‘It ’s been my savior in a way’ How Emily Heery became an equestrian
ARTICLE & DESIGN BY JENNA PLASSCHAERT • PHOTOS BY TYLER YUEN
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unior Emily Heery rode her first horse on a Girl Scouts trip in third grade, but it was not until her sister Caitlin went on that same trip two years later that their mom decided to put Emily in horse riding lessons and her love for riding truly blossomed. “Looking back, I don’t really know what drew me to it specifically,” Heery said. “I think it just came really naturally to me in the beginning, and it just made sense. Horses are such sweet animals; they’ll take care of you. So I think that finding the bond between this really big animal and a human is just beautiful.” Starting with 30-minute private lessons once a week at Spring Down Equestrian Center in Portola Valley, Heery began to learn basic aids—signals given to the horse with hands, legs, voice and weight— such as steering, stopping and starting. After a couple months, she eventually moved on and followed her former trainer, Sarah Morgan, to Webb Ranch. “[Sarah] helped me a lot in developing not just being a ‘potted plant,’ so to speak, on the horse, but actually learning how to use my aids that I learned as a younger and inexperienced rider to be more connected with the horse,” Heery said. As she evolved in riding, Heery was able to learn more advanced aids such as collection, which allows the horse to be more balanced and fluid. “A lot of people think it’s the horse that does the work for you,” Heery said. “I mean, up to a certain point, they are the one who jumps over the rail, but you have to help them.” Heery decided Webb Ranch was not a good fit for her because it was often busy and crowded. In mid-January of 2020, she switched to her current trainer, Cindy Kuhn, at Glenoaks Equestrian Center and joined Kuhn’s team, Lake Forest Farms. “It’s a really pretty facility; I really like it,” Heery said. “The more calm environment is really nice because I am able to focus and not necessarily have to worry about everything else going on in the arena at the time.” Typically, Heery visits the barn six days a week, reserving Wednesdays to stay on top of her AP Calculus AB work. She primarily focuses on jumping
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Emily Heery (11) and her horse, Bella, jump over a fence during practice at Glenoaks Equestrian Center on March 21. Prior to jumping, Heery warmed up by riding around the ring with friends.
