When you give a horse a girl...

Growing up, I always wanted a pony - something to ride and braid its mane. But what people don't think of is what happens when you give a horse a girl of their own.

When you give a horse a girl, they are expected to stand there and tolerate all of the kisses and hugs.

Horses have noses that are so soft you just want to kiss them all day long and they also have necks that work perfectly for giving a hug and crying onto. They're good at being quiet and they aren't quick to judge.

When you give a horse a girl, you give them unconditional love.

Nothing makes a horse happier than the love from a little girl. To that little (or grown) girl, that horse is their sunshine on a cloudy day. Their whole life revolves around that four-legged creature who has a loving eye, silly quirks, and a way to make you laugh. When a horse is given to that girl who makes their life so much more significant, they know that they are home.

When you give a horse a girl, you give them a friend.

When a horse has been from home to home like my horse, he (or she) has seen a handful of people. People of all ages, backgrounds, and personalities. Of course, when you give a horse a girl, they have a friend who will braid their mane, dress them up in pink, add some sparkles, and love on them for as long as they can.

When my horse came to me, my aunt thought we were going to have him for a few years and we would give him a good end to his life. He was old when we got him but here he is, almost eight years later and reaching the age of 29 on March 15, 2017. Everyday with him is a blessing and I wouldn't trade him for a newer model that can meet my experience level. I am perfectly content with brushing him and occasionally saddling him up to go on a trail ride. After all, he isn't just a horse... he is my horse.

When you give a horse a girl, you give them a reason to be happy

Some horses end up in the wrong hands and when they meet their special girl, everything changes. It goes from barely being fed or being overworked to so many treats, grooming sessions with scented sprays and special brushes. A horse will go from barely being touched to catching stray tears in their mane when a girl goes through heartbreak or something tragic. The horse was put on this earth to make little girls and grown women happy.

When you give a horse a girl, you give them their happily ever after.

There will come a day when a horse has to make their journey across the Rainbow Bridge. In some cases like mine, you make a promise to a horse where the minute you signed the ownership papers, you have given them a forever home.

When it is their time, their person will know when it is time to say goodbye and your way of repaying your trusty steed is to give them their happily ever after.

So when you give a horse a girl, you give this horse the life that each and every horse deserves. My favorite quote by an unknown author, "All horses deserve, at least once in their lives, to be loved by a little girl" speaks to me on a level that I cannot describe in a short, closing statement. The love that a horse receives from their little girl (or their grown woman, because let's face it, horses bring out the child in us all) can only be explained to people in this crazy horse world.

A Note from the Author: Tundra has been a huge part of my life and without him I would not be the person I am today. He has seen me at the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows. This article is for him. He's been the best shoulder to cry on, the best listener, and the best horse a girl can ever have. My life would not be the same if it weren't for him.