Isis' Story

After I graduate from college in May 2012 I decided to finally buy my own horse. My search started online and after trying only 5 horses I found my mare.
When I tried Isis, she was an absolute disaster. She was a broken down ex-trail horse that looked neglected and completely worn down. She was a wreck under saddle. She was all over the place, rooted under the bit, dove into her gaits and couldn't hold herself up properly. She was, like I said, horrible.

I don't know why I fell in love with her, but I think it had to do with her honesty. No matter how many times I put her to a bad distance, smacked her in the mouth if she jumped crazy, landed on her back or just completely messed up the jump, she jumped. She was so excited about jumping. She could be fighting all the way to the fence and then suddenly, head straight up and she soared over any jump. So I bought her.

The first two months I had her were, to say the least, interesting. We fought, almost every single ride. I was stubborn, she was stubborn and we were not making any advances. I would talk to my friends about her and they would all say the same things, 'she needs time', 'just stay calm', 'she just doesn't understand yet'. I was still furious. I was so sick of taking one step forward at the end of every ride and quickly taking 200 steps back at the beginning of the next. Finally, Isis had enough, one ride outside she told me something was wrong and she reared straight up on me. I was completely caught off guard and I pulled back on her, pulling us both to the ground.

The next month I tried something different. I tried listening. I would push Isis, and she would tell me if I was pushing too hard. As the month progressed I was able to push her further, as long as I listened.
Things were really changing.

Of course, since things were going well, the world decided to change that. For whatever reason, the week I found out I was not accepted into a master's program, Isis impaled herself on a broken stall board. 3 hours of cleaning, stitching and fishing out pieces of wood later, I had a completely lame horse stuck on stall rest for two months. Prognosis was unsure if my wondermare would be able to jump again. I decided halfway through her recovery that I would move back to Columbia, Missouri to be with my boyfriend and friends.

Poor Isis was left in Kansas City with a healing injury for one month while I got my things organized in Columbia. Finally, the vet cleared Isis to start slow work again, just two weeks before moving her to Columbia. I rode her bareback a few times and she remained completely sane and calm through all of it.  In order to move Isis to Columbia I had to work at a barn 20 hours a week in addition to my two other jobs. For the first few months Isis was getting random spurts of work and she was coming along decently. She would show promise and then it would disappear.

Just recently I found a new barn to move Isis to and I have had her here for 13 days. I don't know if it is the change in the weather or we just understand each other better but my completely broken and messed up in the head mare decided she was ready to surprise me. Isis has completely evolved into a wondrous creature. She is engaged and quiet (most of the time...) under saddle and she jumps everything without hesitation. My wondermare has decided she wants to move along, and she will.
For now, we are working on our dressage and our consistency over fences. Isis will be going cross country schooling this summer and she will be going to her first event in June. Wish us luck on our adventure.

2013-2014 Continuation:

Isis and I finally started making some changes and strides in the right direction. She was consistently schooling up to training level dressage and schooled training level cross country like it was her job. She was phenomenal. I finally switched her bits around and she decided she wanted to be in a hackamore for a while. She is steady and light in it and frames easily. She went to her first show and got 2 in all of her classes! She showed up to 2'6 and even though she was terrified with the tons of other horses galloping around her she stayed steady and listened to me.

We played around with other bits, found a new saddle that fits her better and learned how to get body clipped. She taught a few beginner riders how to jump and taught me and my friends how to trust and be light to fences. She continued improving, jumping everything in her path.

Insert Jackie's luck here: Starting around July 2013 I began having pain in my right ankle. I tried suffering through it for a few months, couldn't even handle riding. Every jump I took I was in pain, every canter stride, every post. Everything hurt. I went to the physical therapist and was diagnosed with tendinitis. I was positive I would fix it. Spent months in physical therapy and suffered through cortisone shots with no avail. I ended up needing surgery on my right ankle.

I got a cotton osteotomy, right strayer, FDL tendon transfer and a posterior tibial tendon debriment (look it up, it sucks) in April 2014. The doctor is positive I will be able to ride and compete again, I am a bit more anxious. I had 2 months non weight bearing and am just starting to use my foot again. It is still terribly swollen and I have about 4 more months until I can put a foot in the stirrup.

I am finally beginning to feel positive. I've had a few friends ride Isis and even though she is fat and out of shape she is still the same steady, brave mare that I had before my surgery. I'm looking forward to getting back in the saddle and getting back into work with my wondermare.