Madison Ibach in For Horses' GIOCONDA Schooling Sun Shirt and NELLA Ultra Move legging breeches. Photo by Ibach Media.
Together, Madison and Reagan Ibach boast nearly 300,000 Instagram followers—and another 400,000-plus on TikTok.
It all started with an iPod touch camera and a horse they bought on Craigslist.
"We were just having fun in a modest lesson program, and we wanted a horse that we could put on our modest three acres [in Charlotte, NC] to ride around the trails on," said Madison, 23.
"Our parents fully supported us, but they were not experts," added Reagan, 21. "We just went on Craiglist and looked up 'horse.'"
The search led them to Apple, a 2-year-old 13-hand pony mare. While young, the pony would springboard the sisters into the spotlight with her kind, intelligent nature and game-for-anything attitude.
So game, in fact, when the sisters decided to bring the mare in on a TikTok trend, Apple happily obliged. Madison rode her straight into their living room.
"After that, she started coming inside just about every day," Reagan said.
Reagan Ibach in For Horses' MAGGY Leisure Wear. Photo by Ibach Media.
The Ibach sisters simply have fun with their horses, and they have gained social media popularity for not only their creativity, but also their candidness. While the sisters now have more access to the horse show industry, they are not big competitors; they've created an inclusive community for a massive segment of genuine horse lovers of all backgrounds and levels of experience.
"It's who we were and are," Madison said, "and once we saw the impact it was having on a lot of younger girls and guys who were comparing themselves to the top one percent of the industry [competing at a high level], we wanted even more to get our message out there."
In the barn and online, the Ibach sisters wear For Horses' schooling apparel. They count the FRANCESCA, EMILIA and NELLA Ultra Move breeches among their favorites; they also ride in GIOCONDA Schooling Sun Shirts and stay warm (and comfortable) in MAGGY, For Horses' popular jersey hoodie.
Madison (left) and Reagan (right) Ibach. Photo by Ibach Media.
"We've been wearing For Horses for years," Reagan said. "It's truly a brand I can get behind. Their prices are reasonable, their designs feature amazing colors, and you can tell that so much thought was put into everything you wear."
"For Horses has the perfect blend of sophisticated and fun," Madison added. "The people behind the company are brilliant."
Perhaps just as importantly, with its functional utility pocket, EMILIA allows them to always have her phones handy.
"[My phone] is attached to my hip," Reagan said, "now, literally!"
Designs from For Horses' 2022 Fall/Winter Collection and 2023 Spring/Summer Collection are available now. To shop, visit ForHorsesUSA.com or your local FH Retailer. Follow Madison Ibach on Instagram at @madisonibach. Follow Reagan Ibach on Instagram at @reaganibach.