Lacy, my first branded Mustang, first TIP horse, first gaited horse I’ve ever owned, and the best horse I’ve had in my life yet, turned 9 on Sunday.
We know that because she was born in holding in Cañon City to a Divide Basin, WY Mustang mare.
I’m not the kind to bring my animals gifts or bake them a cake on their birthday. But still, this birthday was special. I may or may not have told everyone at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo that the princess had a birthday coming up.
Lacy injured herself in early 2023 and was lame with an unclear outcome for months. A serious eye injury in the fall – she was still not sound – added to the concerns for her future. It took a village to keep her going and I’m so grateful to all who showed up for Lacy and me during that time.
I spent months in suspense, wondering if a quality of life call needed to be made, and whether I would need to let her go even before Blanca who crossed the rainbow bridge on the last warm day of fall this past year.
Lacy didn’t understand why she never got picked to go on a ride and snuck through every open trailer door she could find, hoping to go, and I had to ask her to get out. You can’t venture into the backcountry or move cattle if you can barely walk.
Spending her birthday weekend with her, loping in the indoor arena while ponying a youngster, watching her be a patient, friendly Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy Ambassador Mustang, meeting people and packing a friend’s kid around was a gift I didn’t think I’d see most of last year.
I cherish every day with the princess, knowing how quickly things can change. She has adopted the 2 Devil’s Garden babies we kept last year. Watching them play, eat and sleep together makes my heart happy and I think she’s happy too.
I just recently started working training horses off of her again. Lacy enjoys work as much as she enjoys food and butt scratches. She’s gotten cuddlier with age but no less spicy and I love that about her.
PC for the first photo: Photographer Linnea Helander . She and Tay Martin sneakily took that last year when we didn’t know if she’d make it and just recently shared it with me 
Many thanks for the other two pics to Amanda and Maya . Yes, DG Cedar crosses her hind legs and does all sorts of other goofy things when baby brain kicks in and she’s done standing still.
