When Docz Solid Sting arrived from Alberta in May 2005, Barb named her Xena, after the warrior princess television character. Barb also named the mare who’d accompanied Xena, Gabrielle after Xena’s TV sidekick. To be honest, when I first heard the name Xena, I thought it was a bit cliche, but it grew on me and eventually it just became Docz Solid Sting’s barn name.

In May 2010 I was able to get in touch with Xena’s second owner, Sue. It was during our first conversation that Sue mentioned Docz Solid Sting’s original barn name had been Fancy. She was Fancy for the first 7 years of her life, and it immediately resonated with me. In that moment I decided to change Xena’s barn name back to Fancy. I know it won’t erase her history as a PMU rescue, but to me it symbolically restores her identity. And as Sue says, Fancy certainly does have a fancy way about her.

Did you notice the reflection in her eye? It’s me holding the camera, with the barn’s silhouette in the background. I’ve decided to continue referring to her as Xena on this website, more for convenience than anything else.

On May 1, 2010 I became Xena’s 6th owner. Xena is a registered Paint, so becoming her owner also meant I now have her registration papers from the American Paint Horse Association. The registration has a section which lists the names of her previous five owners.

Sue was Xena’s 2nd owner, having bought her from the breeder at the age of 7 months. Of all the previous owners, Sue owned Xena for the longest period of time; from 1993 to 2001. This also meant Sue knew Xena before she was mistreated by the PMU industry, so she was the one person who could answer my questions — What was Xena like as a young horse? How much had she been ridden? What training had she received? Was she innately nervous, or was that the result of harsh handling?

My Fancy Girl — June 2010    

I began searching for Sue through an online phone directory. I knew Sue’s last name and the name of the town where she lived, 10 years ago. Would she still be there? My first set of search results contained over 30 names, none of which listed the actual town. I then tried Google, and within minutes I’d found an obituary for Sue’s mother-in-law, so now I had her husband’s first name. I quickly skimmed my list of 30 names and found one phone number that matched. I’d found the needle in my haystack!

When I called Sue that first time, I had owned Xena for only 4 days. It was almost unreal hearing Sue’s voice, and telling her “my name is Linda and I’m calling from Toronto. I own Docz Solid Sting.” I heard the surprise in her voice, 2,300 miles away. Sue later posted a comment, describing our conversation that day:

May 5, 2010

When I got your phone call today I could not believe it! It broke my heart to hear what Xena to you, Fancy to me had gone through. We sold the mare to people we believed “loved her”. Little did we know that she would end up in a PMU barn.

I am so happy for her that she was rescued by Barb, and then has found you. It brings tears to my eyes to see the connection that you have made with her. One thing that I do with all my horses, whether they are born on our ranch or purchased off is to let them smell me. I put out my hand for them to smell, and then I puff, puff, puff nostrils with them. It seems to be a way of recognition for them.

I have gone through my photos and found a couple, not great because it was before the day of digital cameras, but I will send them off to you! Thank you so much for your time, dedication and love for this horse because she really does deserve it.

While I may study natural horsemanship, being around horses does not come naturally to me. As a child, the closest I came to a horse was passing a farm along the highway. I guess I fall into the category of someone who takes her first riding lesson as an adult, gets into Parelli, and retrains a frightened, unrideable mare. I’m okay with that.

With Couch, a lesson horse at Barn #2
July 2006    

I took up riding in February 2006 because I had hopes of one day riding on a beach. It was on my list of 10 Things to Do Before I Die, and I naively thought it would be an easy one to cross off. I had no idea what I was getting into.

Learning to ride wasn’t easy for me. Being a cautious adult rider, I couldn’t help but gauge the ability of my instructors by how much they valued my safety. Within the first year I’d had 4 coaches, fallen off twice, been run-away with, kicked, stepped on and shoved around by too many horses.

Every few weeks I’d ask myself, “Why are you still riding? You’re going to get hurt!”. I was at the point of giving up, but at the same time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a reason I had to put myself through this, I just didn’t know why. It would be 2 more years before I found the answer.

Trail Riding in Alberta - June 2008

I volunteered for a year at a therapuetic riding school, because I thought spending more time on the ground would help my riding. To some extent being a side-walker did improve my confidence with horses, but mostly it was just rewarding to see the joy on the children’s faces.

By then I was with coach #6, who’d learned to ride as an adult. My lessons now included riders closer to my age, with a coach I trusted, so finally I was actually having some fun. My coach had also studied the John Lyons‘ natural horsemanship method, which opened my eyes to DVD-based learning. Within a few months I’d discovered Parelli, and it became the missing link in my understanding of horses.

I began the Parelli Level 1 program in September 2008, working with my coach’s gelding, Cole. Cole was safe and reliable; he was also blind in his right eye, which presented its own challenges. I learned a great deal from Cole and will always be grateful to Paulette for her generosity.

A Rainy Day with Cole — Barn #6, November 2008    

Six months later, in February 2009, I finally discovered what I’d unknowingly been searching for all along. I found Xena and soon realized this is where I was meant to be. My interest is no longer just about riding; it’s been transformed into a love of learning, with a mare I adore. For the next 14 months Xena and I did groundwork training (Parelli, Online Levels 1 & 2), until she finally became mine in May 2010. We’re now training at Online Levels 2/3, and while we’re not yet horse and rider, it is on my Top 10 list.

Xena & I — Barn #8, June 2010    

By strange coincidence, three years earlier when I was taking lessons at Barn #2, Xena lived nearby at what would become Barn #7. It was a long road for both of us.

I love you, Sweet Pea