For nearly a year, Linda Bird and her husband, Lonnie, searched for her next horse before they came across one she described as the almost-perfect horse. Young and handsome, the dark bay had basic under saddle training, but he was way above budget. Though he reacted dramatically to the simplest things, Bird clicked with the draft cross gelding immediately during the trial ride.
Despite the monetary disparity, Lonnie insisted they buy him saying, “I’m going to buy you that horse. I want you to do everything you’ve always wanted to. Go and show him, do eventing, dressage, hunter paces. You’ve spent years raising the family, helping me with the business, and taking care of me. Now it’s your turn. Do all your horse activities while you still can.”
Little did they know that gelding, now named Mocha To Go, would be the last gift Lonnie ever gave Linda. Lonnie had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer as a teenager, and while radiation and chemotherapy saved his life and gave him 40 more years, the treatments took a toll on his body. The radiation had damaged his heart and lungs, and despite subsequent surgeries and treatments, the damage was progressive and incurable, eventually robbing him of his independence.
Though he could no longer join Linda in the barn, Lonnie enjoyed hearing about the groundwork and trust-building exercises she was doing with Mocha.
“Lonnie was too weak to watch but wanted to hear every detail,” she said. “I showed him iPhone videos of what we were doing. He said it gave him joy to see me so excited about the horse.”
Less than six weeks after they welcomed Mocha to their Tennessee farm, Lonnie died, leaving Linda lost and depressed without her greatest love and best friend of 39 years. Lost in the fog of her grief, horses became Bird’s lifeline as the daily rhythm of feeding and doing barn chores anchored her in a sense of normalcy. She gradually returned to working with Mocha on the ground.
“Grief is intense, but being with Mocha gave me small moments of emotional relief,” she said. “I began to understand why Lonnie was so insistent on giving me the horse. Somehow, he knew I would need the last gift.”
Linda began teaching Mocha that the world wasn’t so scary -- blankets weren’t mountain lions lurking and poised to attack; hoses provided relief on a hot day, and getting caught came with a cookie reward. As Linda worked through her grief, Mocha worked through his trauma, and they found comfort in each other and joy in their many adventures. To escape the loneliness she felt on weekends, Linda began hauling to nearby venues, where they experienced cattle sorting, cross-country water complexes, and obstacle courses. With each outing, Mocha gained confidence on the ground, and later under saddle, and Linda established herself as a trustworthy teammate.
Once that relationship was established, Linda began riding Mocha, and at the urging of a friend, attended a western dressage clinic and show. As they were still in their early days, Linda kept her expectations and goals low, but Mocha exuded confidence, earning a 70 in one of their tests, with a comment from the judge that it was a great team and partnership.
“His personality is definitely big!” she said of the now 8-year-old gelding. “He’s smart, curious, fun, and totally food motivated. Although he’s the herd leader — he’d prefer to say the herd’s ‘personal trainer’ — he is also definitely a one-person horse and requires a very specific approach, but I believe I have his heart now.”
In addition to western dressage, Linda and Mocha have participated in a variety of activities from dressage and combined tests to eventing and hunter paces. They’ve qualified for the Western Dressage Association of America World Championship several times and last year were reserve champions in the WDAA Dressage Seat Horsemanship Walk/Jog Amateur standings for the year as well as winning club-level year-end awards.
“Horsemanship is a journey, and winning the awards were waystations along the way,” said Linda. “The awards confirmed that we were on the right path and cemented some aspects of my relationship with Mocha. Winning them was also a way of honoring Lonnie, who really wanted me to enjoy Mocha and reach my goals.”
For this season, she’s set additional goals of earning WDAA’s Register of Merit and qualifying for the World Show. On a local level, she’s aiming for some combined training competitions, train on some working equitation obstacles and overall enjoying quiet rides around her farm. While she has a competitive spirit, spending time with Mocha is at the forefront.
For Linda, it’s about the journey, and she enjoys the opportunity to build their skills in a variety of disciplines. But most importantly, it’s a reflection of the emotional journey they’ve been on together as she’s worked through her grief and Mocha has learned to trust. Mocha truly was the last — and best — gift.