Meet Method Ambassador Chloe Bermel
Growing up in rural Minnesota, Chloe was riding before she could walk. “My mom started taking riding lessons and got her first horse, Magic, after she married my father. When I was born, she’d put me in the saddle with her, and when it was time for me to go down for a nap, she’d hand me off to my dad,” Chloe says.
By the time she was 4, Chloe had joined her mom showing Magic on the Arabian Horse Association circuit and had a successful show career. “I did everything with him, from western and English showing and trail riding to going in parades and riding around bareback with friends,” Chloe says.
When she turned 15, she wanted to focus on training horses rather than just showing them. “My trainer made me a great rider and trained my horse to be a great show horse; however, I wanted to learn how to train a horse to get to that point,” Chloe says.
She began working with Pilgrim, a young, green horse at her family’s farm. Although she was an experienced rider, Chloe realized that when it came to training she needed help. “My mom had Clinton’s old VHS tapes and I started off by studying those,” Chloe says. “Eventually, I got the Fundamentals Series and then the app. I love how easy the Method is to follow and the results you get with it.”
When she started using the Method to train Pilgrim, it wasn’t long before she had a solid partnership established with the gelding. The experience encouraged her to buy young horses, train them and then sell them to good homes. “I’ve worked with a variety of horses over the years, from draft horses to standardbreds to stock horses, and the Method works for every horse, no matter their breed or discipline. Every horse is an individual, of course, so your expectations need to match the horse’s ability, but the Method provides a solid foundation for every horse,” Chloe says.
As she gained more experience, Chloe began teaching riding lessons and went on to work at a standardbred racetrack and spent a couple of years as a trail guide in Wyoming. Attending the Academy and teaching the Method professionally were always in the back of her mind but finding the time to take the course never seemed quite right. “When my life came to a fork in 2021, I did a lot of praying and the Academy was the path I chose,” Chloe says.
As a Method Ambassador, Chloe is passionate about helping others improve their horsemanship. “I love working with people and watching them improve their skills,” she says. “The Method gives people confidence, as safety is Downunder Horsemanship’s emphasis. I want everyone to experience how much fun horsemanship is and what you can accomplish with your horses when you interact with them in the correct way.”
Chloe is based in Wagner, South Dakota, where she trains horses for the public and teaches private lessons and clinics that focus on the Fundamentals level of the Method. Learn all about Chloe on her website and contact her directly at 218-330-0736 or [email protected].
