My Dixie Chick

This picture was taken by Romona at BLM at the Odessa Adoption last spring. Not many adopted but we sure fun riding. I had not ridden Dixie in several months and she was like a rocket ready to launch at any moment. Actually it was the first time I had ridden her outside the arena and about her 3rd. ride in 3 years. I ponied her behind Pepper one day and the next I rode her. She got a tumble weed in her tail and we did some real spins. FAST. I thought I was going off but didn't.

I rode her then next Memorial Day and she was full of it for the first halt an hour but then was great. She relaxed and just walked along the trail. It was great the rest of that summer. She is a great trail horse. Her big deal is she is quite herd boud and does not like to go out by herself.

The people who I got her from had rescued her. See the mark on her nose when she had a halter grow into her nose. I thought she might be a little shy with her head but she isn't. She is really good. How could somebody do that?

They gave me Dixie because I had my dream horse, Star. A big grulla mustang mare - I loved her and she took me anywhere I wanted to go. She did not like to go at any speed but a walk and that was fine with me. We rode all over that summer - up in the mountains of Montana, Idaho and WAS. We were up on Hoodoo Pass which is between Montanta and Idaho at about 8,000 feet. We were riding up a quite steep trail. We got up it OK and rode around up on top and started down and she started make a funny noise with every step. I got off and she was limping. I walked the several miles back and untacked her and took her to drink. She walked out into the middle of the cold mountain creek and stood there for most of an hour. The rest of the group rode for the next two days and Star and I lounged around camp. We got home and the next day I took her to the vet. He exrayed her front legs and the bones were nearly deteriorated from arthritis. they could have collapsed at any time. I cried two days, went to Leavenworth to meet our daughter and she was put down and buried before I got back. I just could not be here but Bob was.

So, our friends in Back Country Horsemen felt sorry for me and about 4 months later they gave me Dixie. A small horse in a plain brown wrapper that I could get on from the ground. Star was 15h2 and Dixie is 14h1.

This was my first ride on Dixie. It was 2 weeks after I had the stroke. I was so ticked off at my body and so ticked off being confined to rest ect. Bob was not sure about it but he lunged her and worked her from the ground before he would let me get on. She was fine and I felt much better after being in the outside and on a horse again.

Last night Katie and I went to the awards banquet for the Northeast Zone. She kept thinking next year that will be me. Bob and I our placques for miles rode. We did not get near as many as other years because all of Bob's accidents left summer.

I think I might do Raven tomorrow. I will have to see what pictures I can find. Hope this not boring to anyone. I am enjoying chronicleing our horses, how we got them and how much we love them.

Dixie is darling and other than being full of energy she is a great partner.