Today we’d like to introduce you to Raeesah Maryam Edah-Tally.
Hi Raeesah Maryam, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am 21 years old and founder of Fleur À Cheval & Tally Riding Academy. I was born in London – Edmonton to be exact. My mom, dad, and I moved out to California when I was very young due to my dad’s job relocation. We’ve been living here in America since, and I absolutely love it. I am a formerly nationally ranked figure skater under ISI & USFS. I attended high school for one semester but then became homeschooled to focus on the sport. At the same time as a freshman, I took a liking to entrepreneurship camps. I would spend my weekends learning from different executives/entrepreneurs and creating hypothetical business plans and competing against other people my age. As I was competing in business, I was also managing life as a student-athlete. My skating coaches suggested I look into horseback riding as a way to relax and unwind from the sport. I remember as soon as I arrived at the ranch, my heart stopped and was full of peace. Little did I know that I would quit skating after nationals and pursue horseback riding full time. My passion for both horses and entrepreneurship eventually manifested into starting my first successful business, Fleur À Cheval. It is an international e-Commerce company that sells floral accessories for horses and equestrians. You can learn all about it in this press article. I started it as a senior in high school, and within the first two weeks, it hit international sales. I recruited over 50+ Global Brand Ambassadors in 25 countries to sell the product. It sure was an amazing journey with Fleur À Cheval and certainly was different, balancing the life of a college student, young entrepreneur, and horse owner all at once. I had some amazing opportunities to go on tour in Europe and speak to different companies about what I do and help the youth launch their startups. At this time, I was asked to join the Board of Directors for Tech Coast Venture Network, being their youngest board member at 17. It was truly an honor, and I am proud to serve the company to this day at age 21.
When COVID hit and we were all in lockdown, I began researching more about equine therapy. I knew there were therapeutic benefits to horseback riding from personal experience. I did the research and decided I wanted to get my Therapeutic Riding Instructor license. While I made this decision, I was ¾ done with my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Cal State Fullerton. I knew it was going to be difficult managing it all, but I knew I could do it. Hard work now, relax later. When businesses began opening up again, I set a plan to learn and shadow different therapeutic riding centers. I spent 1.5 years hopping between the Shea Center in San Juan Capistrano, Back Bay Riding Club in Newport Beach, and Reins Therapeutic Horsemanship in San Diego County. I observed, listened, and learned from all 3. I found the problem areas and places where holes needed to be filled. I sought mentorship from an amazing horsewoman, Darlene Harman. She took me under her wing, taught me how to run a successful riding program, spent countless hours teaching me how to work with different students with physical/mental disabilities on horseback, and even-handed down her own saddles from when she ran her program “Ride Your Horse.” She is retired now and lives on a beautiful ranch in Temecula. Darlene, if you’re reading this- thank you. Thank you for molding me into the instructor I am today and re-planting that seed of humility, love, and kindness.
Fast forward to now, my path blossomed another business venture once again coupling my two passions: business and horses. Say hay to Tally Riding Academy, an all-inclusive program that teaches natural horsemanship, horse care, and riding to adults/children and serves those with mental/physical disabilities. It is very near and dear to my heart, as it is in honor of my family’s last name. It is the most rewarding feeling when I see my students who are diagnosed with different disabilities be able to ride, laugh and smile. I go to bed with a full heart every single day, and I am utterly grateful.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not. In fact, starting Tally Riding Academy was much harder than Fleur À Cheval. There are logistically more things to think about as a business owner running a program not only with people…but managing 1,200-pound horses round the clock, insurance, lots of liability on the line, more overhead costs, etc.
I was actually turned down from one of the therapeutic horsemanship programs I shadowed at. After volunteering there for six months and undergoing their Instructor in the training program, the head instructor told me they cannot move forward with my training because my teaching and riding skills were below par. Coincidentally, this was right after they asked about my future goals and I expressed that I wanted to start my own program. It was orchestrated on their end, and they saw me as a threat. They ended up withdrawing from the agreement, but that did not stop me from getting my CTRI Therapeutic Riding Instructor license. I have a big passion for teaching students with disabilities and I wasn’t going to stop just because they told me I couldn’t do things right.
My plan was to find different riding centers and learn as much as possible. While all this was happening, I was teaching 3-4 lessons a week on my own horse, Ares. I was practicing what I observed at the centers and implemented it with my own students. It was my fast track to growth. In May of 2021, I moved my horse from Santiago Canyon to Anaheim Hills, not by choice. It happened unexpectedly and I had to rehome my horse within two days. I was panicking and had no idea what was going to happen. I toured the Anaheim Hills Saddle Club and met the owner Andrew Edwards & manager Patrice Quinlan. They were so welcoming. I basically just needed one stall for my horse, just so he had a home. I was not even thinking about anything further than that. Getting Ares a new home was my priority. I met with Patrice, and she said, “Here is a stall, a personal office, and a boarding contract. Start your riding program, come up with a business name, get your paperwork and licenses, and you’re in business here.” I remember getting in my car overwhelmed with gratitude. That next morning I registered the name Tally Riding Academy, got everything signed, and moved my horse the next day. My students from my old barn followed me there, and I started teaching lessons now as an official business. Since then, I have been teaching and loving it every single day.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
“So you work with people who have disabilities. Why are you not a non-profit?”
