First Love

Jenna and Freckles

“Miss Jill, I just love him!” The note was on my Facebook page under a picture of Freckles, our awesome horse.

I responded with, “Everyone knows that you love him Jenna. It is great to be loved by a horse.”

Jenna is one of the first riders here on this cold and dreary spring morning. She comes with her gloves, back pack, helmet, head warmer, tiny bags of cut apples, carrots, and sometimes a snack for herself. She is walking from the tack shack to Freckles in the courtyard. As fast as she walks is as fast as she speaks. She is very excited and I know what will excite her even more, I was going to give her a purple saddle blanket to put with her hope chest.

When she first started riding she started to gather odds and ends for her “Very Own Horse” which included assorted brushes, combs, curry combs, shedding blades, hoof picks, halter, lead lines, and my old horse shoes. She had a keepsake box full of memorabilia too, show ribbons, freshly shaven hoof clippings, hair cut from the horses, and pictures of her with her favorite horse, Freckles.

“I know Freckles is going to LOVE this brush,” she was now speaking to an audience of friends that had gathered around her to watch her produce the best looking and best groomed horse on the whole farm. I watched her as she continued to gather momentum. That’s when she proclaimed, “I know he is going to LOVE this brush because I LOVE this brush. I already use it on my hair!” a collective gasp fell in the crowd. “See how soft this is; go ahead try it on your hair too.” She was holding out the horse hair finishing brush like a golden nugget that was too precious to hold.

She turned with flair and began to brush Freckles. Freckles, a flea bitten grey with no papers or aristocratic background, was the noblest steed amongst all of the other horses in the field according to Jenna. He was showered with attention for the next fifty minutes. His hair glistened, his eyes softened with the warmth and affection of this beautiful young girl. He knew in his heart that he was loved, and for that he would lay down his life for her. Delicately he picked up the assorted carrots and apples off of her hand. She giggled in delight over his soft velvety lips caressing her hands.

She rode in her lesson astride a horse that brought out the best in all humans, to care for another. She pranced along the roadside astride Freckles and waved to cars driving by saying to herself, “I bet they wish they were me!”

As she readied herself to go home, I brought out the beautiful purple saddle pad and told her that this was hers to use as she pleased. Her eyes glistened, her favorite color, for her favorite pony, this was just too much to handle.

She threw her arms around me and said nothing. I know why she could not speak; I believe that for the first time that day, she was speechless.

To be loved by Jenna would be one of the greatest accomplishments in life, for she pours he heart and soul into everything that she does. To Jenna, being loved by Freckles is always enough.

She is a blessed girl because she blesses others, especially this little flea bitten grey that is loved by a young girl that thinks nothing else but about the next time she gets to see him again.

Have you ever loved a horse? Please share! We LOVE your comments!

Raise Your Dreams Farm is a small farm located in southern NJ. We offer riding lessons and equine therapy to special needs children and adults. Please help us reach others by posting horses, tack, and clothing on the classified section of http://www.anythingforhorseandrider.com. Please do not forget to LIKE us on our FB page too.