He's not a pet, he's my best friend.

Horse people are constantly made fun of for how much they love their horses, but what people do not understand is how easy it is to form a bond and how difficult it is to forget each other.

To my humorous, snarky, full of life horse, thank you for not forgetting me when I moved three hours north for school. I understand how easy it would have been for you to forget about me and become best friends with the person that took care of you while I was away, thank you for never letting me enter the barn disappointed. I appreciate the "good morning" greetings and the "I haven't seen you in forever!" greetings. The good night sighs as I turn out the lights make everything worth while.

Thank you for always finding a way to make me laugh, whether you mean to or not. With you, I never have to snap a selfie alone.

I do not know a better listener than you are. I am incredibly glad you cannot speak because you know too much! Thanks for all of the neck hugs and the late nights talking, also for the silly reactions when you see a bag of carrots. You seem to always be there when no one else can help me, and for that I am forever grateful. Your slimy licks are enough to make anyone's day.

Thank you for teaching me how to be patient, brave and respectful. Thank you for showing me that accidents happen, and that certain things cannot be controlled. Thank you for reminding me that with winning comes losing and vice versa. Thank you for giving me something to do on rainy, sunny, cold, and hot days. Between spoiling you and barn work, there's never not something to do.

Thank you for introducing me to "that horse smell" that people talk about so often, it truly is an amazing scent. Because of you, I am not able to spend my money on stupid/illegal things, of which I am sure my parents (and I) thank you for.

Thanks for learning new things with me, and for being open minded about trying dressage. Thank you for trusting me while going over jumps, even when neither of us were extremely confident. Thank you for being a teacher to little kids who were once terrified to look at you. Your patience with those children means the world to me.

Above everything else, thank you for giving me a place to de-stress and be myself. A place to call home and a place to go when everything becomes too much. Thank you for never letting me forget who I was, who I am and where I came from. Thanks for not forgetting what we've been through and thank you for making me believe in myself. You truly are the best friend I have ever had.