Turns on a Dime

Daniel ‘Dani’ Muffick and her father John from Taylorville, Illinois have owned their little Quarter Horse mare ‘Maxine’ since she was a yearling. Dani is sixteen now and Max is seven and they are an awesome speed team! This year they were both injured while competing at one of the qualifying High School Rodeo Pole and Barrel Racing events for the region.

At the competition they won their first event, which was poles, but as they began the Barrel run, they hit some bad footing and took a hard fall. Dani injured her Achilles tendon and Maxine tore the muscles in her right forearm. Dani went to the hospital for treatment, and a few days later she and her father took Max to see Dr. Linda Harmon-Dodge for an evaluation. She recommended they send her to Indian Creek for treatment with Suzie Franz, Equine Physiotherapist. Dr. Linda informed them that the injury to the muscles in Maxine’s forearm was severe, and that she would most likely need 10 to 12 weeks of rest to recover. Their dream of competing at the High School Rodeo national level looked like it would never become a reality.

John and Dani wanted to give Maxine the best chance at a full recovery, regardless of their rodeo competitions, so they decided to send her for therapy. She arrived at Indian Creek one week after the accident. During her three-week stay, Max received therapeutic photon and ultrasound, homeopathics, and ice massage. Dr. Linda had to drain the wound several times, and Max’s only exercise was hand walking. Exactly four weeks from the day they were hurt, John and Dani took Maxine home and Dani began light walking with Maxine under saddle. She gradually advanced her to more challenging exercise throughout the week, per Suzie’s recommendation. They knew that even a hint of strain to that muscle would mean they’d have to stop Max received an ultrasound treatment during that week, and her leg continued to look really good even though they were increasing the work outs.

The next weekend, exactly five weeks from the day that they were injured, Danny and Maxine went to the High School Rodeo Regionals, coming away with a winning time and qualifying for the Nationals in New Mexico. This picture was taken a few weeks later at the National High School Finals Rodeo and printed on the cover of the Four Corners Daily Times Rodeo Review last August. The caption beneath their photo read “Turns on a dime”!

If they only know what this tough little horse and rider team from Illinois had been through!