Ever since I was young, I have loved animals, but horses specifically. When I was a kid I had a friend who was into horseback riding and I was invited to her birthday party at the barn. Now, I am a person who does not like to do things until I know I am good at them, so I was adamant that I wouldn’t be riding at her party.
The day of the party rolls around. We get out to the barn and I was the only person who did not ride. I didn’t like feeling left out so I decided to try it (my parents had signed the waiver just in case I changed my mind while there). From that day, I was in love with the sport. I began taking lessons shortly after the party and continued for many years.
There were times when I stopped riding for a couple months or even a couple of years, but for some reason, I just couldn’t stay away from the barn. I always found my way back to the barn and to the horses and people that meant so much to me. All of the girls out there had become good friends of mine and we shared this one thing: we loved horses more than anything else.
Horses and riding became a huge part of my life—I did everything to stay at the barn for as long as possible. I helped lead horses around for birthday parties, I watched the other lessons when I had time; I basically wanted to be at the barn day and night. I loved it out there.
For me, the smell of a horse barn is calming and comforting. I was always that girl who would talk to the horse as I was getting them ready for our lesson. I always felt connected to them in a way I could never explain.
While I am in university, it doesn’t make sense for me to be riding because it is so expensive and time-consuming, but every part of me wishes there was a way to be at the barn.
When I was in high school, I faced some criticism from others for being the “crazy horse girl,” and even though I knew that people meant that as a negative thing, I never thought of it that way. I knew that most people were just saying that because they did not have anything in their life that was as meaningful to them as horses were to me. They never had the opportunity to be so passionate about something and be able to do the things they truly loved.
I know that not everyone will understand what I am talking about, but that’s okay because my fellow “crazy horse girls” will.
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