Aid Linda's Comeback - And Help Her Keep Her Ranch

Linda Laird is a well-established mule-donkey-horse trainer, who has been a professional in the business for 4 decades. She has trained and shown all over the country, since she was 9 years old. But her fondest memories in her long and prestigious career were made when she moved to Bishop to be with her mother, and started her local training stable – the Double L Ranch. Linda’s parents built the ranch in 1989. In 2000, Linda sold her riding schools down south, and moved to Bishop in search of new equestrian adventures. And she has been here ever since.

Linda speaking:

Unfortunately, as every equestrian knows, this business does not come without peril to one’s body. And I have had my fair share of injuries. I thought I was bionic after my last two back surgeries, which were successful for a decade. But as much as I tried to ignore this pain that has come back in the last few years, trying to will myself to be stronger, eventually I had to face the pain and the facts.

This pain was familiar to me, and I suspected that I would require back surgery yet again. I tried to plan accordingly, which meant for me to commit to whatever surgery I would require to be after show season. I look forward to show season every year, not only because it is the time where the winter bills get paid, but because I love to take my team and my animals on the road to throw down with the best of my friends. I started out the season determined to make it to October, but my body was loud and clear that this was not going to work.

Doctors confirmed what I had already suspected: I had slipped yet another disk, the one right above my four previous fusions. The slipped disk put pressure on my nerves, hence the chronic and relentless discomfort. I did my best to postpone surgery until show season was over (in October) by undergoing 3 epidurals. But when the last epidural provided pain relief not for the customary 3 month period, but for one week only, it was clear that I could not wait any longer.

The surgery plan was to go in and cut my old hardware (a spinal rod and a cage) from a previous back surgery in 2011 out, fuse my L3 and L4, harvest a bone graft from my hip, and then put me back together with the latest and greatest fancy pants hardware and a couple of screws. However, when the surgeons got a look inside, things got more complex. I had extensive nerve damage from the slipped disk, and furthermore, the surgeons found a perineural cyst where they had initially planned to fuse. All in all, I underwent 8 procedures on that long afternoon. But brilliant surgeons persevere, and I made it to the other side.

I could not wait to get back home to the ranch. I spent my first week home sleeping, with my dog and my cat faithfully flanking me on my hospital bed in the living room. My ranch girls told me that my mule, Scooter, wanted to join us, however my dog was not willing to share the bed, and so unfortunately, Scooter would have to wait.

And now the battle begins. I’ve got a long road back, and everything is on the line. Being forced to schedule this surgery before show season was finished tightened up my finances considerably. If it takes a long time to pay my medical bills off, so be it – this wouldn’t be the first time. But I am concerned about making sure that my helpers are compensated and that my bills and my mortgage are paid. It is unknown how long it will take me to be able to train and ride again to my previous capacity, although coaching will obviously come sooner. Still, I am faced to look at many months with severely reduced income.

I never thought it would come to this. For those of you who know me well, you know that asking for help does not come easy for me. I was initially very opposed to the idea of a Go Fund Me, but I am plum out of ideas. When I was younger, I was simply able to dig deeper and work harder, and get myself out of it. But that is not an option this time.

So I am looking to you, my friends. I don’t know what to do, but one thing I do know is that I want to keep my ranch and make a full comeback. I do not feel that I am finished yet. I want to continue to contribute to my equestrian community, I have a lot more to give.

But as we say, it is not over until the fat donkey brays, and it ain’t over yet. Please help me save the Double L. I know a lot of us are on hard times, I know mine is not the worst of it. But I would be very grateful for any assistance.

Down - but not out,

Linda