Dixi

Dixi is a 28 year old Standardbred Pacer mare measuring 15.3 hh. Her full name is Valiant Dixiana but everyone calls her Dixi. She is bay and has one white hoof (her right hind). She lives at Rocking Chair Ranch in Warminster, Ontario and is very happy there.

Dixi's owner, Michelle speaks of her horse:

I bought Dixi three years ago when she was 26 and I was 14. Her birthday is March 19th and she was born in 1979. Dixi is an ex-racehorse and she ran her last race at Georgian Downs. Her sire was the famous Horton Hanover and her dam was Nora Herbert.

One thing Dixi is very good at is eating. She gets the greatest amount of food out of all the animals at the barn, yet never seems to gain any weight. Her favourite is home made treats!

In the winter she grows a very impressive coat, her hair is so long and thick that we call her a buffalo.

Dixi is very affectionate and wouldn't hurt a fly. She is almost the very bottom of the heap in her herd, as she doesn't defend herself. She has never once thought to buck and she does anything she can to keep me from falling off (if she feels me start to slide she stops so I can regain my balance). Dixi loves going for trail rides with me. I never need a halter or rope to bring her in out of the field, as she gladly follows me. Her greeting is rubbing her head up my stomach. Dixi strongly dislikes riding rings and refuses to be kept in the barn."

Congratulations to Dixi for being our February 11^th, 2008 Horse of the Week!

If you are interested in adopting a Standardbred horse, there are many available through OSAS for a reasonable fee. The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society is a registered charitible organization, founded to assist the adoption and relocation of retired and non-racing Standardbred Horses in Ontario.