #instahorse #dressur #horselove #eventing #equestrianstyle #cheval #dressagerider #horselife #horselover #pferde #love #riding #jumping #pferdeliebe #horseofinstagram #horsebackriding #paard #dressurpferd
Load More... Follow on Instagram

From Our Classifieds Ads

  • AABEX Animal Health: Representative / Selling equine animal health products
    Looking to make a little extra cash to support your horse habit? AABEX Animal Health is seeking a few good "horse people" who might be interested in representing/selling equine animal health products into the performance horse market. Products include USDA approved immunostimulant products such as SETTLE for breeding mares,

    [Read more]

  • Zweibrucker Stallion - Gallant Reflection HU
    Gallant Reflection HU (Galant du Serein-Rohdiamant-Warkant) 2009 Zweibrucker Stallion 16.1 Hands Owner/Breeder: Horses Unlimited, Inc. Approved Registries: AHS, ARS, GOV, Westfalen, sBs Breeding Fee: $1,300 1-Year or $675/dose, cooled or frozen semen EVA Status: Negative, vaccinated annually WFFS Status: N/N Negative Video Link: About: A handsome stallion with an abundance of charm,

    [Read more]

Sidelines Articles by Email

Subscribe to Sidelines Magazine Articles by Email

RSS Sidelines Blogs: What’s Happenin’

  • Get More for Your Money with an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage
  • Longines Global Champions Tour of New York Returns to Governors Island
  • A Paris Horse Adventure: Saut Hermes 2022

RSS Sidelines Blogs: Show World

  • Will Coleman Retains Yanmar America CCI4*-S Lead in Dramatic Show Jumping at Setters’ Run Farm Carolina International
  • First edition of the World Sport Horse Sales was a hit with $410.000 for the most expensive horse
  • Liz Halliday-Sharp Takes Third Victory in $50,000 Grand-Prix Eventing Festival at Bruce’s Field

Category

Recent Posts

  • April 2023 – Table of Contents

    Subscribe for just $9.95 or Order Individual Is...
  • Building a Bond With a New Horse

    By Margie Sugarman I just bought a new horse. I...
  • Developing Healthy Relationships With Your Barnmates

    By Rob Jacobs The purpose of this month’s colum...
  • The Value of Self-Coaching

    By Liz Halliday-Sharp The sport of eventing is ...
  • Unbridled With Annette Longenecker

    By Britney Grover  Annette Longenecker wasn’t j...

Copyright © 1987 - 2021 Sidelines Magazine
Privacy Policy · Returns & Refunds Policy · Hosting by Lucian Web Service
· Login

TOP
Get the Sidelines Scoop — your weekly look behind the scenes.Sign me up!