Lil Bit, a little sorrel Quarter Horse mare, was nine years old and had only been under saddle about six months when I began riding her at Colorado Horse Rescue to prepare her for adoption. Taking on a green horse gave me the opportunity to check the “cowgirl box” of my dreams and I had no idea the amount of work and reward that could come of it. Together, we both grew in our education and through regular ground work and time spent in the saddle, Lil Bit challenged what I already knew about horsemanship and pushed me to seek more answers to our riding obstacles. Our journey together led to a cherished partnership, an inability to walk away and a pending adoption. It is humbling to realize that I have gained enough confidence and skill to provide a forever home to this kind and sweet mare. I adopted Lil Bit from Colorado Horse Rescue in May of 2015.

Since that time, we have attended shows where I told her jokingly, ” you are embarrassing me” and my only aspiration was to leave the side of the trailer. We tried barrel racing and were the only entry with the goal of not going fast but rather establish that she respect my leadership. We attended clinics where I had the attention of all participants as she learned to stand still to wait her turn and not whinny at every horse that walked by. But, best of all we have spent hours on the trail together which are still my most favorite and cherished moments of our life together.

She has learned to be quite the ranch hand, having the strong ability to move cattle with the flick on her ears and we have big dreams ahead of us to work toward team penning. She is now solid, strong, fast, agile, confident, and one of the finest performance horses I have ever met. I think if her breeder could see her now, he would question his decision to have put her on that trailer so long ago.

She is a gem, a gem that was sitting among so many other gems at a horse rescue just waiting for her chance to show the world what she could do.

What #RightHorse means to me

This is what “right horse” means to me.

It the beautiful partnership that can be found between a caring human and a horse in need of a home.