Five Reasons Why I Know My Horse Loves Me

Horses can probably think of several different ways humans show their feelings toward them. You may have a horse excited for a treat that thinks,” Oh boy! Treat! They love me!” or a good old lesson horse that thinks, “You’re putting the beginner kid on me AGAIN? How much do you hate me?” But what do horses do to show how they feel about us? Here are a few of the ways that my mare, Bella, shows that she loves me.

1.       She lets me hug her. And by that I mean she sometimes lets me hug her when no one else is around. My mare is like the teenage child who is embarrassed to show any kindness toward their mom when other people are around as witnesses. Bella has gone as far as lifting me off the ground and dragging me across the stall in an attempt to evade a hug. But I swear, we do have our sweet moments. One of those moments may have ended with Bella holding onto my rib cage and leaving a wonderful bruise there, but that’s beside the point.

2.       She does her job without much asking. That is what makes her such a wonderful show horse. Bella loves to show off and to be competitive. One of the best feelings in the world is when I’m riding her and I feel her back end squat down and push while she launches off at a show trot. However, riding her bareback while she was on winter vacation could get interesting for that reason. My friends found it amusing, and I eventually learned too as well. I’d be trotting along on Bella, and as soon as another horse came out to the arena and started trotting, Bella amped it up. She went into show horse mode while I was holding onto mane, posting what felt like a million miles an hour because of her short stride, and saying, “This is not a race, not a race!”

3.       She acknowledges me out in the field. Never mind the fact that “acknowledge” means she gives me this look that says “I’m going to run away from you and you are not going to catch me.” Bella will run, kick, and squeal while I hopelessly try to catch a horse that doesn’t want to be caught. The best time was when the men who delivered the hay sat on the hay bales and laughed as I tried to catch this horse. Thank you for the embarrassment, Bella. It’s much appreciated.

4.       She stands still for me to get on. You know, as long as someone else is holding her bridle. There’s been countless times at shows where I get a leg up on a horse that is already trotting off. Sometimes mounting blocks just aren’t there when you need them most. I also made the mistake of mounting by myself this past winter. Bella was not very happy because all of her friends were outside while I was going to ride her bareback. Before I could even completely sit down on her or grab mane, she took off cantering around the arena while whinnying to her friends outside. Lesson learned – get someone to hold the horse just in case she decides not to stand.

5.       She’s trustworthy. Despite the funny little quirks she has, I trust her with my life. She carried me safely into my first performance show back in 2008 and has done the same since then. She has allowed me to grow as a rider and become an even stronger team with her year after year. Bella has been there for me not just as a show mate, but also as a companion, for more than seven years now, and not once have I ever felt endangered because of her. She’s a horse that won’t do anything the rider isn’t capable of handling. She’s gotten me through my lowest points in life and taken me to my highest. Whether she is spot on or having a “mare day,” I can trust that horse to carry me through anything.

So thanks, Bella. Even though you may seem bipolar at times or give people grief by tearing up your stall, you’re a pretty fantastic horse, and I wouldn’t trade you for the world.

Bareback fun during winter vacation.