Hi friends!

I’m Allie, an autoimmune equestrian moving through life as best as I can. I’ve wandered quite a bit, but am currently residing in Utah with my husband, fiery little NightMare, Curly heart-pony, and the four cats that adopted us. I’ve been riding since I was six years old and have been writing for about that long too.

I am deeply passionate about human health and disability, equine health and rehabilitation, writing, riding, and organization. My autoimmune disease runs my life a bit, but I’m working to fully embrace it as the disability that it is, rather than continuing to try to fight against my body and its limitations. The Autoimmune Equestrian is a place to document my journey of managing a competitive amateur equestrian lifestyle with a malfunctioning immune system, a full-time job, writing for Eventing Nation, running my Etsy shop for equestrian organization, and trying to keep my mare from destroying herself.

With my unique background and experience as both an equestrian and a person living with an invisible illness, I hope to use my differences to empower others of unusual backgrounds to thrive in the equine industry, spread awareness of diversity within the equine industry – from illness, disability, or environmental struggles to racial biases or financial difficulties –, promote the inclusion of new methods and resources to improve accessibility in the equine industry, and encourage acceptance and additional support for equestrians facing challenges continuing in the sport.

For any inquiries, please feel free to reach out to me by email!

Major Diagnoses:

  • Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD)

    • ANA Positive (Anti Scl-70)

    • Secondary Raynaud’s Phenomenon

  • Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD/IBS)

    • Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

  • Fibromyalgia

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis

  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Major Symptoms:

  • Fatigue

  • Dyspnea (shortness of breath)

  • Chronic and/or recurrent inflammatory issues

    • Arthralgia & myalgia (joint & muscle pain)

    • Shoulder bursitis (inflammation of the bursa)

    • Wrist tendonitis (inflammation of the tendon)

    • Recurrent costochondritis (inflammation of the cartilage in the chest/sternum)

    • Recurrent mesenteric adenitis (inflammation of the connective tissue in the abdomen)

  • Vascular abnormalities

    • Livedo reticularis & telangiectasia (mottled & spotty vascular patterns on the skin)

    • Limb paresthesia (numbness & tingling)

    • Vasospasms in lower & upper extremities (insufficient blood perfusion; Raynaud’s)

    • Decreased intestinal vascularity

  • Gastrointestinal issues

    • Intolerance to FODMAP foods

      • Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols (short-chain carbohydrates); poor digestion & absorption within the small intestine

  • Sjogren’s Syndrome (dry mouth & eyes)

  • Mild sclerodactyly of fingers & feet (thickening of skin)

  • Photosensitivity (inflammation reactions from prolonged exposure to sun)

  • Iron-deficiency anemia

  • Cardiac arrhythmia

  • Recurrent infections