Every Day, You Save Me

I'm blessed. Really blessed. I am realizing what a diamond in the rough Gambler is, and it makes me so unbelievably happy. I thank God for him every day, he is such a special horse with so much heart and such a desire to please. He takes wonderful care of me, even when I forget how to ride; he forgives my mistakes, and trust me when I say I make a lot of them. He can pull me back together when I'm falling apart at the seams, he is patient enough to let me cry and scream about my life and he makes it all better by putting his head on my shoulder and nickering. I swear that horse gets me. He's just really special. I can't even put my finger on it specifically, probably because there are so many things about him that make him so special, but there really is something special about that horse. I love him.

Things have been kind of a roller coaster this past week with Gambler. Wednesday I think it was, I went to the barn and he had a chunk missing from his hoof. He wasn't lame, but I just played around with him at liberty. Well, Thursday I go out and his other hoof has a chip and flare. And he's lame. Blah! Well, my amazing farrier kindly went out yesterday and was able to fix it; I was worried he would need shoes, but Thomas is really amazing and managed to not have to put shoes on him. I have a great farrier! Well anyways, I go out today and he is still lame. I think because of the trauma to that hoof. Epsom salt soaks, here we come!

Of course, the fact that he is a little sore doesn't stop him from running around like a madman in the field! Oh well.

Before getting all tacked up and  then having that be a waste of time incase he was lame, I took Gambler directly to the ring and lunged him. When I saw he was lame, I burst into tears. Yep, true story. Not specifically because he was unsound, I just got kind of overwhelmed. I sat down on the mounting block, and just cried. Well, my horse has such a kind heart, and he came over and lay his head in my lap. He nickered, as if to say "it's okay, mommy!" and then he started mouthing at my hair. Of course, it made me so happy and I started laughing and telling him how much I love him. I swear, that horse's special talent is cheering me up.

Don't get me wrong, he can drive me absolutely bananas sometimes. But then, I think about everything so special that he does. How the first day I saw him, I fell so madly in love with him that I texted my mom a picture of "my new horse". How he always seemed happy to see me on Saturdays. How the first time I rode him, I burst into tears because it was so amazing. All of the amazing memories last summer. How the few times I have snuck up on him sun bathing or sleeping, I can go sit right next to him and lay on his back, and he just lies there. How he follows me everywhere, like a puppy. How I can ride him bareback, just hugging his neck the whole time, and he takes care of me. How he rolls out the hose with me. How he likes to drink from my water bottle. How he gives me hugs. How he'll be galloping with his friends, and he'll see me and come over to me. How when I turn him out, sometimes he'll hang out by the fence and cuddle with me. Most of all, how he puts up with me no matter what, and somehow loves me. And how happy he makes me. Oh man, I just love this horse to pieces.

Thank you, Jesus for blessing me with this horse and all of the blessings that come with him. I am so incredibly lucky to have the wonderful support system of an amazing barn owner who has become like a second mother to me, wonderful barn friends and awesome horses to ride, an incredibly farrier, who has made Gambler's feet wonderful, and who answers my crazy questions way too late at night, a great vet, friends who have told me I can do this, and most of all, a great horse.