Meet the original positive equestrian
Marina Layton
My name is Marina Layton, and I’m the face behind The Positive Equestrian brand! I’m a passionate equestrian and young entrepreneur in the marketing & design industry. I was born and raised in Ontario, and currently reside in a small town an hour North of Toronto, Ontario.
My love for horses sparked at the young age of 2 years old. I started taking lessons at around 5 years old, and never looked back! Ever since, I’ve been absolutely infatuated with horses and the deep emotional connection we are blessed to share with these inquisitive animals. From my career to education, right down to my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health – horses have helped me immensely, and they never cease to continually amaze me on my journey in life.
I’ve been working with horses since my pre-teen years; riding and working at barns whenever I could. In 2017, I moved to pursue a career in equestrian fashion, travelling throughout North America and Europe to connect and work with dozens of the industry’s leading equestrian brands. After designing and assisting in the production of various equestrian apparel and accessory collections, I moved on to immerse myself in digital marketing, specifically specializing in graphic design, web design, social media marketing, and influencer marketing.
How it all started.
Around Fall 2019, I started The Positive Equestrian blog. I was struggling with some challenges in my personal life, and it had reached a point where very few things brought me joy…not even horses. I wanted to grow and find more positivity in life. Thus, I created The Positive Equestrian as a creative and expressive outlet to share my journey with others, and to hold myself accountable.
TPE has since grown into many things. Not only is it a blog, but a safe space to hold meaningful discussions with other equestrians surrounding “taboo” topics in this sport; diversity, inclusivity, bullying, toxicity, and more. It has also grown into a community where equestrians create, connect, collaborate, empower, and support one another! I have personally had the pleasure of helping many of these Positive Equestrians grow as people and a brand.
Today, I operate TPE from the comfort of my own home with dozens of clients from all walks of life, located around the globe. My passion is helping people and their businesses flourish using marketing and design. It’s a huge bonus that I am able to combine a majority of my work with my passion for horses and fashion.
