Cross C Equine is helping horses develop rhythm and balance
LAMAR, MO. – To call Charlea Jaeschke a horse whisperer would probably be going overboard. However, it may not be far off.
It has been less than a year since Jaeschke opened Cross C Equine and the former barrel racer and calf roper has found her motivation as a trainer.
“My primary motivation for my day-to-day life is not just my business, it’s being one hundred percent better at my passion each day,” Jaeschke said. “I continuously strive to be more educated, disciplined, and dedicated to being the best version of a horseman I can be.”
Jaeschke didn’t start out looking to train or rehabilitate horses. In fact, her career path began in 2015 when she moved to Lamar to attend a horseshoeing school.
“It was a real eye-opening experience that taught me immensely about life, horses, and business,” Jaeschke said. “I quickly learned, though, that the style of riding I was used to was not common in this area.”
Around that same time, Jaeschke came across the horse that would inevitably change her life.
“I bought a big grey Appendix horse named Steel,” Jaeschke said. “He taught me how to barrel race while I taught him horsemanship. Together we traveled many miles and didn’t let the grass grow under our feet. After a couple of years of learning and growing, we finally started to find our groove.”
Jaeschke and Steel found professional success in barrel racing as they rose through the rankings in 2019-20. However, right when the duo was at their peak, the COVID pandemic hit, and their rise was stopped in its tracks.
During the shutdown, Jaeschke became a Certified Equine Flexion Therapist and Rehabilitation Specialist, and she started Cross C Horse Therapy in late 2020.
“As I became more familiar with Equine Bodywork, I saw all the wonderful benefits that came from it,” Jaeschke said. “From there, I was able to put it into practice with my horse. His tired old body absolutely swallowed up the equine body work like rain on dry ground. As I continued my day-to-day life, I just knew there were more horses out in the world who would benefit from what I learned, thus creating Cross C Horse Therapy.”
According to Jaeschke, her motivation at the time was to help horses by giving them the same relaxation and relief she had been able to provide an aging Steel.
“The body work business took me on a wonderful four and a half year journey,” Jaeschke said. “I met so many amazing people and got to experience so many wonderful opportunities while also helping an abundance of awesome horses.”
However, in 2024, Jaeschke decided it was time to make another pivot in her career. In actuality, she was just returning to her original passion of being back on top of a horse.
“I took all my knowledge I gained from the equine therapy and combined it with my continuously sharpening knowledge I have from many years in the saddle, allowing Cross C Equine to be established and blossom,” Jaeschke said. “Cross C Equine specializes in helping horses develop rhythm and balance, along with promoting confidence and work ethic under saddle. Teaching a horse how to be ridden is not about teaching a horse how to carry a person in a saddle; it’s about developing a strong, trusting partnership through a type of communication that doesn’t use any words.”
“I’d say it was much like any person who decides to go out on their own- challenging,” Jaeschke said. ‘Some call it “cutting your teeth” when you’re first getting started. It’s stressful, confusing, and frustrating; it tests your ability to be disciplined and focus on the bigger picture. Luckily, I have a great support system that helped keep me lifted up when things were tough and celebrated all the victories alongside me, even the small ones.”
Jaeschke currently owns two AQHA horses that she raises on her 20-acre farm with her husband.
“Thanks to those horses, they make my side of the job, helping guide and teach other horses, so much easier,” Jaeschke said. “The energy a confident horse brings during a different horse’s time of vulnerability is unmatched. Both my horses want to see others succeed just as much as I do, if not more.”
Jaeschke says most of the clients are local. However, others do roll in from other states as well.
“The area in which I live is flooded with people who do the exact same thing as me. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel, I’m simply trying to give a different perspective on it,” Jaeschke said. “I don’t really have a target area or radius for my range in clientele. There are enough horses for everyone to help and make a living while doing it. I know I’m not the right fit for every horse, so having close competition doesn’t worry me.”
