{due west} 52 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHANNA HARLOW Abbey asks, motioning to her mount’s ears, tilting out like wings. Beyond being my guide and horse translator, Abbey is knowledgeable on the local flora and fauna as well as the area’s history. She fills me in on Wunderlich’s past life as an estate and the property’s previous owner, coffee king James A. Folger II, then identifies several historic buildings on the grounds (including an old blacksmith forge turned stable). Of course, Abbey also has a deep understanding of the nearly two dozen horses under her supervision. “They have very distinct personalities,” she attests. “It’s a really wonderfully rich world.” handling management tasks. As Abbey puts it, “A little bit of paperwork, mostly the horse part.” In fact, Chaparral Ranch itself originated through an unexpected turn of events. As we ride deeper into the forest, the oaks and firs giving way to towering redwoods, Abbey relays the story. Shawn Mott and Susan Pennell had a chance encounter during the Great Recession of 2008 when Shawn was seeking a new job in the equestrian world and Susan was looking for a trainer for her spirited horse. Today, Chaparral’s co-owners not only have a location in Woodside, but ones in Monterey and the East Bay as well. As we continue down the trail, I learn the telltale sign of a happy horse. “See those airplane ears?”
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