I decided that for the amount of sweat equity I put in, I want my ROI. Tally Riding Academy greatly differs from other therapeutic riding programs because we are a FOR profit business, and I ain’t backing down from that anytime soon. In my industry, 80% of the therapeutic riding programs targeted to those with disabilities, are structured as a non-profit. So, I scaled my business model to incorporate the idea of corporate social philanthropy, an
I run a tight ship with my horses and clients. No day is the same, and every single moment demands a new level of myself. The other day I had 5 students sign up, in under 10 minutes. Last night I had to put a horse down, who had a sever case of colic with loops in his small intestine. From scrubbing buckets, to tossing hay and trailering sick horses…my job isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. I absolutely love what I do regardless, because of the people I get to teach and help. Call me shrewd, but if I am putting the work in to make my clients happy and keep my horses healthy/safe, then a financial reward is deemed necessary in my book. So I said no to non-profits for my own business, but happily sit on the Board of Directors for another non profit as a way to give back.
Tally Riding Academy’s value proposition is very simple: We teach ACTUAL horsemanship skills from the ground up, and couple life skills on top of that. Other programs just teach how to ride..with no actual implementation of skills to prep people to own a horse one day. The big problem area in the equine industry, are peoples lack of education to care and ride a horse ethically and correctly. Tally Riding Academy fixes that.
At the start of every lesson, every student is required to clean the stall and get their hands dirty. This teaches them work ethic and earning their lesson. Nothing is ever done for the students, they learn how to do it themselves. That is what horsemanship is about. And this is what strengthens the bond between you and the horse. My lessons are two hours long, very different from the traditional 45 or 60 minute horseback riding lesson where the horse comes ready with the saddle on. In my lessons the students learn the different parts of a saddle, all about equine nutrition, horse care, equitation and ground training. This sets them up to be a successful riders and decent human beings. I believe in starting them young, and I am proud to stand by that. My youngest student is only three years old, and she is able to hand walk a horse, identify different horse breeds, and participate in ground training activities.
The whole heart and start of Tally Riding Academy is my horse Ares. He has carried so many students on his back and taught them life principles encompassing gratitude, empathy, accountability, and effective communication. His whole life story is very heartwarming, as he was saved from the kill pen. He was formerly named Cardiac Arrest and had a drug addict as his owner prior to being rescued. He never had a consistent person in his life to care and love for him.
He was rescued in 2016 by Janeese, a sweet lady who owned a mortgage company. She didn’t know how to take care of horses, so I offered to help her. Both Ares and I were 16 years old at the time. I got him healthy again, re-trained him, and really bonded with him. After one year, Janeese gave him to me as a birthday gift. He is the best gift I have ever received. It wasn’t until three weeks ago I learned about his childhood. The jumping instructor at my current barn recognized his old name Cardiac Arrest and told me that she taught him how to jump when he was eight years old. She also connected me to a few other people who knew my horse when he was younger. He was mistreated and never had a consistent person in his life. Ares’ rescuer named him after the Greek God of War because in her eyes, he won the war of life and death.
Ares is the center of Tally Riding Academy. We now have more horses as part of the program and are expanding rapidly. Ares still works with students to this day and brings a smile to everyone’s face.
One of the most rewarding things is when I am teaching, and I see my students ride and laugh. I am sharing my passion with them and giving them my all. They always come back to me and say, “Miss Maryam I had so much fun I can’t wait to come again. I love horses so much and I never want to stop riding.” I am emotional just talking about this, but one of my students has severe hemiplegic cerebral palsy and is non-verbal and non ambulatory. The day she was able to grip the reins and steer her horse, I broke down in tears. It was so special and fulfilling to see her proud of herself and her horse for working in unison. ” This is what makes my job worth it.
Tally Riding Academy stands for much more than just a horseback riding program. It is the product of my blood, sweat and tears to be able to teach children/adults the beauty of horses and being in unison with them. Hope to see you in the saddle.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Want to ride? Visit www.tallyridingacademy.com or call 949-874-6664 to speak to Maryam directly.
Follow us on Instagram
@tallyridingacademy
@maryamedahtally
@fleuracheval
Pricing:
- $600/month for 2 Hour Horsemanship/Riding Lessons
- $490/month for 90 Minute Horsemanship/Riding Lessons
- $85 1 Hour Introductory Lesson “Test Ride”
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.tallyridingacademy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tallyridingacademy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tallyridingacademy
