Michelle was a horse-crazy young girl. Her grandfather was an Arabian horse breeder of some note in the Pacific Northwest for years before Michelle was born. He specialized in breeding Crabbet related Arabians. Her cousins all owned well-bred Quarter Horses and competed with them up to the Quarter Horse World show and brought back many buckles and prizes. Michelle’s parents didn’t have that kind of money, but her mother did buy her an Arabian gelding when she was 12 years old. Unfortunately, the seller was less than truthful about the horse during the sale, and the horse passed away four months later leaving a broken-hearted Michelle.
When Michelle was 15-years-old, she brought a boy home from school with her. Her grandmother heard about it and talked with Michelle’s parents. She gave Leah, an untrained nine-year-old mare to Michelle. It was the piece that was missing in Michelle’s life, a horse of her own. Michelle had some riding lessons, and saddle-trained Leah, who she called Pony. She began to show Pony and won a few ribbons on her. They spend lazy afternoons on the trails around home and grew to love and respect each other. Michelle had no time for boys. Michelle decided to breed Pony so she could have a baby to raise. Her goal was to have a horse to take to the Scottsdale show and win a buckle. She’s been dreaming about that since she was 14.
Michelle had Pony bred, finished high school, found a full-time job in the local hardware store, and started her college education. The mare kept the baby the required 11 months and a few days and finally gave birth to a beautiful liver-chestnut filly that Michelle named Izzy. Izzy and Pony were the things that made life worth living for Michelle. She had one to ride and one to raise. All seemed right in her world until Izzy was three-months-old. She dashed through the paddock one day at full speed and tripped, breaking her knee.
The vet showed Michelle the x-rays. He said it wasn’t hopeless. They could pin and plate the knee back together, but he couldn’t guarantee she would ever be sound enough to ride. Little Izzy was only three months old. Michelle couldn’t put her down. Izzy had just begun to live. She agreed to the surgery and wiped out her life savings to pay for it. It was a heavy load for Michelle. The baby had surgery, wore a cast for a while, and the knee knitted. Michelle continued with her job and her schooling while Izzy grew up.
By the time Izzy was three and a half years old, she was the Diva with more sass than your average teenaged girl. Michelle finished school by that time and was into her career. She knew she would need someone special to work with Izzy and someone who would be careful not to stress her knee. She’d not shown signs of lameness since the cast came off, but Michelle worried about it showing up again.
Michelle found a trainer she’d been following online and talked to him about Izzy. She had two criteria if she decided to haul Izzy to him for training. The first was she asked him to be completely honest about Izzy’s progress. If she ever showed signs of lameness, Michelle would immediately bring her home. The second was that he not push her with expectations of making a money-earning futurity horse. Michelle wanted him to see her more realistically as being a trail horse. The trainer and Michelle talked every day about Izzy’s progress. She had no issues with her knee at all. Izzy did, however, have a few problems with her attitude. She is still a Diva. Michelle told me Izzy taught her a lot about patience, optimism, and stubbornness, both in herself and in Izzy. But, the good news is that Michelle and Izzy have won several reining classes, including Region 5 Open Reining. Michelle took her to NRHA and did well with her there too.
Michelle told me, “Izzy is the most difficult horse I’ve ever owned, hands down! She is opinionated and smart and has all fight and no flight. You absolutely cannot force her to do anything, ever. I’ve learned patience, so much patience. To work cohesively with a strong-willed child, if you will. I like to think there is no other human like me in her world. She only calls when I’m near. She will come running the second she sees me and pays no attention to others. She trusts me and listens to me and will put her head on my shoulder when I’m sad. No horse has ever wanted to be where I am like she does.”
Michelle went on to tell me, “Izzy has been the source of my greatest accomplishment and also the biggest stressor. She truly is one of my children, with an opinionated personality and milestones much the same (especially with the leg). Now I can get on her and just chill. She is my zen and happy place, which I am now sharing with my children. She’s not a dead-head that lives out back. She’s an active member of my household, and I’m her person until she crosses Rainbow Bridge.”
Michelle is considering breeding Izzy for another baby. She still wants to show at Scottsdale and take home that buckle. With her determination and drive, I have no doubt she will accomplish her dream. I’d love to be in the stands to cheer her and Izzy’s baby to the win!
