May: Letter from the President

DEAR LADIES OF LADY SADDLERS CLUB,

This month, I intentionally took two mental health days and spent them trail riding. As someone with a full-time corporate career, owner of Lady Saddlers Club, caretaker for my grandmother, and participant in several organizations focused on youth and economic empowerment, protecting my mental health is incredibly important to me.

Horseback riding has become one of the most powerful outlets in my life as a modern-day professional woman. The moment I get in the Uber and begin my journey to the ranch, I immediately feel a sense of relief. It is my escape from the city, the noise, and the constant demands. I get to put my cellphone away, and for those few hours, nothing else matters.

Quite frankly, after particularly hard weeks, there have been moments where Riddle and I simply sat quietly together in his stall while I decompressed. He always knows and gives me space to breathe, reset, and feel at ease again without judgment...I think.

For that, I am deeply grateful.

Riding is truly the only time I do not think about work or anything else. And trust me, I've spent entire massage sessions thinking the whole time. With horses, you are kind of forced to be fully locked in.

On our group riding lesson days, one of the most rewarding parts is watching other women become completely connected with their horses and enter a space where everything else fades away. Knowing that I helped create this refuge for women fills my heart.

A space where we can release the high demands we constantly carry.

A space where we can disconnect from societal pressures and reconnect with what truly matters to us.

A space where we can nour into ourselves while also being poured into by Lady Saddlers Club

others.

Thank God for horses, one of nature's many therapeutic healers.

Lady Saddlers Club was built with women's mental wellness in mind.

Practicing mindfulness, disconnecting, rejuvenating, and prioritizing ourselves is not selfish. It is necessary. It is our birthright.

So this Mental Health Awareness Month, I encourage you to reflect on the things that bring you joy and support your well-being. Life is about creating a rhythm that allows you to be healthy in every aspect of your life — mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically, and financially.

You deserve that care.

You deserve peace.

Raven Rankine,

Founder and President

Photos from the Dream Big, Plan Smart Event with the Jamaur Law Foundation

Members Rebecca Amos, Farida Bassa-Rivera, Brittany Grant, Adaya Queen, and Melissa Walker of our DMV chapter volunteered as panelists, sharing their experiences and career insights with young ladies ages 14–21. They also led an interactive activity that helped participants build confidence and turn their dreams into actionable plans.

In addition, proceeds from District Cup ticket sales were donated to support the mission of the Jamaur Law Foundation, helping empower and invest in future leaders.