The story of Daisy Mae the Dressage Percheron
by Jessica Adickes, MS, OTR/L

When someone meets Daisy, our Percheron mare, they usually comment on her beauty, her size, and inevitably the question comes: “Where did you get her?”

The other questions are easy. Daisy is a 9 year old mare, she’s 17.3+ hands tall, and she’s dapple grey. The question of where we got her is a bit more difficult to answer. The short answer is that we rescued her but it’s a bit more complex than that. Not all rescues come from rescue organizations. Some come from situations where people have fallen on hard luck and horses on hard times. That is Daisy’s story.

Chris was shoeing at a big barn in Jefferson when he heard about a heard of Percherons that needed to be liquidated. It seemed the owner had fallen on hard times. He was injured, he had a whole herd of Percherons to feed, and not enough feed or help. When Chris heard this, he enquired about them. He knew my dream was to own a Percheron or half-Percheron that I could ride in Dressage. He also knew that I would be picky about conformation and I loved geldings. He told me this mare would be his trail horse, but in the back of his mind, he wanted me to fall in love too.

They called her Cheyenne. She was the outcast in the herd. The only grey in a paddock of twenty black 4 year olds, she looked small, sad, and out of place. Chris wasn’t as interested in her but with wise mentoring from his client who knew the horses and their personalities, we moved forward. She was to be taken to the stable and start her saddle training. We later learned she was purchased as a yearling from another farm on hard luck. Since she didn’t respond to any names, Chris decided to name her Daisy after my favorite flower.

It was quickly obvious that this mare needed to be owned by a farrier! Her feet that did not look too bad in a pasture full of snow and manure disintegrated when she moved into footing that was harder than the snow. Daisy’s feet needed four shoes. Big shoes. As shown in the photo, Daisy’s feet blew out hoof wall, decreasing her support structure, and causing her to walk on her soles. As Chris put shoes on her, he also discovered another thing about her….she was much bigger than he thought! She grew when she went indoors.

Daisy did well immediately though it was obvious she had “stomp” – a phrase used by the draft horse world to describe high stepping knee action. After 30 days under saddle, she rode like a high stepping saddle seat horse! She also had been handled with a rough hand before she came to us. Daisy shied at saddle pads, saddles, whips, and even a touch of the hand. She didn’t know what a treat was and it broke Chris’s heart! Daisy’s tail had been docked – a procedure done on draft hitch horses to shorten their tails. It is explained that the reason behind this procedure is to prevent accidents. A horse with a full tail can get that tail tangled in the long lines used when driving a hitch horse. Other reasons for docking draft tails include cosmetic excuses such as trying to make the rear of the horse look bigger, eliminate hassle of removing burs from a thick tail, and helping the horse match the rest of a 6-horse hitch. While this is a practice commonly used on draft horses bred in the USA, it has been illegal in the United Kingdom since 1949. Horse welfare advocates discourage the practice because it decreases the horses’ natural protection against biting insects.

The American Association of Equine Practitioners policy states, in part, that: “The American Association of Equine Practitioners is opposed to the alteration of the tail of the horse for cosmetic or competitive purposes.”¹

The day she came home, Daisy loaded into a small trailer like a champion. After 90 days under saddle, her new adventure as a trail horse began. Like with all her experiences, Daisy did not show her nerves, instead choosing to trust us. She had her moments, but Daisy settled in and took most everything in stride. Her first camping trip she wore a fly sheet, slept in a solar electric pen, and stood in her muck bucket full of water. Crossing water didn’t even phase her!

After two years, Daisy’s feet came into focus, but training time is important with any young horse. With a horse that has not been given the chance to bond with her human stewards it is essential. Unfortunately for Daisy, graduate school got in the way of ride time. Fortunately for all of us, we have wonderful friends who took her schooling to a new level. Daisy spent time with friends in LaCrosse, Wisconsin and Wadsworth, Illinois where she learned so much! She now has big hoof-prints to fill after Blue, our Morgan gelding had to retire due to injury. In the five years we have had her, Daisy has risen to every challenge she’s been offered, and we’ve no doubt she’s going to rise to the dressage challenge. We have been so thankful for the opportunity to build our relationship, and give Daisy a reason to trust.

¹American Veterinary Medical Association. (May 6, 2012). Welfare Implications of Horse Tail Modifications.
https://www.avma.org/KB/Resources/LiteratureReviews/Documents/Horse%20Tail%20Modification.pdf

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