This episode of The Ride Podcast where we talk to Rick Brown is brought to you by My New Horse
A serious horse accident in 2014 changed everything for longtime reiner Rick Brown. After his stallion flipped over backward on him, Brown suffered six broken vertebrae, a broken sternum, broken ribs and a punctured lung. The injury left him paralyzed from the waist down, and doctors warned that he might never ride again. But through an intensive recovery, the support of his family and friends, and a determination to keep moving forward, Brown slowly began rebuilding his life and working toward a return to the saddle.
In this episode of The Ride, Brown looks back on the accident and the difficult road that followed, from learning to sit up and transfer into a wheelchair to taking his first steps again. He shares how he approached rehabilitation one day at a time, why he committed himself to working as hard as he could, and how the people closest to him helped him through some of his darkest moments. He also reflects on the emotional experience of getting back on a horse for the first time, especially considering that the horse he chose was the same stallion involved in his accident.
More than a decade later, Brown has returned to riding and showing, continuing to pursue the sport that has been part of his life since childhood. That journey recently brought him back to the All American Quarter Horse Congress, where he competed in the 2026 freestyle reining aboard Shez Not Done At All, affectionately known as Annie. The mare, an orphan filly Brown helped raise and develop a special bond with, played an important role in a performance that became about much more than the results in the show pen.
Brown explains how faith helped guide his decision to ride Annie at Congress and why he felt compelled to share his story with others. From the uncertainty of his recovery to the moment he realized his experience might offer hope to someone facing a difficult season of their own, Brown’s journey is a reminder that the road forward does not always look the way we expect. In this conversation, he opens up about the horses, people and beliefs that helped him find his way back to the saddle—and why he hopes his story encourages others to keep moving forward, too.
