Renewed Spirit by Becca Clayton

A story of a renewed spirit for both a horse and a girl by Becca Clayton

One day I was going to the barn I ride at to see my mean horse, Cheyenne. Cheyenne had bitten me three times the day before and kicked me twice. So I went into her pasture and when she saw me she immediately laid back her ears and snapped at me.

My older sister Brooke, was going into the pasture to get her amazing horse Moe. Brooke would never let me ride Moe and this hurt my feelings terribly. Even though Brooke knew the confidence I once had, was gone due to Cheyenne, she still did not let me ride Moe. Then, one miraculous day, Miss Donna, the owner of the barn I ride at, called me and asked me if I wanted to try out this horse called Misty. I told her I would, and she said if I like Misty then I could have her for free. I immediately went out of Cheyenne’s pasture and went to the other side of the barn and got Misty out of her pasture. Misty was skinny, you could see her ribs. I could tell that she had been neglected. Despite that fact, as soon as I walked in her pasture, she walked up to me, ears pricked forward.

I slipped her halter on, and when I got out of her pasture, tacked her up. She took the bit without hesitation, and did not lay her ears back when I tightened the cinch. When I got on her, we clicked automatically. Everyone else who was riding wanted to try her out to, and they were shocked to figure out that Misty rode terribly for everyone else but me. When I was done riding her, I immediately called Miss Donna and said, “I’ll take her.” When I was done riding her and was starting to un-tack her, she looked at me as if to say, “Your, not going to leave me are you?” I just hugged her and put her back in the pasture. With the two months that followed I was shocked to discover that a horse could be loving and gentle.