when my life changed

when i was twelve one morning my mother told me there would be a suprise waiting for me when i got home . I spent the whole day in anticipation , wondering what could it be. when i got home that after noon , I rushed to get dressed for my showjumping lesson with my instructor , George. when i arrived expecting to see the usual horse i was competing at the time i saw the most beautiful dark bay horse . His name was shoestreaker , he was the first "going "horse id ever had . the first lesson i had with him i jumped my first 1.10 .

He was very different and challenging , he was hot and fisety but brave. over the months he started being called the dragon because he was so hot . when i say hot i mean he just wanted to go , you see he had raced in his younger years , also his bloodline was renowned for having a "hot streak" . None the less i grew to love him...
over the months that followed we had much sucsses in the lower grades . Every show we went we would either win or come second . he taught me so much but it wasnt all sunshine and rainbows .. i fell off of him .. alot .
looking back im not sure how i survived him , i wasnt an experienced rider . i could barley keep anything between my legs , but he was there when I needed him . about two years after i got him he jumped out of the horse box and seriously hurt his back , he had an older injury but it was healed until then .

Six months of rehab and it started to come right . when i took him to his first shoiw back he had stopped at a jump in the warm up and he NEVER stopped at shows .. that was the moment i knew it was time to retire him . when my mom and i got in the car we looked at eachother and i dont know who cried more her or me but i just remember seeing her face , she knew and so did i . To this day i still have shoes , hes now 20 years old , fat shiny and happy .. most importantly pain free . His best friend is a little pony called legend . i cannot thank him enough for all he taught me , even though our time was short he really changed me as a person and for that Im forever great full . thank you to my best friend , my heart , my shoes . I hope you enjoy your retierment my boy .