I am so incredibly excited to officially launch my very first Trainer Feature. As I travel across the country photographing horses for my 365 Days of Horses project, as well as Horse & Rider portraits, I am so incredibly lucky to get to meet so many amazing trainers along the way. Often times I get to create some images of them riding or training for their website, social media accounts, or other advertisements. Some trainers even book a Horse & Rider Portrait session while I am at their barn.
One of the biggest perks of trainer feature is the blog post each trainer will receive on my blog! Trainers get to share a little bit about themselves, how they started riding, and information about their training program with the world.
CEC Elite Training | Dressage | Corpus Christi,TX
Chloe Cosgrove is a Dressage trainer located in Corpus Christi,TX she offers both lessons and full training at CEC Elite Training, as well as full board at her facility that is located on Yorktown.
How did you get started riding? Tell me a little bit about your background and your story up to now!
“I started riding at four years old and started out riding western. As I was progressing, my trainer at the time decided to put me in a jumping saddle to make me concentrate on my body awareness. I was not very happy about it when she told me but that all changed. I realized how much I loved the English disciplines and started showing in jumping and dressage. When I was 10 my mom bought me a backyard ranch horse who was not very good at western pleasure so I started doing the speed events at the local 4H shows. That was great fun! I also had him do jumping and dressage and he was such a good sport about it! He truly took care of me and taught me so much, after two years with him I changed the direction I wanted to take my riding; I only wanted to jump and do dressage so it was time to find another horse. My mom and I looked at many horses and finally decided on a four year old paint mare named Spotlights U Go Girl aka Roxie. She was sensitive and hot, very different from my gelding I previously had, so I had a lot to learn. Roxie has been with me since, she took me to my first dressage show, moved to Rhode Island with me for college, got me my job in Germany, and is now a lesson horse in my program. She has taught me so much over the years and made me able to ride sensitive horses. When I was in Rhode Island I had a lesson with a woman from Germany, five minutes into my lesson she threw me straight over her head. I got up and tried to get back on but looked at my hand and one of my fingers was going the wrong way, so they took me to the ER. When I showed back up to the barn the next day to audit the lessons, Evi approached me about moving to Germany. I was shocked as I had been bucked off during my lesson the day before. She told me to email her trainer a video of my riding, so I did. A few weeks later I got a call from Evi saying I had a job and to get on a plane as soon as possible. I had one online class left to graduate so I bought a ticket, packed my stuff and moved to Germany to work for the Keller family. I started out working for them for three months, at the end of my three months they asked if I would come back. I of course said yes, so I went home to graduate and then back to Germany. I learned so much working for the Keller’s and had the time of my life. I decided to come back to the US the next winter because it was too cold for me and wanted to come home to Corpus for the holidays. When I got back a facility was looking for a new trainer so I took it over and started CEC Elite Training and here we are two years later!”
Was there a time in your life when you decided you wanted to be a trainer?
“I have always known I have wanted to be a trainer. When I was looking for colleges I knew I wanted an Equine Business Management Degree so that narrowed schools down for me. Many people tried to convince me to get a different degree and ride as a hobby but I couldn’t do that.”
What is your philosophy about training horses/riders?
“I am dedicated to the correct development of both horse and rider. With the horses I like to take my time and help them develop over time. I don’t like to rush them, if they are ready to move on we push ahead, but if not we take our time and get stronger at whatever point of their training we are at. I like to have strong, healthy horses. With my riders it is a lot like my horses, I take my time. Especially with the kids I have who are just starting to ride, we go slow and make sure they are safe. When you get to know them you find out how much you can push them so they make progress and don’t shut down. That is the line I am always searching for and every rider is very different. I have to search for the same line with the horses, you have to push the limits to make progress but you have to be careful not to fry them. It’s a major mental game and I love it!”
What is most rewarding about being a trainer?
“Seeing how happy my riders are with the progress they make. Nothing is better than the smiles and happiness they get when they learn something new, do well at a show, or accomplish a personal goal they have set. It makes all of the blood, sweat, and tears worth it. I love watching my students and horses progress. I love the relationships that are created between the horses, students, and I. It really doesn’t get much better than that.”
Do you have any accomplishments you want to share?
“Dino is probably my biggest accomplishment, taking him from being eliminated, to showing well and being ready for PSG. He has tested every limit I have and forced me to grow as a trainer and rider.
Other accomplishments are my Silver and Bronze USDF medals. I led my IDA team in college to a National Championship. Also, my students are having great success at shows.”
Do you have any training tips or tricks you would like to share?
“Stretching! You have to stretch your horse before and after every ride, every time. It is so important to ride them long and low, change directions, bend them both ways, and do tons of transitions between gaits and within them.”
What is your advice for someone who is just getting started with riding, or better yet a parent whose child is just starting to ride or wants to start riding?
“For the parent, this is the best thing you can do for your child. They will learn responsibility and have a hobby that will truly teach them more than anything else. It will also keep them so busy they won’t be able to get in trouble doing things they shouldn’t.
For the new rider, enjoy the relationship side of it. It’s so much more than riding, it is about building a bond with your horse that is like no other bond you will ever have. There is truly nothing better than a bond with your horse. Your horse will get you through any problem you are having.”
Tell me about the horses you are currently showing or training, or the horses that you own. Even if there is a special horse from your past you want to talk about.
Chloe is currently training and showing her horse Dino. Dino also happens to be one of the first horses on my 365 Days of Horses blog. You have to head over to his blog to read more about his story.
You can get in touch with Chloe by emailing her at [email protected] or through social media at her Facebook Page or Instagram.
Karinda K Equine Photography is a Corpus Christi equine photographer located in Montgomery, TX. Karinda creates timeless portraits of you with your beloved horses, and other farm animals. Serving locally Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin, Texas communities. KEP also serves Wellington and Ocala, Florida, Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky, Aiken, South Carolina, Tryon, North Carolina, and Norco and Woodside, California and their surrounding communities.
