By Laura Scaletti
Portraits by Stacy Tierman
Two things that bring joy to Taryn Young’s life are warmbloods and wine. In 2018, Taryn started her Instagram account Warmbloods + Wine (@warmbloodsandwine) as a place where she could share her favorite equestrian finds, wine reviews, beautiful horse photographs and her equestrian journey.
“The equestrian life is foreign to most, so I didn’t want to drive my friends and family crazy who weren’t into horses on social 
media, so I created Warmbloods + Wine. It was meant to be a journal type of account and a creative outlet curated for me, by me, but it quickly took off due to the pretty white aesthetic and the relatable story of a working Amateur who competed regularly, juggled work/life balance and navigated this expensive lifestyle,” Taryn said.
Through Warmbloods + Wine, Taryn has created a supportive equestrian community, with accounts on both Instagram and Facebook, that tries to bring together like-minded equestrians to support each other in the sport they love. Warmbloods + Wine has not only created an online community, but it’s also given Taryn opportunities to share how horses have given her joy throughout partnerships with many organizations and brands.
Finding the Joy
When Taryn was 7 years old, her mom signed Taryn and her sister up for a riding lesson. “My mom had always loved horses and she wanted us to experience her love for horses as well. We showed up to a local barn, and I knew right then and there that it was going to be my passion,” Taryn said. “I was hooked.”
Taryn has fond memories of the naiveté she had when she first started riding. She didn’t know nor did she care about the perfect equestrian outfit, rated competitions or what made a horse well-bred. Barn time was focused on learning and relationships with the horses. “We had to learn the basics before we were able to hop on a horse. The innocence of being a young, ignorant kid and learning about how to work with an intimidating animal was a thrill. There was so much to learn, but there was no pressure, and it was all about enjoying the horses and learning the basics,” Taryn said.
As Taryn was learning as much as she could about horses, a competitive dressage rider/trainer at her barn caught her eye. Taryn was immediately drawn to the movement, the roundness and effortless look of the horse and rider dancing together. “Most young kids have a need for speed and want to go fast and jump things. I was that odd little girl who knew dressage was going to be my thing at age 10 or 11,” Taryn said. “I have always been a perfectionist and it just felt right.”
Although she had a Thoroughbred, Devin, who was a jumper, Taryn wasn’t deterred from making the leap to dressage. Thankfully Devin was a good sport and went along with Taryn’s change of discipline, but it was a challenge. “To this day, dressage is still the sport that keeps challenging me. There is always something to learn and you constantly strive to get better. The challenge, the harmony, the journey and the beauty of dressage is what is so enticing,” she said. “To see the progress or the bond you’ve developed with a horse over time and experience is so rewarding and is apparent, especially in the show ring.”
Joy Rediscovered
Like many equestrians, Taryn took a hiatus from horses during college so she could experience the “real world.” After five years away, she got the itch to return to the saddle and began leasing a horse named Bella Luna. Prior to Taryn leasing her, Luna had just had a foal. The partnership benefited both, as Taryn was happy to bring the mare back to work while getting reacquainted with the dressage world. “She took me to places I never knew existed—Regional Championships, National Championships—and hooked me back into horses,” Taryn said.
After a few years of riding Luna, Taryn started leasing her foal, Rayne Dance, and Luna was sold. Although Rayne was 4 years old, it didn’t take long for Taryn to fall in love with him. When it appeared someone else might purchase him, Taryn made her move and made Rayne her own. “Since then, Rayne and I have done it all and he’s never been shown by another rider, aside from when I lent him to an equitation rider at Festival of Champions,” Taryn said. “I truly feel like he was made for me and we recently earned our USDF Gold medal this past year after debuting a very green Grand Prix. With the help of a great trainer, Mario Contreras, who helped us conquer the piaffe and passage work, Rayne and I accomplished this huge feat.”
The duo started at Training Level when Rayne was 5 years old; fast forward seven years into their showing career, and they are competing at the Olympic level of the sport. “We are far from perfect or even consistent, but we’ve earned every USDF medal together, are at the top of the sport and working on getting better and stronger each week,” Taryn said. “He’s not conformationally correct and doesn’t have the best gaits, but his heart is way bigger than his limitations.”
Luna may have helped Taryn rediscover her joy with horses, but it’s Rayne who is Taryn’s heart horse. “I really feel like I’ll never have another horse like him. The trust, the bond, the partnership we have is apparent to most and I’m beyond lucky to have him in my life,” she said.
Sharing the Joy
As a marketer by day for an auto tech company, unleashing her creativity came naturally for Taryn. While she didn’t initially intend for Warmbloods + Wine to be more than a personal creative outlet, she’s thrilled with the community she’s cultivated over the past five years.
Taryn was inspired to create Warmbloods + Wine after following equestrian influencers who shared their own horse journeys. “I reached out to a few of them, one being Madelyn Houser of The Blonde and the Bay, who is now a very good friend of mine. I asked her for advice, and I remember her saying to me, ‘Be authentic. Share what you want to share and what you think is fun,’” Taryn said. “To this day, I think Warmbloods + Wine is unique. I share home goods, clothing recommendations, training videos and positive equestrian quotes.”
When it came to naming her new venture, it didn’t take Taryn long to come up with the perfect handle. “Most horses in the dressage world are warmbloods and I love wine—so I thought it was cute. ‘I appreciate fancy horses & fine wine’ has always been in my bio—and apparently many others share the same sentiment,” she said.
Warmbloods + Wine is designed to focus on the positive aspects of the horse world and give its followers a dose of horse happiness whenever they need it. “Our community lifts each other up. It’s no secret that the equestrian world is expensive and there’s a lot of judgement and opinions. This can be hard to navigate alone, but it’s made easier when you’re surrounded by like-minded horse lovers,” Taryn said.
