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Palomino Quarter horse
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1987 - December 22, 2007 |
Who would have ever thought
that a grocery shopping trip would turn into something amazing? My mom and
I had been looking for another horse for me and we just couldn't seem to
find the one. None of the horses we looked at gave me the right feeling.
We kept looking and one Sunday we set up an appointment to go look at a horse,
Cinderella, except we told the rest of my family that we were going grocery
shopping. When we got there...I was not so sure about her. She was a Palomino Quarter horse and I had never really liked Palominos, but now I think it
is simply because I had never had the chance to have one as my own. We took
her out and I rode her and I started to fall in love right there. She had
so much personality and she was trailered to my house right then and, for
me, this is where my love for horses and my passion for horses really started
to come alive.
Cinderella was so stubborn
when I first got her. All she would do when someone got on her back was walk
backward or walk in backward circles. It was the most annoying thing, but
she taught me to be firm with her but not too firm and after a period of
time, which seemed like forever, we finally started walking forward. Cinderella
and I have had so many of those little obstacles. She would try to find ways
to test me and to make me not ride her, but through her, I learned to never
give up when it comes to a horse and that it is better to stay on a horse
for hours and make them do what you want them to do gently then to force
them to do something in a matter of minutes. Cinderella taught me how to
be a rider. We would ride all over the place, but when she moved for the
second time to Joy Farm, we would ride almost every day. We would go into
the woods and down the road, just everywhere. Whenever she tried to test
me, I always "won", but it was really us both winning. I found myself on
the back of her. I found the person I am and the person I want to be. She
gave me so much confidence in the saddle and that confidence has followed
me off the saddle and into everyday life. When I was on her back, I felt
like we could do anything that we set our minds to, even if it took a little
extra work. If it wasn't for her I am not sure where I would be in my
life.
Not only did Cinderella
relight my passion for horses and riding and give me some much needed confidence
when everything else in my life seemed to be falling apart, she taught me
how to love. My life was seemingly falling apart underneath me and there
was nothing that I could do, but Cinderella was still there. I latched on
to her because she was there and I could go to the barn and we could "talk"
as I would spend hours grooming her. When I doubted my ability to love or
to have someone or something love me, she showed me that it was possible.
She loved me more than anything and I loved her and still love her more than
life itself. Whenever I would walk into the barn, she knew I was there and
she just brought so much happiness to my life. Even when she decided that
she would make it almost impossible to catch her when she was in the pasture,
when I finally did get her, she would show so much affection and love towards
me, it almost made the "chase" mean nothing. I loved Cinderella more than
anything and I would always tell people that I would do absolutely anything
for her, she was my baby. I never thought that I would be able to love someone
or something as much as I loved her, but she showed me that was
possible.
Now that she is gone, I
am realizing that I will always love Cinderella more than life itself and
that she has done so much for me. She has helped me become the person that
I am and the person that I will be. She gave so much to me, more than I ever
thought a horse could give a person. She gave me confidence, passion for
horses, the ability to love, but most importantly, she gave me much needed
life. She kept my life so interesting and whenever I was stressed or sad
or angry, if I went out to the barn to see her, everything seemed to just
melt away. I may have lost the love of my life physically, but she will always
and forever be a huge part of who I am. She will forever be the horse that
was the turning point in my life, the horse who made me so incredibly happy,
the horse that gave me...me.
I know she would never want me to give up riding and to lose my passion for
horses that she brought out in me now that she is gone. Cinderella would
never want me to be so sad and never get another horse. I truly believe that
Cinderella wants me to move on from her to more challenges to get another
horse that will push me just as much as she did into becoming an even better
rider just like she did for me. Maybe by dying it was her way of telling
me it was time for another horse, a more challenging horse, and a horse that
could push me even farther as she knew I had her figured out and she wasn't
such a challenge anymore. She knew I loved her and she knows that I will
always love her no matter where she is and no matter where I go. She has
given me so much and I am more than grateful for everything she has done
for me. Cinderella was my best friend and losing a best friend is devastating,
but a best friend would not want their best friend's life to stop just because
they are gone. They would want them to thrive and to move on to new and exciting
challenges and to become an even better person than they were when they were
still here.
I will never forget Cinderella,
or what she has done for me, as long as I live. I have so many amazing memories
from riding her and from just being around her. She was and forever will
be the love of my life, but there is room in my heart to love another horse
just as much as I love her, but it will be a different love and it will never
take away from the love I have for Cinderella. Life without my girl will
be extremely hard, but there will be another "girl" in my life, just not
the same one. I will do this for my Cinderella, the one thing who has kept
me going in her life will keep me going in her death and will keep me going
for as long as I live.
Sarah P.
Cinderella 
