Lynda MacCallum has always been at home in the saddle and now it is helping her overcome a life-changing diagnosis.<\/p>\n
The cutting horse trainer has won significant events, trains for a loyal clientele base and represented Australia twice in the USA.<\/p>\n
It has all been a dream come true for the horsewoman, based in Woolbrook in northern New South Wales.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lynda MacCallum’s dream of a career with horses has come true. (ABC New England North West: Brigitte Murphy\u00a0)<\/p>\n
“I always wanted to go with a truckload of horses and compete on them all and it wasn’t long ago my mum said, ‘well you’ve certainly got that now haven’t you?'” Ms MacCallum recalled.<\/p>\n
“We go to shows with 18, 20 horses and I guess once that little girl horse dream is in you, it never really leaves.”<\/p>\n
For the past seven years though her horses have played an immense role in saving her life in the saddle.<\/p>\n
The unexpected news<\/p>\n
In 2018 Ms MacCallum was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“The future that I had planned or I expected for myself or my family was completely rearranged,” she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The entire MacCallum family work together to care for their horses.\u00a0 (ABC New England North West: Brigitte Murphy\u00a0)<\/p>\n
“At the time I didn’t know if I would have an aggressive form of MS, where I may not be able to function very well in the few years to come.”<\/p>\n
After the diagnosis she had another blow.<\/p>\n
“I was laying there in recovery and I was crying and I said, ‘I’ve got a Futurity event in two weeks’. And that’s when the surgeon said, ‘darling, you’re not going to ride again’ and that really hit me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“In that moment your world comes crashing down.”Metallic Storm’s role<\/p>\n
Her world could have kept ‘crashing down’ but some profound words from husband Jim helped turn her perspective around.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lynda’s husband Jim has helped her through her journey with multiple sclerosis. (ABC New England North West: Brigitte Murphy\u00a0)<\/p>\n
“I’ll never forget Jim said to me, ‘if you think you can ride at that event you should because you don’t know what the future holds and you’ve been sent a horse for a reason right now’,” she remembered.<\/p>\n
“He said ‘Metallic Storm, think of his initials’.<\/p>\n
\u00a0“It does make me quite emotional because I do believe that horse saved me in that moment.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Despite the shock of her diagnosis Lynda and Metallic Storm went on to seal her name in the non-pro hall of fame. (ABC New England North West: Brigitte Murphy\u00a0)<\/p>\n
Just weeks after she found out she had MS, Ms MacCallum and Metallic Storm competed at the Futurity.<\/p>\n
The event is a high stakes cutting competition which showcases young horses, their ability and cow sense.<\/p>\n
They won and placed in multiple events, with her name sealed in the non-pro hall of fame.<\/p>\n
“That horse I do believe carried me at that event. All the horses did.<\/p>\n
“I don’t know if I hadn’t ridden then, would I still be riding now? I’m not sure.” \u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lynda MacCallum competing on Metallic Storm in a Futurity horse cutting event. (Supplied: Lynda MacCallum)<\/p>\n
Facing adversity together<\/p>\n
Seven years after learning of her MS, Ms MacCallum is still training and competing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Today she is also a wellness coach, travelling far and wide across Australia in the hope of helping other people facing adversity reconnect with horses.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lynda now dedicates much of her time to helping others get back in the saddle.\u00a0 (ABC New England North West: Brigitte Murphy\u00a0)<\/p>\n
“People come and they may have left horse riding to have a family or they’ve suffered some trauma or they just want some confidence to get back in the arena,” she said.<\/p>\n
“When I can compete in that arena … I guess it gives people something to look to.”<\/p>\n
For Bree Waters, horses were a safe haven as a child and now as a mother-of-two she is returning to the saddle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“I had a pretty rough upbringing, a lot of childhood trauma and abuse that I’ve had to overcome,” Ms Waters recalled.<\/p>\n
“My grandparents, they saved my life. My Pop, he had horses and he always got me out with the horses.<\/p>\n
\u00a0“It got my mind away from the things that were going on in my head as a little girl.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Bree Waters has returned to riding with Lynda’s help. (ABC New England North West: Brigitte Murphy\u00a0)<\/p>\n
Ms Waters said Lynda’s coaching and guidance allowed her to push herself outside of her comfort zone.<\/p>\n
“She cares about the horse, she cares about you, she wants you to have the best connection with your horse.<\/p>\n
“They say the horse is the mirror to the soul and when they say that, they’re not joking, they feel everything you feel.”<\/p>\n
After 15 years in the corporate world Lara Finlay has moved her life back to the New England region and has been working one-on-one with Ms MacCallum.<\/p>\n
“I have an absolute passion being around horses … it really helps cure a bit of burnout that I’d had from the corporate world,” she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lara Finlay says her dream of being able to return to the saddle as often as she wants has come true.\u00a0 (ABC New England North West: Brigitte Murphy\u00a0)<\/p>\n
“It’s an opportunity to really disconnect, when you get in that arena it’s almost meditative.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ms Finlay said Ms MacCallum has been a mentor for her, helping her achieve a personal dream.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“It’s pretty vulnerable getting back into it and learning a new skill, we’ve been partnering with the MacCallum’s to do that and mentor us through that process,” she said.<\/p>\n
“The dream now is to be competing next year and really giving it all we’ve got.”<\/p>\n