2018-2020
Cherie came to me at age 11. She had spent her life in the jumpers, having been in professional training nearly her whole life her owner was having a baby and looking for Cherie to find peace and balance in her generally hot and “spicy” nature.
The first piece of Cherie’s puzzle was helping her learn to trust the contact. She had been “bitted up” over and over again and when she came to me she was in a 3-ring elevator with double reins. She had a long back and was built slightly downhill – which meant she had a propensity to drag herself along in front instead of sit on her haunches and lift. This resulted in a feeling that she was running away. Add to that her desire to fling her head in the air and spook at will … It was a bit of a challenge. The first thing I did was put her in a simple French link loose ring snaffle. I spent time helping her reach and inviting her to bend – and when she would start running on her forehand I wouldn’t panic and grab. I talked to her a lot and helped relax and slow her with my seat. After a number of weeks, I was able to start to add contact and help her learn to balance. Ultimately it took almost a year for her to manage a balance canter that remained soft and on the bit.
We continued our work together until her owner was ready to take over again. With the work we were able to do, her owner was able to feel safe riding her and enjoyed her for some time until a JR/YR leased her for 2 years taking her all the way to USDF Nationals.
