I originally set out to find a show horse, but what I truly fell in love with was an 18-month-old, half-Appaloosa, warmblood filly. I’m just a girl with her heart horse—someone who grew up, learned, made mistakes, learned some more, and somehow managed to survive the last two decades.

Today, I have a 24-year-old, half-Appaloosa, warmblood mare named Cherokee Snow, who couldn’t be bothered to put her ears forward for a picture unless she was munching on some foliage at the same time. The incredible part is that she’s a return to me mare. She left for seven years while I sorted out my life, then came back. When I got her at 21, I had no idea what condition she’d be in, but I was overjoyed to find she was sound—better than sound, in fact. Now, at 24, she’s barefoot and still competing in 2’6” Hunter Jumper courses with junior riders, tolerating her mom’s sometimes obsessive dressage micromanagement, and teaching her four human siblings how to ride—all with the vigor of a horse ten years younger than her teeth suggest, and the patience of one thirty years older.

Cherokee Snow is my heart horse and my greatest inspiration. She fuels my passion for helping owners and riders extend their horses’ careers well into their late 20s. I’ve made my share of mistakes along the way, but three key practices have contributed most to her continued soundness:

• Prioritizing her topline fitness through dynamic training

• Ensuring correct, supportive saddle fit with Contour Saddles

• Providing regular, targeted body work

I’m honored to share my methods with other owners so they, too, can enjoy happy, healthy, and mobile horses far beyond the average retirement age.

Happiest of Trails,

Katharine Ospring