Hello World: Meet Unbridled Dixie

When I approached the 16.2 hh skinny bay Thoroughbred mare, I instantly felt a connection. A kind soul – and an old soul – Unbridled Dixie is the granddaughter of 1990 Kentucky Derby winner, Unbridled, and a descendent of Man O' War .

I had John, my trainer at the time and a once fiercely competitive Grand Prix rider, meet me at the barn where the mare was stabled. We had the luxury of watching her be tacked up and were both impressed by her agreeability - especially when you took into consideration that the mare was only 3 years old. After two races, it was clear she didn't want to run. So instead, a young woman named Riley and her mother bought her off the track at an auction, brought her home, and let her be a horse for the winter. I had tried a previous horse they had for sale that wasn't my type because he was heavy in my hand and made me feel as though he was itching to run away with me. She contacted me shortly after that encounter to let me know she had a younger mare that she was getting restarted.

"We haven't told anyone else about her," she said. I smiled - I had an unexplainably instant good feeling about her.

"Well, I did recently think that maybe I want a mare," I remember commenting to her. I had ridden enough mares in my life to know that they offer a kind of loyalty to me that no gelding ever did.

Mares tend to get bad reputations because they have opinions - but all good women do.

I had asked Riley to get on first and show me her ride - a strategic maneuver I had learned early on in my career. Never get on a sale horse cold - let someone else warm them up like they're used to. If you watch close enough, you should be able to know what to expect when you get into the tack yourself. If you don't like what you see, don't waste your time (or theirs) and politely decline the ride.

After watching Dixie walk, trot, canter, and even do a flying lead change - I was anxious to get on the level-headed mare with a float to her trot like I hadn't seen in the countless sale horses I had looked at before her. She was all legs with a long back and a bold white star in between her soft eyes.

"She has a kind face," a previous trainer commented through text when I sent her a photo out of excitement.

Riley handed me the reins and I climbed to the top step of the mounting block. I took a deep breath, throwing aside previous bad memories at the mounting block, and swung my leg over.

Dixie stood perfectly still, waiting.

I smiled. John smiled.

"Well, alright then," I said and clucked her forward. She immediately let me know I asked incorrectly with pinned ears, but compliance.

"She'll let you know what she doesn't like," Riley said.

"Yeah, I can see that. She has lots of opinions. But that's alright, so do I!" I joked. As I picked up the trot, the first thing I noticed was how balanced and light on her feet she felt. Most horses that move melodically have an unfortunate habit of balancing on the bit - sometimes it's from years of inexperienced riders using their hands for balance and sometimes it's just the way the horse naturally goes.  

Over the last year while John helped me search for my perfect budget-friendly off-the-track Thoroughbred, we talked extensively about what I was and wasn't looking for in a horse. I realize that my physical ailments put me at a disadvantage so I wanted to find a horse that could compensate for my weaknesses with her strengths.

I can't carry a heavy-headed horse and I also can't properly keep a kick ride going without incredible amounts of pain after my rides. The last thing I wanted was to buy a horse that caused me physical pain to ride. To my delight, Dixie was my perfect blend of forward motion without a whole lot of fuss. She's the kind of mare that you ask once, politely, and she will give you exactly what you asked for. She doesn't need to be spurred, or kicked, or pulled on - she just needs someone to sit still, be soft, and stay balanced with her.

That first magical ride on Dixie, I got both lead changes (one was definitely on accident) and trotted her over countless cross rails without for a moment doubting her willingness to go over them. Jumping 3 year olds is not typically something I recommend, but the way John put it sure made a lot of sense to me:

"Ride it like you own it until you actually own it. You have to know this horse is what you want, otherwise you'll hate riding it, and no one wants a horse they hate riding," he said with his signature grin.

As I dismounted, a grin on my face from cheek to cheek, the first words out of my mouth were, "I think we should do a pre-purchase, don't you?"

John agreed.

"All the pieces are there. Putting them together is relatively easy when you have that much to work with," he said.

On July 2nd, 2022, I purchased Unbridled Dixie - an American off-the-track (OTTB) American Thoroughbred and welcomed her to her new home.

This is the story of us.