The Ambassadors Interview Megan & Eric!

We turned the tables and let our awesome ambassador team ask us some questions!

Alana: What's the craziest thing you guys have made for a client?

Eric: I don't know that we've done anything super crazy, but we've done some really unique and fun prints, like scrubs for a pediatric unit that looked like baseball team jerseys, chef's aprons, and we've had the pleasure of being involved in some cool projects for the NYPD too!

Veronica: Who is your favorite equestrian within show jumping and dressage?

Megan: As far as show jumping, I adore McLain Ward and Beezie Madden! Dressage, I love Charlotte Dujardin! She's magical to watch!

Abby: How many shirts (or clothing) can you produce in a week?

Eric: We're capable of printing approximately 100 shirts an hour, so for a 5 day work week about 4,000 a week!

Courtney: As a kid what did you want to be when you grew up? Did you ever think about starting your own business?

Megan: As a little kid I always wanted to be a vet, and actually went to college for Veterinary Science Technology! I guess I always thought about having my own business, but never thought it would be something like this.

Eric: As a kid I always knew I wanted to do something with art, but I didn't think about starting my own business until I was done with college

Courtney: Do you have a job aside from Horseplay?

Megan: Yes! I also teach lessons! Horseplay occupies the majority of my time, and then I teach part time :)

Eric: Yes, I own New York Ink and Thread, which is also a clothing company, but we print custom items for other businesses, parties, camps, teams, etc., so they go together really well.

Alana: What did you show in?

Megan: I did a mix of eq, hunters & jumpers as a junior. I really started to love the eq when the tests started! I loved the more technical, thinking feeling of those classes!

Alana: Who was your favorite horse?

Megan: I was (and still am!) lucky to ride tons of really cool horses, and even bring some green ones along. I had two all time favorites, my mare Autumn (show name Octoberfest), a gelding I leased, Truman (show name Capture the Moment).

Eric: My favorite horse was Milky Way, an older Appaloosa who had a huge personality and kept us laughing at every turn. When Autumn was retired, she lived with Milky Way!

(pictured are Milky Way (L) and Autumn (R))

Alana: Why did you want to start HPA?

Megan: I found that a lot of my lessons students had a hard time finding equestrian casual wear, and I was also interested in combining my love of horses with being creative!

Eric: I thought it would be a cool way to combine our talents

Alexandra: How did you come up with the name Horseplay Apparel?

Megan & Eric: Megan sketched the logo by starting with an h, (pictured is the first ever Horseplay logo sketch!) and we knew we wanted that to be part of it. We also wanted to create a brand that was less serious (and more geared towards fun), that celebrated having fun with your horse and your barn friends.

Heather: Where do you get your ideas that inspire the shirt designs?

Megan & Eric: We draw a lot of inspiration from our environment, and we love to add our personality into our designs. For example, the Nautical shirt we designed immediately after coming home from walking around Northport Harbor here on Long Island. The Buck N' Go Nuts and Starbuck Equestrian tees show both our love for plays on words and coffee! We know a lot of equestrians survive on caffeine (looking at you, horse show mornings!).

Layla: What is your opinion on spurs and whips? What is your favorite discipline?

Megan: I think that they're both very useful artificial aids if used properly and respectfully, but I think in the wrong hands, or in inexperienced hands they can be over used and dangerous. My favorite discipline is hunter/jumper.

Ally: Do you have your own social media platforms?

Eric: Yes! @nyinkandthread on Instagram

Megan: Yup, my personal Instagram is @meganhorseplay

Ally: When did you start riding?

Megan: When I was 5

Eric: I've only ridden a few times, one of which was a cow sorting which I loved!

Kristy: What is your favorite part about owning Horseplay Apparel?

Megan: I love that it's connected me with so many amazing people from all over the world, while being a fun, creative outlet. Most days it doesn't feel like work, I thoroughly enjoy all aspects of this business to be honest!

Eric: The freedom to think of an idea and see it through until it becomes a reality. Very often with New York Ink & Thread, clients come to us with their artwork already prepared, so I don't get that creativity piece all of the time.

Richele: If you could go on a trail ride with any rider- real or fictional, alive or dead- who would it be and why?

Megan: Oh man. This is hard! I would probably love to spend some time with McLain, soaking his wisdom in like a sponge haha! As far as a fictional character, Ichabod Crane! I would want to ride along with him for the Headless Horseman investigation!!

Sarah: Would you guys ever consider making saddle pads and polos?

Megan & Eric: Yes! They're definitely on our radar for the future!

Megan: Do you think you can get "real results" without a bit?

Megan: I think you can get results with all different kinds of tack (or lack thereof), I think they can be good or bad results depending on whose hands they're in, how they're used (or overused), and the individual horse and that horse's personality, history, etc.

Izzy: What's your favorite Horseplay Design?

Megan: This is a tough one. Can I have a few? Haha! I love the Nautical shirt for a multitude of reasons: it's the first design I did completely on my own after Eric taught me how to create them on the computer (I used to sketch them by hand and he would do all the technological work lol), I'm definitely a sucker for red, white, and blue, and that design was inspired by our hometown of Long Island, which makes it very special to me! I also love the Show Jumping sweater, that was a favorite pencil sketch of mine that I did years ago and always wanted to do something special with, and I love the Starbuck and Buck N' tees! They were really fun to create! I really love everything we've done!

Eric: I have too many favorites too, the Property Of and Eat Sleep Ride Repeat sweatshirts, the pom pom jerseys are really cool, and the Just Ride tees.