“I feel lucky that I found my talent, not unlucky that I was born with a disability. When I’m on a horse, I’m more worried about what the riding hat is doing to my hair than what my bent legs and arms are doing. What riding has given me is respect.” Sir Lee Pearson. I can totally relate to this quote with my horse, Buzz. I have talked about him in the past but I want to focus on just him and maybe another horse for today!

I instantly woke up when I heard “Get ready, it’s time to go get a horse!” It’s my mom, while I’m still half awake. I was so excited about getting a horse because it’s my lifelong dream. So I got ready and then we went to pick up a family friend whose name is Corrine. She is awesome and helped a lot with getting Buzz. For breakfast, I had a poptart just like most mornings. Once we got to Corrine’s house, she came out, and after that we set off!

Once we started our four-hour drive to Iowa, Kansas, I was so nervous but excited at the same time. I didn’t know how to feel. The whole time mom, Corrine, and I talked about horses and a bunch of other things. When we were about 10 minutes away we stopped at a gas station and I got some doughnuts. At this point, I was super excited! We originally were looking at a horse, and his name was Slinky. He and Buzz were best friends. 

When I got there I was super excited and I had so many butterflies. Once I walked into the barn I saw like 15 horses, but I knew exactly which one was Slinky. When I got over there the owner, Becky Hagey, gave me a brush and I started to brush him out. Then she taught me how to put the saddle on, which was pretty easy. Then I hopped on and started to ride around a bit. I was not confident at all because I was just learning how to ride. Slinky and I just had a tough time connecting so Becky asked if I was going to try Buzz. I was hesitant, but I did and Buzz and I bonded immediately. I felt more comfortable and safe with Buzz, so we left and talked about the pros and cons of each horse and which one I personally liked more. 

Finally, we went back to Becky’s house with a trailer this time. I was with my dad and mom, but Corrine didn’t come this time, so it was more boring. But I was so ready and excited that once we got there, I paid Becky the $5,000 for Buzz (My money by the way!) So we loaded him up and headed home. We stopped at another gas station, and my mom and I got ice cream. 

So, in conclusion, that was definitely the best day of my life. This horse means so much to me, and he has taught me so much, and I’m super thankful for him and all of the fun that I have had on him so far. I am thinking about showing him in the Lyon County fair and maybe doing barrel racing! Tune in next time for more about horses, keep riding!