Healing, Heartbreak, and the Four-Year Ride to Region 6 Championships
By Cynthia Johnson
In March of 2020, just prior to my 60th birthday, I brought a horse named Aspen home. Aspen was a 14-year-old Thoroughbred mare that had been the personal horse of a certified Parelli Natural Horsemanship Instructor. She was horse that I thought would help me achieve my natural horsemanship goals. Aspen had been heavily featured in the Parelli promotional and training materials, and had lived on the Parelli ranch in Colorado for a number of years. You could safely say Aspen was a “schoolmaster” for someone with very lofty goals in natural horsemanship groundwork, freestyle riding, and liberty. I had been a Parelli student for almost 20 years, so the opportunity to partner with a horse like Aspen seemed to me to be an amazing stroke of luck!
Her owner was very particular in choosing a partner for Aspen, and I spent three months visiting her barn, where she coached me through groundwork and riding activities before she finally decided that I would be the right fit for Aspen. She was open in explaining that Aspen was talented, but complicated, and had been a very challenging mare. She explained that Aspen had arthritis, so should not be jumped, and had been on pasture rest the previous year to heal from an abscess. I had a dream of learning basic dressage, and Aspen’s owner agreed that she would be a good candidate for that.
The country was shutting down over Covid, and I keep my horses at my home, so I had plenty of uninterrupted time to get to know Aspen. I was excited to learn all I could from her. I had literally spent years watching her on instructional videos, so I felt like I had won the lottery when she became my partner! However, with the country on lockdown, I was primarily on my own in getting to know this new horse. Her previous owner came over a few times to help with the transition, but she did not live close, so we were limited in how often those visits were.
I gave Aspen a few days to settle in with my daughter’s horse and our mini, and then I took her to the arena to try some groundwork and liberty. I remember being shocked at how closely she watched me, and how every tiny movement, breath, and shift of weight that I made meant something to her.
Looking back, I can now see that my body language was too intense, and she was so sensitive and highly trained that she felt like I was yelling at her! She would spin, and rear, and take off and start jumping barrels in the arena at liberty! I remember that first time I was so scared that I literally took off running back up to the house!
Within a few days I had developed a healthy respect for her sensitivity (and significant fear!). I knew that regardless of how well she was trained, we needed to go back to the beginning, and put in the hours building a language together. This horse was not going to let me skip any steps.
After a few months together, things had settled. Aspen and I were doing better in our groundwork, and I could ride her at a walk, trot, and canter… though I must say her canter was a bit terrifying. It was fast and uncomfortable, and sometimes included a buck or two!
I found a local dressage instructor who was willing to help Aspen and I. Within a few lessons she explained that she thought Aspen was in pain. She felt I should stop riding until I had answers.
Aspen had been examined by a veterinarian, who had found nothing wrong, so my instructor suggested I call Dr. Crystal McRae. Dr. McRae came out, watched Aspen, and noted that she was very mildly lame. She did an ultrasound exam, finding that Aspen had what appeared to be two left hind suspensory tears – one medial and one branch. In her opinion the tears were likely not new, but were chronic old injuries that had never fully healed. Crystal explained that Aspen had a long recovery ahead of her, and that we could not be sure if she ever would be rideable.
Over the next year, I did everything I could for Aspen: shockwave therapy, stem cell injections, Bemer blanket therapy, red light therapy, and cold soaking. I even took an equine massage course to try to help her relax.
Aspen spent six months on stall rest and handwalking. Gradually, she was permitted to move into a double stall, and eventually a small paddock. She began groundwork at the walk and then the trot, with equicore bands.
After ten months, Dr. McRae gave me the all clear to trailer her to the trails and handwalk next to my daughter, who was riding. After a full year, I was finally allowed to ride her for five minutes at the walk! That was a huge moment… I knew that at least I would be able to ride my horse at the walk.
After a year and a half of slow rehab, I was riding her at the walk for 15 minutes and trotting for 5 minutes. She was staying sound. It was at that point that Dr. McRae told me that I needed to get serious about dressage. “She will not stay sound if you continue to ride her the way you are. She must learn to lift her back, step under herself, bend, and relax.”
We began our study of basic healthy biomechanics with online coach Kristi Smith, of Linda Parelli’s “How to Talk Horse” program. I would take PIVO videos, and she would send them back with coaching on core engagement, relaxation, and bend. We enrolled in “The Sweet Spot of Biomechanics” with Karen Rohlf, which was extremely helpful. I spent hours pouring over my videos and trying to improve.
In the fall of 2022 I decided that if I were going to ride dressage, I may as well go to a schooling show. I had never even been to one and I had no idea how they worked. But on a 22 degree November morning, I loaded Aspen in the trailer and headed to what was then Donida Farm in Auburn, Washington to compete in the Introductory A and B classes.
By this time, I was 62 and Aspen was 17. I was absolutely terrified and felt sick to my stomach. It had been 48 years since my last horse show as a child in Montana, and I had no idea what I was doing! When we got there I had to ask where to ride, and how I knew when it was my turn. We managed to ride both tests, and I was stunned when they handed me ribbons! I felt like I had climbed Mount Everest!
