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An Angel Named Legend | A Legendary Story Of A Quarter Horse
By: Francine Acord
In the late summer of 1998, my beautiful, vivacious, bouncy 12-year old daughter became sluggish and was slowing down. She was pale and lethargic. Her tan had faded, and it seemed her spirit had too. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but she wasn’t right. Within a couple weeks she began to complain about chest pains. The pains were so sharp she could not sleep during the day, or at night. Within six weeks, she was in a wheel chair. Two months later, after many tests and nowhere else to turn, she was diagnosed with Fibromyalsia, a very painful, debilitating disease. While relieved we had a “name” for the disease; I was in shock and disbelief. It was not a life-threatening disease at this point, but it was certainly life altering. How could this happen? I wondered what had I done to deserve this, or even more so, what had she done to deserve this incredible pain and agony at such a tender age?
As a single parent, I had given up my career and devoted my life and our livelihood to raising my girls in a rural environment, so they could know their grandparents and know the family ranch. Rural life could offer wholesome values and hard work. This is where I was raised, and I could not wait to get away when I was younger. I had to climb the corporate ladder, observe corporate politics and greed, to appreciate the simple lessons that rural life could offer. All of us pitched in to make our family business work. I wanted my children to experience the feeling of a “real” team effort. Now, I was at a crossroads. Do I stay and struggle to survive, or do I resign myself back to city life where medical care and life were easier? We decided to wait and see what happened with her health, before making any impulsive decisions.
I remember Thanksgiving Day 1998 at the ranch. It was a cold, but sunny day. Kalene was determined to get out of her wheel chair and ride a horse. She put on her coveralls and winter clothes to go outside. Bundling up was a chore in itself. Walking over the uneven, frozen ground was exhausting, but the thought of riding was worth the struggle. She was determined, but wanted to ride bareback because the pressure of the stirrups on her ankles was too much to bear. We bridled the tall horse. He became impatient with her unsuccessful attempts to get on his back. He danced around and dodged her efforts. She soon found it too painful to even mount a horse, let alone ride. She crumbled in a heap of tears.
It was extremely painful for me to stand back and observe, but she had to do it herself. I had no answers for myself, let alone her. For the two previous years in a row, she won the all-around belt buckle in the local rodeo series, and now she could not even mount her horse. We were devastated. When she had broken her arm on different occasions in the years before, she still rode. When she sprained her ankle, she still rode. But this - this broke her spirit.
She had a very difficult winter, staying in the house for weeks on end. Unable to go outside, negotiate the icy steps and she was too heavy for me to carry. The pain medication altered her conscience state, but didn’t effectively ease the pain. She had been incredibly swollen over her entire body for so many months; her premature stretch marks were disheartening. Her huge knees and swollen ankles were enough to cry myself to sleep at night. Medically, there were few answers. Alternative medicine didn’t offer many answers either. Children’s Hospital didn’t know what to do for her. But I couldn’t give up. It was a time for deep soul searching, searching for strength I didn’t know if I could find. I had to be strong for her, but I didn’t know how.
The warmth of spring brought some relief. She had improved, but she was far from 100 percent. In July 1999, she was at a local bible camp when I received a call from a friend. She told me about a horse that needed a good home. My older daughter and I went to see the horse right away. He was a beautiful bay, a golden brown color, with a beautifully groomed coal black mane and tail. His eyes were soft and inquiring. His mannerisms were calm and rhythmic. His steps were purposeful and predictable. He was perfect. His name was Legend.
We drove to camp to tell her. The owner agreed to a payment plan, so she bought him sight unseen. When they did meet, it was love at first sight. Legend always took care of her. Right away he must have sensed she had good days and bad days. He always adjusted his speed and maneuvers so as not to over-challenge her. Her confidence and esteem began to come back and so did her spirit. Her life’s purpose began to revolve around their time spent together.
She showed him at the Fair in Sept. of 1999 and placed in each class. Legend was well trained as a reining horse prior to joining our family. Legend was new to working with cattle, but he liked the cattle from the start and was a natural. Together, they began to compete in the sport of team penning and began to win. Legend loved working the cattle, whether in the arena or on the ranch, always sensing her ability in the process. When the weather turned cooler, and she started having more bad days than good days, she still had Legend and riding to look forward to on better days. She could ride sometimes on bad days, even if walking was difficult. Legend rekindled her spirit. She could trust Legend not take advantage of her slow, delayed reflexes. She could trust him with her life. Legend became her best and trusted friend. Legend touched her and encouraged her in a way that none of the rest of us could.
On Sept. 17, 2000, a very special teenage friend of our family was killed in a car wreck. It was during our County Fair. Prior to the final rodeo performance the following day, Legend was the focus of the dedication to Chad. Legend was the last horse this young man ever rode. As the words of Garth Brooks’ song “The Dance” penetrated every person on the rodeo grounds that day, my daughter led Legend around the arena. The announcer spoke of how the empty saddle upon Legend’s back represented Chad’s missing presence. Legend helped memorialize this young man in a way that only he could.
In May 2001, I had not been on a horse for over two years due to a mild traumatic brain injury. Even with a brand new helmet, I was still dealing with an incredible fear factor. With several horses to choose from, my daughter insisted I ride Legend. I felt better knowing he always took care of her, but he had hardly been ridden since the spring. Yet, my first ride he went smoothly and helped me to overcome my fear and work on my balance problems. Legend became the horse I rode when I was having an “off” day. This included the local 4th of July parade. Everyone marvel’s at this horses beauty and grace. We marvel at his heart and unseen wings.
My daughter has never needed a wheel chair since, nor has her health exacerbated as severely as in 1998. We attribute this not only to lifestyle and diet changes, but a big part of her health improvement is the big, beautiful bay Quarter Horse in her life that gives her hope and strength to forge ahead every day.
Now, thanks to Legend’s help, my daughter at sixteen years old, is the 2003 Fair Queen and has hopes a new goal to pursue the state title and perhaps beyond. Legend is an angel of sorts. His big heart and his tender caring for all of us will always be remembered. He wins hearts wherever he travels and the best part is – his story has just begun. His name says it all. He’s a Legend, and an answer to a child’s prayer!
Tags: Amazing Horse Story, Emotional stories, great horse story, Horse 2 Heart, inspiring Horse Stories
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