Ever since I can remember, horses have been my favorite animal. I was always that child in school that wrote all of her papers on anything horse-related and brought all of the horse toys for show-and-tell. The fact that we, as humans, can get on the back of this giant creature and tell them what to do with just our body language is what amazes me about this beautiful animal. Their stature, obedience and desire to please have always been what draws me to them and my love for horses grows every day.
As a child, I was not fortunate enough to have my own horse, however, I took English and Western riding lessons at local barns every chance I had. I grew up living across the street from my cousin, whose family owned two horses. I spent every waking hour at the barn with them where they boarded their horses. My cousin was able to take a lot more lessons than I could so I would sit and watch and soak in as much information as I could, as if I were the one on the horse.
Once I reached the age where I needed to start working, the first place I looked was at the barns near my house. I wanted nothing more than to be around these animals as much as I possibly could. I did get a job at a farm near my house for a short period of time, and although it did not last too long, it is still one of my favorite jobs. I enjoy physical labor jobs to keep fit and to be able to work with horses and having such a physically demanding job was the perfect combination for me.
Growing up in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, there was not much opportunity to live my dream of owning my own horse on my own property and going on trail rides every day. But owning my own horse and riding it anywhere I could would suffice. So after working at a job that paid well when I was 21 years old, I decided to save up and purchase my own horse, Maverick, and board him at a barn near my house. This was the closest I could come to my dream of riding outside on trails every day. Instead, I rode in the outdoor arena every chance I could, and these moments I spent riding my very own horse were some of the best times in my life. I could not have been more fortunate to own such a sweet OTTB for my very first horse. The day that we had to part ways was very difficult, but Maverick left his hoofprints on my heart that will forever be there.
Soon after, I started leasing a horse and was able to continue riding three times a week up until 2017. In December of 2016, I got engaged. Planning our wedding and buying our first house put my riding on hold. Fast forwarding two years, I am now 26 years old. I work as a dental assistant; I am married and just moved across the country from Illinois to Colorado with my husband. My hobbies include working out, writing and anything to do with horses. Aside from moving due to a great job opportunity for my husband, we moved to be able to do more outdoor activities and live a happier, healthier lifestyle. My goal while living in Colorado is to write/blog as often as possible, become more physically fit and to get back on horses where I belong and live my dream of riding them outdoors as much as possible. I have been told by many people that Colorado is one of the best states to do just that, so I look forward to making my dreams become a reality in this beautiful state.
