Lasso the Moon!

EVER SEE A BLIND WOMAN RIDE A HORSE?

Meet SAM MADDEN: Ms. Country Western Arizona 1997-98, nationally recognized equestrienne, published author, public speaker, and totally blind kidney/pancreas transplant recipient!

Sam and her Pinto/Paint mare Sugarplum Vision preparing to compete in dressage!

MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT DRESSAGE IS, LET ALONE TRY TO DO IT WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF SIGHT! Dressage has been described as dancing on horseback. It is an Olympic event that is the most elegant, controlled, and disciplined form of riding involving performing precise movements at specific places marked with letters in a 20x40 or 20x60 meter arena.

Now picture this: NOTHING. You're in the dark, totally blind atop a 16.1 hand powerful mare with a mind of her own, trying to "hear" your way around a dressage arena to perform circles, serpentines, and straight lines when you have no reference as to what "straight" is. If you're off even a little, 60 meters down the road you could end up jumping out of the foot-high arena into the judge's lap!

Get a glimpse through the eyes of blind equestrienne Sam Madden of her accomplishments in dressage, jumping, national horse show competition, rodeo queen events, and as a role model encouraging blind children to expand their vision and see their potential - all since losing her sight to diabetes in 1990!

Click Here to see more about how Sam inspires others to Lasso the Moon!

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