Heather Mathias was drawn to Circle A Home for Horses in Virginia Beach, Va., by her passion for her horses as she sought an interview for a position on the farm. On the day of her interview, she encountered a delightful surprise. Inside one of the stalls stood a bay gelding named Here Comes Sharyn. As she approached his stall, he greeted her warmly by gently pressing his forehead against hers.

An instant connection. (Courtesy of Heather Mathias)

After an amazing interview, Heather was offered the job at Circle A Home for Horses. From then on, every morning, Here Comes Sharyn faithfully awaited Heather’s arrival in his stall. It appeared that both couldn’t commence their day without exchanging the same affectionate greeting they shared on the day of Heather’s interview.

With such genuine affection from a sweet and kind horse, Heather couldn’t help but fall in love. Here Comes Sharyn’s eyes light up with admiration and love whenever he sees or hears Heather, a look reserved solely for her.

As months passed, Heather and Here Comes Sharyn grew increasingly close. Heather found herself wanting to bring him home with her. Heather approached Alicia Mahar, the founder and executive director of Circle A Home for Horses, to inquire about the adoption process.

After gaining clarity on the procedures involved in adopting from Circle A, Heather made the decision to proceed with adopting Here Comes Sharyn. All Heather wanted was to be, “his special person to love [and] care for him the way he deserves.”

In the fall of 2023, Heather finally brought Here Comes Sharyn home. Since the day Heather met Here Comes Sharyn, she noticed he was an avid cribber. Therefore, the first thing Heather wanted to address when she brought him home was his cribbing habit.

Cribbing is a behavior observed in horses where they grasp onto an object with their front teeth, contract their neck muscles, and pull back, often swallowing air in the process. While there are no definitive answers on why horses crib, most veterinarians assume that boredom and stress are the main causes.

Here Comes Sharyn (Courtesy of Heather Mathias)

Heather ordered Here Comes Sharyn a brand-new cribbing collar and began to work to find the cause of his cribbing. She dedicated hours observing Here Comes Sharyn’s behaviors, both in his stall and out in the field. Through this process of spending extensive time together, their bond deepened significantly as they grew to understand each other beyond their time at Circle A Home for Horses.  

Currently, Heather is focused on helping Here Comes Sharyn rebuild muscle. She approached their training sessions with patience. Having been through so much in his life, she allows him to progress at his own pace. She feels that teaching him how to relax and to “just be a horse” is more important than a rigorous retraining schedule. With no pressure for competitions on their agenda, they opt for a slow and gentle approach, focusing on their bond and his well-being above all else.

Despite their laid-back schedule, Heather and Here Comes Sharyn continue to accomplish new goals every week, and she is proud of the information that he retains from one ride to the next. Confidence, trust in each other, and under-saddle work are crucial to reaching their long-term goals.

Eventually Heather would love it if Here Comes Sharyn wanted to ride the trails and explore with her. She has all the faith in the world that they will make that goal a reality one day, but for now they are content to keep “building up our bond and love for each other.”

The Jockey Club supports many aftercare initiatives including the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, the only accrediting body in aftercare, and Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.), which encourages the retraining of Thoroughbreds into other disciplines upon completion of careers. View all of the initiatives supported by The Jockey Club.