A Modern Miracle: The Big Bay Mare that Could

I pulled up to the barn gate on a fittingly stormy afternoon. It had been stressful Tuesday at work, everyone scrambling to find their groove after the long Memorial Day weekend. I tried to quiet my internal chatter as I pulled into the drive, anxious to get Dixie into the barn and ready for the vet appointment we had been waiting for since her injury back in January.

Six months, at this point, feels like a lifetime ago. The mare I had back them was unruly, unpredictable, and had a really hard time complying with the humans around her. It was also around that time period that I learned the many dollars I had been spending on training were simply lining pockets of a greedy trainer who took on more horses than she was capable of caring for.

The situation at her previous barn had gotten horrible. After a series of unfortunate events, I became aware that Jess' long time partner had moved out. Her long time apprentice had been fired. And her other trainer was bucked off and sustained an injury that put her our for a minimum of six months. Jess was suddenly alone on a 35-acre horse farm with 26 horses under her full care. And she refused to admit her own reality.

My final straw with Harmonized Horsemanship was when I got a call on a Saturday night that one of her donated horses had beat up my mare. Dixie was gushing blood from her hind fetlock and required an emergency vet visit to stop the bleeding, make sure there wasn't severe damage, and administer antibiotics to prevent an infection.

I was infuriated when I learned the reason that horse had been given away to her program was because he had made a habit of breaking other horse's legs.

As you can imagine, words were exchanged. Conversations were heated. While I cannot speak for other horse owners, when it comes to my mare, I have high expectations of care and quality.

When this phone call came in, I knew it was time for me to find Dixie somewhere capable of meeting my standards of care and training.

It was a tall order, but lucky for me, we landed somewhere absolutely magical.

Dixie now has two trainers - one that has been drilling the basics of groundwork, manners, lunging, and overall being a good horse citizen. She has also been doing training rides and has been a saving grace for riding out some tricky situations that are what I consider too high risk for me at this point. The other trainer works with me when I'm riding to help me learn how to be a better rider and teach me how I can help Dixie become a better horse.

The three of us make one fantastic team.

"As she gets better, it's your job to also get better," Lynn explained. That small but mighty woman has the knowledge of someone who has lived multiple lifetimes. Always kind, always happy to be near the horses, and always profoundly introspective - when Lynn speaks, everyone listens. Her wisdom often applies both in and out of the saddle.

While I waited for the vet, I put Dixie in the indoor to see if she wanted to run or roll around. I wanted her to be nice and zen despite the storm brewing outside. By this point, the sky had darkened. The rain was starting to echo through the indoor, but Dixie stood quietly begging for treats by the in gate. After a few minutes, Dr. Wendel popped his head in from the far aisle.

"Oh, you're in here. We're ready," he said.

I clipped the lead rope to Dixie's halter, took a deep breath, and led her to the cross ties.

Since we needed to get crisp imaging for the vet to give an accurate and complete diagnosis, we had to sedate her with an IV injection. Within just a few moments, her head drooped low, resting her weight on the crossties attached to each side of her halter.

The imaging my veterinarian uses is near-instant, so within moments of capturing the images, with butterflies floating in my stomach, he was able to give his veterinary opinion.

"This looks good. Real good. We are definitely not looking at the same horse we were before," he said.

It felt like for the first time since January, I exhaled.

"Really? How good?" I asked, cautiously optimistic at the first words out of his mouth. "Like...are we talking she can jump?" I raised an eyebrow and braced myself for the answer I'd been waiting for.

"Well, I'd say you should probably start with crossrails," he said with his signature Southern drawl and goofy grin.

After 6 months of what I call Dixie's Glouboutin's (glue-on shoes that cost me roughly what a pair of Louboutin's would cost every 5 weeks), combined with top tier supplements, care, and a regimented workout program -  we were able to help her rehab from a point where we were questioning her viability as a riding horse to where she is today...cleared for takeoff without limitation.

Though I got the news a few weeks ago now, I still don't think I've processed just what a miracle this mare turned out to be.

It took changing barns - and changing jobs - to get me in a place where I finally feel confident in our path forward. Before, I was surrounded by people who didn't believe in me, people who doubted my abilities, and people that were more interested in taking advantage than they were in helping me get where I was going.

But now that I have found the right team for Dixie, and the right team for me at my new job, I finally have a clear vision of where we are going and how we are going to get there.

Step by step, day by day, if you put in the work, and you believe, the results will come.

Don't miss the next chapter. Every Thursday morning, I'll be posting a new blog update on Dixie's progress. Subscribe to make sure you never miss a beat.

Want to see Dixie in action? Check out Unbridled Dixie's training videos on the new YouTube channel, @SporthorseRevival