Majority of us know that if we have a pet, they generally always connect with a specific person more than any other in the household. My connection isn't really in my house, per se. Her name is Liberty, and she’s my 1300 pound dog.

Alright, alright. She’s actually my horse.

My family has rescued animals all of my life, so it was no shock to me when my mom sent me a link of this horse at a rescue in the middle of Indiana. Her and my dad were out in Ohio for my brother’s volleyball tournament. So naturally, I took a look at the horse and made a call to go and see her. The next day, my best friend and I found ourselves taking a five-hour road trip to Indiana to meet her.

We pulled up the driveway and saw a horse running around really aggressively in a round pen. “That’s not her, is it?” my friend asked me. I knew it was her. We got out of the car and walked into the small office to sign some liability waivers before I could be inside the pen with her. I was definitely nervous, she was a little snarky and high-strung. But hey, you can’t be scared going into something like that because they can sense it from a mile away.

We connected instantly and I fell head over heels for her. The woman at the rescue looked shocked as she watched Liberty follow me around the pen just after being with her for 15 minutes. I forced my family to drive out with me again to meet her, this time with a trailer. Like I said before, she’s a tad aggressive, an alpha mare. My mom was immediately put off by her, but somehow before we knew it she was being put in the trailer and we were signing adoption papers.

Since then, Liberty and I have created this unbreakable bond that no one can touch. Which is super cool, but can also be a little problematic when I’m the only one she listens to and other people are trying to work with her. But hey, we’re working on it. There’s only been one other person that Liberty has actually loved almost as much as she loves me, and I’m convinced it was because she saw how strong my feelings were for him.

Liberty was supposed to be a family horse, but it’s been her and I versus the world since day one; odds against us and all. There were a few times where I didn’t know if we would work, but she’s proven me wrong every time. As far as being a “family” horse, well… That still needs some work. Like I said, she only respects me, so anyone else trying to tell her what to do has a problem.

So, where are we now? Liberty has since been officially signed over to my name, not my mom’s. She’s my animal soulmate. We’re a team. We are stuck together for life, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Us against the world; always has been, always will be.