On The Cover – Sloane Weakly And Hubbout A Dance

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10 – July/August, 2025

By Delores Kuhlwein

When Sloane Weakly first came to Reid Thomas Performance Horses in 2018 to ride for therapy and exercise, Reid wasn’t daunted by the request, or the fact that Sloane was a right, below-knee amputee. His mother’s therapeutic riding center, Equine Sharing Program, Inc., had prepared him to help facilitate Sloane’s progress in the saddle.

Reid used Brittany Boyd’s 18-year-old horse, Dont Skip My Charms, for Sloane’s lessons, riding bareback and double with her, and in those twice-weekly sessions, Sloane says she learned how to truly bond with her horse–how to understand how they move, and, “How to let them guide you, while also guiding them. That gave me a lot of confidence.” That certainty inspired the spark of a lifetime of true connection with the equine, and an unquenchable passion that has morphed into a journey of success like no other.

A picture of tenacity, Sloane began showing in EWD competition, but it didn’t last long when she saw Youth classes, explains Reid. He admits that, early on, he thought it would be him teaching Sloane. But that notion was turned upside down by the young lady now known throughout the industry as the Warrior Princess. “She’s teaching me more than I ever have taught her,” Reid explains. “She has made me better, challenged me, made me stay later, and get up earlier.”

Sloane found her calling in showing horses, so they decided to search for a Hunter Under Saddle horse in 2022 because she knew she wouldn’t be penalized for her heels not being down. Sloane immediately clicked with multiple Congress and World champion Hubbout A Dance, a 2014 gelding by Hubba Hubba Huntin and out of These Irons R Dancin. Even though he could be a firecracker, explains trainer Myles McLean, Henry immediately looked after Sloane–and does so each and every time.

Click here to read the complete article
10 – July/August, 2025