Amber DeLauer said seeing Kendall Jenner ride her former horse in a Vogue shoot helped her move forward after a traumatic brain injury that nearly ended her riding career.
DeLauer, who bought the palomino gelding Jericho at an auction and called him her "Barbie Dream Horse," told The Daily Mail in an interview that the Vogue photo sequence — showing Jenner astride the horse in a field — felt like "proof that letting him go wasn't a failure, but part of both our healing journeys." She said the image moved her from an initial "gut punch" to "tears of joy, peace, and pride."
DeLauer recounted buying Jericho because of his striking appearance — a palomino with four white stockings and a bold white face — but said his unpredictable nature and her own recovery needs made continued training difficult after her accident. She said giving him up felt "monumental" at the time but ultimately allowed both horse and owner to move on.
Her riding accident left DeLauer with a traumatic brain injury and severe post-traumatic stress disorder. She described the early stages of relearning to ride as "like walking through fire," saying she would shake uncontrollably each time she got back in the saddle but recognized "the only way out was through." DeLauer credited her husband, fitness coach and author Thomas DeLauer, with guiding her recovery and implementing a post-TBI protocol that included fish oil, a high-fat diet she described as "brain-healthy," red light therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
DeLauer said one of her doctors told her husband that "if the hoof had landed just a quarter of an inch differently," she likely would not have survived. She said that perspective increased her gratitude for life and the care she received in the immediate aftermath of the injury.
Jericho was later rehomed to trainers at Grant and Diamond Cross Ranch, whom DeLauer credited with finishing his training and helping him become a steadier mount. She said Jenner likely had no knowledge of the horse's earlier history, but that the Vogue images nevertheless carried symbolic weight for her: "It felt like a sign from the universe that I could finally let go of the guilt and shame I'd been carrying since my accident."
In the years after her recovery, DeLauer said she returned to riding and introduced her children to a smaller pony, Marshmallow. She described herself as "incredible, stronger than ever, really," and said the experience reshaped how she thought about loss and success in the equestrian world. "Horses had always been my safe place," she said, adding that seeing Jericho on a high-profile platform felt like a compliment to the animal and to the work that allowed him to flourish.
DeLauer said she hopes others who see the Vogue photos take away more than an image of glamour. "I hope people understand that even though the journey may be bumpy, there is always light at the end of the tunnel," she said. "Sometimes letting go is exactly what propels us forward into what's meant for us. Jericho went from being my auction gamble to a Vogue cover star. I feel deeply honored to have been a stepping stone for him along the way."