Aspen and I continued attending schooling shows throughout the year. Some went well, and some were pretty scary. I remember I got bucked off in the warm up ring once that first year. We were starting to work on Intro C, and we were cantering more often. Aspen was continuing to buck, occasionally. Dr. McRae examined her again and found that she had mild kissing spines. Back to rehab work with the equicore bands for us.
About two years after beginning dressage training I asked Dr. McRae to check Aspen for ulcers. She had exhibited none of the typical symptoms, but was still bucking occasionally at the canter, even though we had addressed the kissing spines, and a few times she had bucked me off. I was now 63, and it just wasn’t safe for me to be riding a bucking horse. Dr. McRae agreed that we should scope her, and what we found was shocking.
Aspen had grade 4 actively bleeding ulcers. The blood was evident everywhere on the camera, and it was heartbreaking. This poor mare had been doing her best for me, despite being in terrible pain. At first I felt awful for not finding the ulcers sooner. But Dr. McRae reminded me that we had been addressing everything as we found it, one issue at a time. First the suspensory tears, then the kissing spines, and finally, the ulcers.
In 2023 Aspen earned third place among all Thoroughbreds competing nationally in dressage through the Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P). She was named the Champion of Introductory Level Riders in the western region, and was the national champion in the 6 Feet on the Ground in-hand competition in both 2023 and 2024.
Aspen was back-to-back Reserve Champion in 2024 and 2025 amongst all Thoroughbreds competing nationally in dressage through T.I.P. She was Reserve National Champion for the 2025 6 Feet on the Ground in-hand competition.
Aspen turned 20 in April of 2025, and we celebrated at a horse show at Bello Acres (formerly Donida Farm). Aspen’s Jockey Club registration had her listed as “unnamed.” I found that heartbreaking – no one had even bothered to name her! For her birthday, I gave her the Jockey Club registered name, “Aspen in My Heart.”
In the spring of 2025 Aspen and I entered our first recognized show at Bello Acres, competing at Training Level. I had the goal to try to qualify for the Great American/USDF Region 6 Dressage Championships, but Aspen and I did not earn any qualifying scores that first year.
In the spring of 2026, I decided to try again, and we began working in-person with Kelly Irving-Burris. I still had my online coach, but I knew I needed more hands-on help. Kelly has been a perfect match for Aspen and I because she understands Aspen’s physical needs, her extreme sensitivity, and the importance of knowing when to stop. Aspen is a horse that will not tolerate being drilled on a skill.
As our partnership improved and Aspen’s core strength developed, we discovered a beautiful canter that I had never expected to find! Our scores improved as we became more supple and our tempo became consistent. In August, we received our second qualifying score! It had taken two years and18 rides to get those two scores… but we had done it!
This October we traveled to Great American/USDF Region 6 Championships at DevonWood Equestrian Centre in Oregon, with Kelly and her other students. When it came time to ride our championship test, I could not help myself. I was so overcome by the moment as I headed down centerline that tears rolled down my face and I began to cry. All I could think about was how very hard we had worked for this moment, and I wanted to enjoy and soak in every second of it with Aspen. I felt so blessed. That ride was truly in the top five moments of my life. I cried happy tears every stride, and was still crying for our final salute! We rode our personal best, placing fifth overall – more that I had even hoped for. Later that day, Aspen and I got to ride in the Parade of Champions!
About a year ago I researched Aspen’s Jockey Club history. I learned that she had been sent to auction as a yearling in Washington, failing to sell for $1400.00. She never recorded an official workout, and therefore was unraced. When I shared that with Joseph DiPietro, owner of Bello Acres and DiPietro Thoroughbreds, he explained that Aspen’s racing bloodlines are very strong, and the most likely reason a horse like that would not be entered into even one race would be because she got injured.
I have no way of knowing for certain if that was the case, but I do know that she is the maternal granddaughter of the legendary Sham, who finished second to Secretariat in the 1973 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Her sire, Makors Mark, had a 29-race career, spanning five years. Aspen was clearly bred to race, so it is the most likely scenario that she was injured as a youngster, and has struggled with chronic pain and injuries most of her life.
When I think of Aspen, my heart is overwhelmed at what she has willingly done for her human partners. Her life has been spent helping humans achieve their personal goals. Her previous owner had her for eight years, during which Aspen helped her achieve her Level 4 in Parelli, and earn her Instructor’s Status. That is a very involved process for horse and rider, and takes years to accomplish. She participated in Parelli training videos which have been distributed around the world, and are used by students as they work to achieve their horsemanship goals with their own horses.
Now, Aspen has willingly partnered with me as I work to learn the art of dressage, and to rediscover the fun of competition, which was previously just a happy memory from my childhood in Montana, so many years ago.
Aspen and I are aging together; I am almost 66 and she is almost 22. I like to think we are keeping each other young, and I do my best each day to be the partner she deserves. I do still have dressage goals: I would love to return to Region 6 championships and compete at First Level, and it would be amazing if one day Aspen and I could enjoy our Century Ride together.
However, whether or not that happens, Aspen is in my heart, and we will only do what she is happy and willing to do. I truly feel that every ride with Aspen is a gift. However, riding is only one part of our story. If Aspen is ever uncomfortable under saddle, we will dedicate ourselves to our groundwork and liberty work, an area where Aspen is incredibly talented and truly thrives.
