True Colors Shine the Brightest

We are celebrating the remarkable rescue horse in the month of May on YourDressage!

Did you know that dressage riders who choose a rescue horse as their dressage partner are eligible for special awards through the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards program, as the International Rescue Horse Registry is a participating organization?

Here, a rider from Region 2 shares how she transformed a foal from the PMU industry into an FEI-level dressage competitor. 

By Deanna Hertrich-Nelson

I was born in love with horses. From the moment I saw these magnificent creatures, I knew I would have to find a way to incorporate them into my life. Raised in the Chicago suburbs, horses were not the norm around town. Growing up, I found every avenue I could to be around them; working in a stable, a guide at a livery stable, grooming for a private dressage farm, volunteering at a therapeutic program, and managing numerous barns. I was lucky enough to start my formal education with a British Horse Society Certified Instructor. Eventing was my beginning, and I always had a fascination for dressage. I evented through the Preliminary level before switching majors to dressage. 

I had casually started looking for another all-around horse while my Preliminary eventer was recovering from a collateral ligament tear. My husband and I were new parents while we were in the process of building a farm. My criteria for a new horse were basic: safe, sane, and willing to maybe jump around some fences, as well as compete in lower-level dressage. 

This was 20 years ago, still the days of dial-up internet! I would occasionally see something interesting, but the equine inventory was not what you see these days. I went to a website to look at a particular horse, and after waiting for fifteen minutes for the photo to download, it was not the horse for me. I moved down the rest of the sales list, waiting another fifteen minutes per horse for their sales photo to download, when the picture of the last horse listed finally caught my eye – this solid, beautiful horse galloping across an open field. I literally said out loud, “That’s my horse!” As I further read the description, I hesitated when I saw “weanling…” I’m not opposed to raising young horses, I just wasn’t sure this was the direction I wanted to go. Then, I saw the price – this was my horse! 

Boo Boo was a draft cross, big boned and solid with a very striking color. His mother had been a pregnant mare’s urine (PMU) rescue, and she already had a foal at her side when she was bought at auction. The mare came down with a group from Canada to the States for dispersal, as the PMU industry was closing many farms due to a synthetic drug being created. Thankfully, she and her foal found a soft landing at a farm in Virginia. Shortly after arriving, she gave birth to my Boo Boo. He was a surprise for them! 

My husband, an equine veterinarian, found a veterinary clinic in their location, and we scheduled a wellness exam. After passing his exam, the vet sent a quick video via email of him moving about a dry lot, which was the first time I saw any live footage of the horse. He showed a moment of some serious sitting power; I was pretty impressed. 

Boo Boo was scheduled with a commercial shipper to get him to Kentucky, and the plan was that I would drive from Wisconsin to pick him up. His experience loading in Virginia did not go well; he gave the shippers a battle, wound up getting away, and then running about the countryside. His arrival in Kentucky was delayed with the unscheduled rendezvous, finally pulling in at 3 AM. The layover barn informed me of the antics out East and wished me well loading. 

When I saw him for the first time, he was hiding in the back of the stall, unwilling to make eye contact. Taking my time, he finally came around to investigate me; I gently put a hand on him, and I knew instantly he was a great soul. I clipped on the lead line, walked him out of the stall, down the breezeway, and right into my trailer! 

He got the name Boo Boo because he truly was, and only after a few weeks together, I chose the show name True Colors, not only due to his unique coloring but his disposition and personality; genuine and true. As a yearling through three year old, we ran the USDF triangle, showing at the ProElite/USDF Breeders Championship Series Finals in our final year. Although his scores were never fantastic, he was always a perfect gentleman and showed like a professional.

Starting him under saddle was straightforward and predictable. From the minute I picked up the reins, he was round, forward, and willing. His biggest challenge was the canter. Together we struggled, but he simply could not canter. I was lucky to get three-quarters of a circle before he would break to a trot, even on the lunge. Finally, I got the help we needed at a clinic, and once we applied the assigned homework, it all started to come together. 

As we came up the levels, Boo was always willing and eager to please, happily trying all the new movements – leg yield, shoulder in, half-pass. He was a quick study and never objected. Yes, there were occasional misunderstandings, but Boo is the type that never says no. Although he has limitations in his gaits and is not your typical dressage type, his heart and soul make the work achievable. Boo has taught me patience, perseverance and understanding; showing me the importance in taking the time to do the precise work at the lower levels. He is willing yet sensitive and always cautiously optimistic. You will never tell him what to do, but if you ask, he will give you 110%. 

Currently, we are competing at the FEI level, riding Prix St. Georges. I had always aspired to ride at this level, never did I expect it would be with a horse like Boo, but I am proud and honored it is with him and could not think of a better partner! 

Finishing top ten in the USDF Dover Challenge in 2015 and earning my USDF Bronze and Silver Medals with Boo Boo have been great honors. However, our greatest accomplishment was at the 2024 US Dressage Festival of Champions, where Boo shared his experience and kindness with Region 7 Junior Rider Julia to take fourth place in the Medal Finals. It was a defining moment in both our careers, and I could not have been more proud of him! 

We continue to train together and plan on showing this season. He is such a joy to ride and gives his all every day. I am blessed to have him. He has taught me that anything is achievable; determination and dedication can overpower negativity. Even though Boo’s pedigree is unknown and his type is far from the dressage type – he proves the underdog can make a go of it. So ride on, regardless of what you have. Dressage is for all horses!