As the saying goes, do what you love and you will never work a day in your life. Diana Kazmier, a resident of Mustang Creek Estates of Sachse, dedicated her entire life to doing what she loves the most – training dogs and horses. It all started with a pet shop that Kazmier opened, but it soon turned into a lifelong passion. She trained, bred and prepared both dogs and horses for shows. About seven years ago, Kazmier lost one of her legs due to peripheral artery disease. In addition, she was diagnosed with dementia, and although she may not remember everything from her life, she can talk about horses and dogs for hours. Today, Kazmier has one dream: to get back in the saddle one more time. After her daughter, Kristie Willis, saw the emotional reaction her mother had after touching a horse on a farm they visited recently, she knew she had to make that dream come true. Recently, Willis, together with Mustang Creek Estates, took Kazmier to Jake E’s Riding Round Up, where she had the opportunity to ride, brush and pet horses.

“My mom has always been an independent woman with a business mindset. She always worked for herself,” said Willis. “Growing up, we would have six to eight dogs coming and leaving our house, and we owned horses too. We traveled around the country to shows and rodeos and field trials. This was our life. It wasn’t easy for my mom to adjust to living without the animals around anymore, and I am so excited I took her to the ranch so she could spend some time doing what she loves the most.” 

Kazmier, originally from Louisiana, is 85 years old and has two children and four grandchildren. She lived in Chicago, Oklahoma, and East Texas. After retiring in Louisiana, she moved to Texas so she can be close to Willis. She recently moved into Mustang Creek Estates of Sachse. Willis has two dogs, and sometimes she brings the smaller one with her so her mother gets to enjoy some puppy love.

“When Kristie told us about her mother’s dream, we wanted to do everything in our power to help her make it happen,” said LaNita Wilson, executive director at Mustang Creek Estates of Sachse. “We do our best to provide our residents with unique experiences, and we know this is something Diana has been wanting to do and it will bring her so much joy. We loved watching her enjoy her time with the horses.”