Girl Horse saved my life. My son, Ryder Lee had just turned thirteen and he died.  I was broken.  My boyfriend did not know what to do with me.  I quit my job teaching, I could not be around other people’s children when I could not have mine.  I couldn’t do much of anything.

Bill took me out to the barn one day.  I have boarded horses there previously and knew the place.  I remember walking through the boarding barn and going into the first stall on the left and there she was.  I walked up to this beautiful Arabian girl horse and put my arms around her neck and held on.

I don’t remember how she became mine but she did.  I obviously bought her but I can’t tell you anything about it.

I went out to the barn everyday and spent time with her.  For a long time all I did was care for her and did groundwork.  It was a while before I even rode her.  I stared mucking at the barn.  That gave me a reason to spend even more time there.  It also gave me the chance to watch the trainer giving lessons.  I got to learn on someone else’s nickel.  Of course I started taking lessons again.

One of the teachers was a polo player.  She would have me canter toward the fence.  The strid before the fence she would shout right or left.  Scared me to death.  My boyfriend kidded me that he had never seen anybody pay someone to shout at them.  Needless to say I got into the saddle and out in the mountains.

The time I spent with Girl Horse was the only time every day that I was able to get away from the pain.  We went everywhere.  It didn’t matter if I knew where we were going because she would always bring me home.  One day we found ourselves on a ridge.  It was only inches wide and straight down on both sides.  There was no way to back out or turn around.  I dropped the reins and the stirrups and just sat there.  It was up to the girl to get us out of there.  She just started picking her way and she got us to the side of the mountain again.  We had wonderful times every day!  She gave me the time to heal and gave me my life back.