Taryn hasn’t just created the community of her dreams, she’s had many doors opened via Warmbloods + Wine. Taryn has established relationships with riders, trainers, business owners and brands all over the world. “I’ve spoken at a US Equestrian meeting and taken over the Dressage Today, US Dressage and PS of Sweden Instagram accounts. It has allowed me to be a published writer. I’ve collaborated with so many brands and organizations that I admire—Ariat, USDF, Kerrits, PS of Sweden, Pikeur, Tucker Tweed, Goode Rider, Ellany and Purina, to name a few,” Taryn said. “All of these opportunities were never in the plan but happened organically.”
New Venture
Through Warmblood + Wine collaborations, Taryn has had the opportunity to showcase a lot of new products and equestrian apparel. While she’s never promoted anything she didn’t fully believe in, she often had thoughts about how she might tweak a product she posted. “During the pandemic, the future of my corporate job seemed uncertain. I thought to myself, Why wouldn’t I design clothes that I felt were perfect and exactly what I’d want to wear? I didn’t have knowledge of the apparel industry, but I knew what I liked, and I was determined to figure it out,” she said.
After two years of researching, prototyping and designing, Taryn was finally ready to launch her company Novella in August 2022. The launch just happened to coincide with the end of her maternity leave. “Novella is an Italian word that means young, new and fresh. Young is my last name. Novella also means short story,” she said. “Finding the word Novella and the way it parallels to the brand felt perfect.”
Novella features UPF 30+ sunshirts and corresponding accessories. Part of what makes Novella unique is that each design/style is named after a real horse and has a corresponding short story. “Even before I started designing the first shirt or even the brand itself, I thought of this concept. I started with two of the three horses my mom and I owned at the time—Valentina and Gio. They are polar opposites and both designs were, too,” Taryn said. “The Valentina design is chic, timeless, feminine and black. The Gio is playful, navy and classic—just like the up-and-coming chestnut dressage star he was.”
Taryn admits that trying to pick the perfect design to reflect a horse’s personality can be a chaotic process. “It’s so gratifying when everything clicks and you think, Wow, that design looks just like him or her. It’s brought people to tears before and I think that’s so special,” Taryn said. “Fun fact: I still haven’t created The Rayne shirt. As my heart horse, Rayne’s shirt has to be simply perfect and I don’t know if any design will be worthy of him.”
Warmbloods + Wine has given Taryn the confidence and buffer to approach big-name riders and celebrities about Novella. “With these public-facing accounts, you realize all these people, who might have once been intimidating to you, are simply horse people—and they’re nice and personable. Both accounts have opened doors, started conversations and even close friendships with top riders, influencers, trainers and brands,” Taryn said.
Recently Taryn was sent a reel of actress Beth Behrs, from “2 Broke Girls” and “The Neighborhood,” wearing a Novella top. “When I saw her initial order come in, I excitedly shrieked and messaged her right away. I thought I might seem like a fan girl, but I was so proud and it was so cool,” Taryn said. “Not even hours later, we started talking via Instagram and eventually exchanged numbers. Introductions like that are priceless but also feel so normal—just two horse-crazy girls, talking about horses.”
Encouraging Others
With a full-time job, thriving social media presence, relatively new brand, family obligations and ambitions in the show ring, Taryn is always on the move. “I’ve always been the girl who doesn’t know how to relax. Being active, busy and on the go gives me energy,” she said.
She’s thankful for a career that allows her to work anywhere so she can have her best work/life balance. Most importantly, she feels blessed to have a family who supports her. “My husband is the best dad ever and he knows if I get my horse time, I’m a better mom and wife. My mom, dad and sisters are always supporting me and picking up the pieces when I need an extra hand. It’s a team effort and I wouldn’t be able to do any of it without the strong support system I have,” Taryn said. “It’s all about prioritizing what’s important, cutting out all toxicity and focusing on the positives.”
Taryn hopes she can encourage other women to make the leap to be entrepreneurs if that’s what they desire. “I read a quote the other day that said, ‘1% idea, 99% execution.’ If you believe you have something special, you’ll work like crazy to make it happen,” she said.
There’s no sugar coating it, owning a company is hard work and it’s easy to get discouraged. However, Taryn stresses it’s worth it to give your idea a chance. “It’s the most rewarding thing to see people support your dream, fall in love with your designs and choose your product over others simply because they feel good in it,” she said.
Although Taryn didn’t have any experience in the equestrian apparel business, she took advantage of the relationships she formed through Warmbloods + Wine when starting Novella. “The equestrian brands I’ve worked with have offered so much advice and guidance. It’s amazing to see your literal competitors giving you the tools to help you grow and expand. The equestrian apparel business is full of lovely entrepreneurs who have all been in my shoes before and they’re excited to see Novella grow,” she said. “It’s an amazing community and I feel blessed to be included in the space. “
Taryn is a testament that opportunities will fall into your lap when you remain positive, work hard and are open to learning and trying new things. Taryn has always reinforced the message that no question is a dumb question. “This is true for everything! Put yourself out there, send messages to people who inspire you, and learn. I remember messaging the CEO of Ariat for industry advice prior to starting Novella. She messaged me back just two hours later,” Taryn said. “If you never try, how will you know what’s possible?”
Follow Taryn on Facebook at warmbloodsandwine and on Instagram @warmbloodsandwine and follow Novella Equestrian at www.shopnovella.com and on Instagram @novellaeq
Photos by Stacy Tierman, stacytiermanphotography.com
