14 years... 14 years is how long I have had with the most amazing horse in the world. At the age of 27, his days are now numbered and his body, which once seemed so strong and powerful, is beginning to fail him. As I reflect back on the years we have spent together, I realize how many lessons I learned with him by my side.

My parents bought Buck when I was seven years old. For me, it was love at first sight. I knew he was meant to be mine. He was underweight, had his winter coat and I did not care one bit. But being underweight did not affect his 16 hand height, which left him towering over me. I was not even tall enough to put his halter on unless he held down his head for me. This made getting on his back a challenge. Which led to my first important lesson from Buck, how to be a problem solver. I had to constantly find some way to get on, whether that was a rock, a fence, or making him stand in a ditch.

As I got older and more confident, Buck taught me about teamwork. If I tried to hustle ahead of him as we walked, or drag him behind me, he would stop and refuse to move. No matter how hard I would pull, at 1200 pounds he was not going anywhere if he didn't want to. It was not until I stood at his side and walked with him that he would continue on.

Buck taught me about patience. I desperately wanted to learn how to swing onto his back by myself. For hours I kneed him in the stomach, pulled on his mane, and generally was a pain. Buck never moved. He stood there, with only the occasional oomph until I finally was on his back. When I did not tighten my saddle enough and found it slipping off, I climbed onto his neck. He let me hang there until someone came to help.

Buck taught me what true love feels like. My heart still feels warm whenever I gaze into his soft, brown eyes. When my heart was broken by a boy, it was to Buck I ran to. I spent hours on his back crying because that was where I felt safe. He always seems to know when I needed him to lay his huge head on my shoulder and sigh. I can't help but smile whenever I see him slowly walking towards me, as Buck does not do anything fast. Bad days were always made better just by breathing in his comforting scent.

Not all of Buck's lessons were pleasant. More than once I was left in tears, frustrated by his actions. But these lessons were some of the most important. He taught me that sometimes the most terrifying thing is climbing right back up, and doing exactly what you just did after you just landed hard on the ground. He taught me that one failure does not make it impossible, you just need to try again. He also taught me when nothing is going right, I should look at my own actions, not the actions of those around me. If Buck was refusing to do what I asked, it was usually because I gave him the wrong signals, not because he didn't want to.

Most of all, Buck taught me about happiness and having fun. Most of my happiest memories involved my buckskin horse. Every summer, my cousins and I would race, and every time Buck and I lost, but I smiled the whole time. Many long hours were spent trailing cows down from the mountain or back up and Buck helped keep them interesting. More than once Buck was "married" to our other horses. He would dutifully get flowers braided in his mane and then stand next to our other horse as my cousins and I recited the vows. I still remember how hilarious we thought it was when they seemed to nod yes at the end.

I wish every little girl had a chance to be loved by a horse like Buck, and I am so lucky that I am. He is patient, kind and has been a big factor in shaping who I am today. He may not be with me much longer, but the lessons I learned on his back will stay with me for the rest of my life. One thing is certain, my big buckskin horse has left hoofprints on my heart.