My number 1 Life Lesson · Elegant Equine

2d (edited) • Life Lessons Learned From A 🐴

My number 1 Life Lesson

The first life lesson that I learned from a horse, that I want to talk about, is the most important in my opinion. This lesson is bittersweet. It came with many tears and heart break but also appreciation and gratitude. With that being said let me tell you a story. It is 16 years worth of story but I will do my best to condense.

Over 20 years ago now a friend of mine got a horse in to train. This horse was a yearling bay mare who was sent to be halter broke and taught to lead. When she arrived she was underweight but my friend fed her up, did the training, and sent her back. A little over a year later she was sent back to be broke out. At this point she had deteriorated tremendously. This 2 1/2 almost 3 year old innocent bay filly had poor feet, was malnourished, riddled with worms, had horrible rain rot, and was on the brink of death. Everyone that saw this little mare said to put her down, she was not going to survive. My friend saw the fight in her and chose to save her instead. She took her over and got her back to health. She then spent a few months in the pasture, part of a herd, being a horse.

🌹 Here’s where the journey began. 🌹

Along came me, a young very novice/beginner rider. I had only been on dead broke horses at this point but needed a step up. Well…my friend got a crazy idea and decided that I was to ride that little mare.

Did I mention she wasn’t broke to ride yet?

What about the fact I was only allowed to ride English at this time to build my seat?

We all know green + green = purple is the general rule of thumb for horses right? You can imagine then how this went…I flew through the air. In the first year of riding her I flew through the air so much that my father’s new phrase became “if I had known you would spend so much time in the air I would have sent you to pilot school.” 🙄 it became the bane of my existence. I couldn’t stand her but yet I was forced to push through and ride her anyway.

Eventually, it clicked and we started to become a team. Over time we went from teammates to partners and then best friends. We spent 16 years together. She won 7 state titles (1st place at the state level), multiple high point awards, a year end trophy for 14 of those years, multiple all around awards, multiple belt buckles, a custom trophy saddle, reserve hi-point horse two years in a row, and many more. She became very well known and carried the titles of hi-point saddle type horse, hi-point English horse, and hi-point running horse. She was incredibly competitive in HUS, Equitation, showmanship, horsemanship, western pleasure, reining, and speed events even becoming successful in NBHA. A true example of the rare all around horse.

The reject rescue horse turned shining star. 🌟

My whole world. 🌎

My best friend. ❤️

In 2020 we fought multiple illnesses together. She was exposed to Equine Influenza and we nearly lost her. She took several weeks to recover. She then developed wounds on her legs with no explanation. These wounds seemed to be very irritating and itchy for her. She would not leave them alone. We fought for months and tried everything we could think of. Fly spray, fly traps, screened in her stall, tried a collar, tried a duck bill, layered fly repellent, reduced dust and irritants, consulted vets, gave antibiotics, treated wounds, and changed dressings 4 times a day. We fought and fought to protect them and get her healed. Unfortunately, our efforts were not enough and she still got into the wounds. They became larger. Wounds on 3 out of 4 legs that became rather large.

I had started questioning if there was light at the end of the tunnel or if we were prolonging suffering. The hard question we all dread. One day she managed to get into one of the wounds on her knee. Despite our efforts, in her desperate attempt to get relief, she got into the tendon. My aunt and dedicated helper was panicked. She was trying to decide what to do first and how to help our girl. I remember, clear as day, looking over my aunt’s shoulder at my horse. She took the decision from me. The fight was over and she was tired. She deserved better than to suffer so I made the call.

We made her comfortable that night and laid her to rest the next day. The barn was filled with people who knew her, loved her, and came to say goodbye. The funeral of a champion and memorial of the other part of my heart. A day that I will never forget and a hole that will never be filled.

It’s been 6 years and there is not a day that I don’t think of her and miss her dearly. What I would give to hear her greeting nicker, pet her silky soft neck, share a hug, or kiss her nose again.

Saying the last goodbye is often the hardest thing we ever do to our beloved friends. It will stick with us forever.

It is not all grief and broken hearts though. 💔

That hole you feel where your heart is, the sinking feeling in your gut, and the devastation you feel is also a gift. It is a reminder.

Laying my best friend to rest and experiencing that loss taught me a valuable lesson about grief.

It hurts so bad because you were blessed enough to experience something so beautiful. It hurts because you were lucky enough to love completely. The tears fall because of the memories you had the opportunity to make.

Isn’t that a gift in its rawest form?

🌹 A Tribute to Lex’s Everlasting Rosebud. 🌹

❤️ My heart horse.

🏆 A champion through and through.

🐴 The horse that made me who I am.

💪 The underdog that proved them all wrong.

💥 The one who taught me the ultimate life lesson.

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