Lavener, my first horse,
came to me in the summer of 1985 and filled my days with lessons
that I embrace today. She was a small Thoroughbred, but had lots of feisty
and heart. Her successful racing career ended with a bowed tendon, but her
years in the show jumping arena and teaching a young girl the ways of
life were just beginning.
The many horses I rode, trained,
and showed on a daily basis is just a blur now, but Lavener, when I sit quietly,
I can remember almost every time I rode her. Every day she taught me a different
lesson, whether it was a life lesson or a riding lesson. Looking back,
she took care of me from daily barn chores to every time I entered the
show ring. She was a mother, sister, and a mentor to me. Many tearful
days, as with any teenager, were spent in her stall. She would nuzzle me
and always provide a supporting shoulder for me to cry on. She never judged
me in those terrible teenage years of no adult supervision on the show circuit,
she loved me for me as I her.
As I look for words
to write, I am lost, how do I express what I feel, almost 23 years
of my life were intertwined with this magnificent spirit. I can
only hope that she looks down from heaven and is proud of the child
she raised, me.
In the end I can honestly
say she has taught me everything I know about life today. I will always be
grateful for her teachings and I look forward to the day when I can once
again ride her and tell her my secrets and fears.
Becky
Lavener 
