Congratulations to Christie Nicklay for Winning the December 2024 Barefoot Writing Challenge! (Your $100 prize is on its way!)
The challenge was to write an essay that answered this prompt:
What is the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for you? Write a “thank-you note” to that person for their actions.
Christie told a heartwarming story about the remarkable kindness a friend bestowed upon her and her pet. Enjoy her winning submission:
Red flags with 1,200 Pounds of Scared
By Christie M. Nicklay
Buying a horse is a big decision — one I admittedly rushed. It didn’t matter that I was as green as the grass she was eating or that she was a thoroughbred; I’d wanted a horse since I was a child. Despite the advice received, I bought my first horse and became the horse girl I had always wanted to be.
Roxie was a 15-year-old, 1,200-pound Appaloosa Thoroughbred. She was a beauty, and with a new owner and a new home, she was scared… and so was I.
But there were red flags.
Not necessarily with the horse, but with the first barn where she was boarded. Red flags that scared the hell out of me… and my horse!
After only a couple of weeks at the barn, the red flags began. First, I heard complaints about how much my horse was eating… how aggressive and disobedient she was…
And then more red flags… They claimed she was lame and couldn’t be ridden… “She spooks at everything… You should just get rid of her.” The last red flag — and the final straw — was when I witnessed the owner smack my horse up alongside her head. As her owner, I was beyond scared… I was mortified.
Unsure what to do, I debated whether to sell my horse. But it just didn’t feel right. If something was wrong with this horse, I wanted to help her, not get rid of her.
That evening, a friend called to see how things were going with my new horse. I immediately began to cry and told her about the red flags. Without hesitation, she said, “Let me make a phone call.”
Minutes later, she called me back to say, “You’re not selling your horse. We’re moving her!” My friend had reached out to the barn where she boarded her horses every winter. They had room for my mare as well! We set the move date for the following weekend.
Moving day couldn’t come fast enough, but we were ready with a truck and trailer. We unloaded Roxie at her new home where she had room to run with the other horses and could eat and drink as much as she wanted. She settled in nicely, with no red flags. Not only was it a beautiful space, but it was a safe place for my mare.
It’s been five years since that move. Roxie and I have developed an immense bond based on kindness, patience, and respect — and she rides beautifully! Every time I see my horse, I think of the amazing kindness my friend showed me so that I could keep my horse safe and further my dream. Thank you, Mary, for helping me replace those red flags with a horse girl’s dream come true!
