This past year has been one of the hardest horse journeys I have ever endured with our family. What I thought was a start to a beautiful new chapter turned into the opposite. I purchased three beautiful horses so that my daughters and I could ride together — with my youngest dreaming of starting her barrel racing journey, and my oldest enjoying trail riding (current horses in late 20s). What was meant to be a joyful family beginning quickly turned into heartbreak.

Soon after bringing the horses home, we discovered they were infected with strangles, a severe and highly contagious illness. Despite our best care and many vet visits and farm calls, my own horse passed away within 15 days. My daughter’s young mare, the one she was training and bonding with for barrel racing, fought hard through months of treatment and vet bills — only to pass away five months later.

We now have one surviving horse out of the 3, but he’s only healthy enough to be a pasture companion. My youngest daughter has been riding my senior gelding, but he’s getting older and as much heart as he has and wants to give her, we have to retire him from running races.

She has the BIGGEST dreams of competing and moving on to bigger rodeos and growing. I would love to help her find a started horse to bring some joy and healing back into her life, but after the emense vet and burial expenses, and care for the others, I simply don’t have the funds to make that possible right now.

I am hoping to raise $2,500 toward finding her decently-started horse, which will go with what she is saving — something steady, enough to keep her going and work with through the winter.

Any help, no matter how small, would be amazing! Thank you for reading our story and for helping a young, sassy rider find her way back from heartbreak. ❤️