“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” Winston Churchill

Every time Dylan makes a wish she wishes for a paint horse. Her love of horses is so deep and so strong that I worry about her not getting her own horse soon.

Having a horse as a kid made me such a better person. I learned to care for something that completely relied on me. At age 6, my first horse was a pony named Trigger. He gave me such a sense of independence while taking good care of me. He was fast enough to make me feel like I was flying, yet gentle enough to make sure I didn’t get hurt. He was such a great first horse.

My next horse was Mayday whom I loved for nearly 20 years. When I went away to college and my parents told me I could only keep one of my four horses she was the one I kept. Although I went to college in Northern California, I would often fly home for just a couple hours to ride Mayday. Just being near her cleared my head and made things right in my world.

It is no surprise to me that Dylan loves horses. But I was surprised the first time she rode alone. She was so natural, so sure of herself, so happy. She reminded me of myself as a kid. She reminded me what is missing in my own life.

The answer is simple. We need a horse. I need horse.