Today's is Boone's 19th birthday. Wow. We've been together nine years. So much has happened, together. Went through so much to find him, and then we worked through our bumps as a new team. I encourage anyone with a horse who is having issues, to not go it alone, to find a mentor you trust and work with them-that is what helped me and Boone. I didn't have to go to some fancy barn or trainer, I worked to find someone I felt comfortable with, someone down to earth. I'd had enough exposure to barns as a kid to know what I didn't want. It took awhile to find that person, but I did, in my friend Joanne, who died last month at 85 back in Oregon. I'm so grateful for her. You can barely here her speak in this video, taken back at her barn where we used to meet 3x week and run our horses and ride.
It is also the anniversary of my mother's death in 2013. I remember getting up that day and singing to Boone, and by nite feedings I wrapped my arms around his neck while he ate and told him my mom died. I remember thinking it kind of stunk her death happened on his birthday-then I immediately thought,
This is a gift, and it was meant to happen this way so every year on this day I feel my mom saying,
"Go be with your horse, I'm fine, continue with the things in life you love so much, like Boone."
I have been really down in the last couple of weeks-a combination of events. Yesterday, I realized one thing working against me, is I can't ride all year. I have not been able to ride since October. I really am frustrated with that. I miss my rides, not only for exercise but for bonding time with Boone.
I woke up thinking,
Four years ago, she was alive, for 8 more hours.
And then I heard another voice,
"Get out and find a way to ride that horse."
Thanks, Kelly, I miss you.
