TRAINING

Chloe Litton

 Chloe's love for horses started at age 3. She grew up on the back of the horses and ponies on her grandparent’s horse farm where she grew up, in Northwest Georgia. Her first horse was an Appaloosa gelding named she named Kit. She and Kit would go on bareback adventures through the rolling hills and creeks, until age 6 when she was finally big enough to saddle a horse on her own. Her family and those who know her have referred to her as the “Horse Whisperer” throughout her life. Soul connection, understanding, and harmonious relationship between horse and rider is Chloe’s main goal in her teachings.

Chloe’ competed in junior rodeo barrel racing, breakaway roping and pole bending on her Paint mare, Rimbo Cody, up until high school. She then fell in love with the gaited Paso Fino horses, and competed at National level winning several National Grand Champion titles by the age of 14.

At age 16, she found herself working at Burnt Hickory Arabian Horse farm in Ranger, Georgia, where she eventually worked her way from mucking stalls to placing in National top 10 Hunter Under Saddle on several of the farm’s mares and geldings.

During this time, she rescued her first OTTB, her heart horse, Caleb. Caleb was a big precious gelding (an Alydar grandson) who had old injuries from the track, which led her to start her classical dressage journey. Over the 10 years they had together, she trained Caleb successfully through 3rd level dressage.

Chloe’ has worked closely with trainers who prioritize equine well being. Because of this, she understands the importance of equine wellness and biomechanics both in the saddle and on the ground. Chloe’ loves to teach and wants to help those who are passionate about have a special relationship with horses. After all, it isn’t all about riding. It is about what the horses can teach us.

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Above all, the welfare of the horse comes first. How the horse is developed and cared for is vital to setting the horse up for success in a world it did not choose: life as a horse in a domestic environment.

Each horse is a unique individual, and has value whether or not they are ever ridden.  But naturally we want to ride, so what do we need to learn, so that we can do all we can to ensure that riding is a positive experience for the horse and rider?

 Research into the biomechanics of the ridden horse has demonstrated that to avoid causing the horse pain or causing lasting damage to our horses, we must educate ourselves so that we are attentive to the proper preparation of a horse to be ridden, and that the trainers we work with have adopted ethical training practices. This includes at miniumum proper application of training aids, saddle fit, bit choices, attention to farrier and dental care, veterinary and chiropractic care, optimal nutrition, generous turn out time, all of which are vital to support the body, mind and spirit of the horse so it can be a healthy and happy athlete.

Young Horse Development

Raising the yearling to 4  year old horse is a process of careful, progressive development over time. There is a wonderful, intrinsic value in purchasing a well bred foal and then to participate in the process of the young horse's development. It takes considerable time and energy to produce an athlete who is healthy, strong and willing, but consider the advantages of starting with a clean slate, rather than bearing the cost to undo behavioural problems or manage physical issues that have occured as a result of injuries, or from a horse's prior owners lack of knowledge. 

The young horses we raise are social, friendly, and eager to engage in training, because of how they have been developed with a foundation for success. These foundations significantly fast track their progress in training, reducing initial training costs, once the horse is ready for a full training program.

In raising a young horse, and working with any horse, we must honor the spirit of the animal, value horse ownership as a gift, and in turn, offer a life long commitment to the horse. They deserve that and so much more from us.

Toni Petersen, Owner and Founder, Untethered Spirits Farm, LLC

Shelbyville, TN