As of tomorrow I will have officially served owned Henry for 6 years. He is, no contest, the best horse I’ve ever had. Maybe not the fanciest or the easiest or the most athletic, but he’s the one who has taught me more than any other, made all of my dreams come true, showed me some even BIGGER dreams, and made those come true too. My world has gotten so much bigger and brighter since the day he stepped into it. I owe him everything, he owes me nothing, and he will never be for sale. I hope I can give him a life that’s even half as amazing as he’s made mine.

But you guys know all that, because my favorite thing in the world is to talk about how fabulous that horse is. So instead of another post where I wax poetic about the best horse on the planet, instead I’ll just keep it short and simple and post my 6 favorite photos of Henry from the past year.

From our first recognized Prelim. Yes you’re right, he is the most handsome animal in the entire world.

The dressage has been a 6 year ride on the struggle bus, but I think we finally made some big breakthroughs, with 3 of his 4 Prelim tests scoring between 30-33.  (and for the one that didn’t, it was raining and he’s high drama, so…)

Our XC round at Coconino was the best 5 minutes of my entire life, I will remember it forever. My heart absolutely burst with pride and gratitude for this horse on that day. Even if I never have another ride like that, I can die happy.

He puts up with a lot, and does it with mostly good humor. I’m very grateful to have Henry as an equine role model for his “little brother”. He’s seemed to understand his role from the very beginning and has taken on the job with ease.

Everything about this candid shot is perfect. My trainer giving him the last cookie right out of her jar, because he absolutely deserved it. Me smiling at him in the background like he hung the moon and the stars in the sky. 100% accurate depiction of how this unassuming horse manages to worm his way into people’s hearts (and how I’m totally obsessed with him).  

And last but not least, I’m always a sucker for a pic of me patting my pony. I can never thank him enough for the places he’s taken me.

Happy 6 years, buddy, and here’s to many more.