Thanks to that Silly, Stupid Horse…

“I’ve been riding horses for years. There’s just something so addictive about it. It’s like when I’m riding, I’m free. Nothing else matters. It’s just me and pure happiness. Once when I was riding, it didn’t end so happy. Haha. Long story short, my horse ended up bucking me off. I ended up really hurting my neck and back, actually, I basically hurt my entire body except for my hands. My friend had been riding with me and was willing to steer us back to the stables, but to me, if I didn’t get back up and keep riding, it was giving up. So, I got back up and rode back to the stables. One of my friends ended up hurting herself a week later and she quit on riding permanently. Looking back, I’m so glad I didn’t even give up for a moment! Riding is my passion. I can’t imagine the day it won’t be. Those chains of events inspired me to keep growing and trying. I learned within those couple of weeks just how crucial it is to never give up on anything you love, even if everyone else around you is telling to quit! If you really love something, you can’t quit on it! And if you do, well, you never really loved it to begin with. Never give up. Riding has made me the person I am today. It reminds me to constantly be daring and adventurous. I am so grateful I got back up on that saddle and kept riding that silly, stupid horse.” (Elise Waller, freshman)