My Life Between The Reins – The Story Of Paige Baylis

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66 – September/October, 2024

By Elizabeth Arnold

It all starts with a pony, a true fact for countless equestrians. Think back for a moment about your first encounter with horses. The first time the back of your hand grazed a pony’s tender muzzle. Think about your first riding lesson. The first time you felt your body move in rhythm with a horse’s steps.

Now imagine experiencing all that without being able to walk.

Paige Baylis was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck five times. She spent the first five days of her life in a coma. From the start, the future for young Paige looked grim. In the 1970s, cerebral palsy was not understood as well as it is today. Doctors said that Paige would likely never walk or talk. They encouraged her parents to consider putting her in an institution for her best interest and for the best interest of the family. Paige’s mother, Susie Reinauer, had other plans. “They didn’t know who they were talking to,” says Paige.

The Pony That Changed Everything

Click here to read the complete article
66 – September/October, 2024