5 Years of Riding Miss Daisy

April 17th, 2007

On April 17th, 2007, when I was 12 years old, my adventure with Daisy began. Today marks our five year anniversary!

And wow, has time flown by. This has been an incredible 5 years together. I've learned so, so much from Daisy, in aspects of riding and horse care.  Every year, we grow together as a team, and she brings me so much joy. Of course, like any horse and rider pair, we have our good and bad days, but when the days are good, they are so good. 

Daisy has taught me responsibility, and to an extent, how to love sacrificially. Daisy has opened doors of opportunity in riding and, in my desire to do best by her, she's forced me to open my eyes and ears to search out the truth in the world of horse care, which as any horse person knows, is so full of opinions. She's taught me not to accept the first theory I hear.

Daisy has taught me to 'trust in God, but tie your horse'. 

The experience of caring for and loving a horse in my own backyard has enabled me free rein to study her habits, her likes and dislikes, and how her mind works. I always say that I know and can sense her thoughts every moment that I'm with her. To an outside, non-horse source, it might seem strange when I say things such as "We visited the mini's, because Daisy really wanted to," but to me, things like that are crystal clear. 

She has been my constant companion, and best friend, through middle school and high school. Friends come and go, situations change, but at the end of the day, my sweet mare is waiting for me, nickering hello. And no, I'm not naive, I know she just wants her hay. ;) 

My love for her is evident in the effect her colic episode had on me last month, and the times in the past. I was emotionally exhausted that week from the worrying and wondering and the helpless feeling of being seemingly unable to help her. Even now, any time I see her step strangely, in a way that could possibly be a paw stroke, my stomach drops. When she stands in the corner she spent her time in the week she was so sick, I start worrying. I can't imagine what I would do if she was all of a sudden gone. The stability of our partnership that I've spent nurturing over the last 5 years is something I highly value. My ability to get on her without fear of her hurting me is priceless. I mention this only because I know horse people who have struggled in the past with horses that hurt them, horses they couldn't trust not to rear or buck or take off or refuse a jump. I'm so thankful I don't have that issue. 

She's been my form of therapy, when I need it. This includes rides aboard her, and her stall, which if I can count on nothing else, at least I can count on her stall always needing a mucking, every day. ;) 

Because of Daisy, I found out about barefoot hoof trimming, which I'm so eager to study myself now. Because of Daisy, I've been able to have two lesson students, who pretty much found me. And I've found that I really love teaching and passing on my knowledge, and I'm excited to do more of it in the future.

Thanks to this little mare named Daisy, I'm a true horse person, every smelly, horse-hair attracting, hay covered, matted-helmet-haired, dirty booted inch of me.

Cheers, to Miss Daisy-Mae and I. To many more years to come. :)