The Horses That Create Us: Pt.4, Sasha

June of 2019, I was done with eventing. My confidence in the jumping phases was crushed, and I was prepared to switch to straight dressage. I was heartbroken but exhausted from constant defeat. Then, along came Sasha.

I was not horse shopping when Sasha came around, our paths just happened to cross. When I tried her, I almost fell off several times. I hadn’t figured her out on the flat, and her jump was unlike anything I’d ever ridden. Truth be told, we felt like a wreck, completely out of sync. To finish the ride, we popped over a few jumps in the cross country field, and suddenly we just clicked. It was not love at first ride, but even in the imperfections, I felt like we could be something. There was something about her that just seemed right.

July 6th, we picked Sasha up at Loch Moy Farm. As we drove around looking for her, we noticed a little dark bay mare with a chain over nose dragging the handlers around, and we joked about how it was probably her. And of course, it was.

We spent the next six or so months getting used to each other. There was the good, the bad, and the ugly. We learned a lot about each other in that time. I learned to trust my horse, and she learned to trust me. And believe me, that was tough work. To ride Sasha, I had to let my guard down, and let go of the anxiety that had built up over time. I had to relax and just enjoy the ride. I hadn’t done that in a long time.

Prior to riding Sasha, competing brought out the worst in my fear. I looked forward to dressage, but I would stress about the jumping for weeks on end. I would search the venue, stalk around the cross country from past events, and think about it constantly. Sleepless nights and mediocre rides just added to the panic. Then I would get to the events, stuff all those feelings down, and hope for the best.

Since I got the ride on Sasha, I’ve learned to love competing. She makes me love the adrenaline, not from fear but from excitement. We run around courses and have the time of our lives. I’ve never ridden a horse that is as dedicated to their job as Sasha is. She takes care of me, and I do my best to return the favor. I haven’t feared cross country since I started riding her. I didn’t realize that until my Modified move up, where I looked at the Intermediate jumps and thought, “Hey, that doesn’t look so bad”. Since then, I’ve craved competing. Sasha makes it a reward for all of our hard work, rather than a challenge for us to face.

Sasha has allowed me to become the rider I have always wanted to be. Alongside the goals we have completed and opportunities we have been given, she has given me the confidence to truly ride well. And what I have gained from riding her, I have been able to use on all other horses that I ride. I owe her the world for that. Don’t get me wrong, the process we’ve gone through to get to this point has not been easy, but it has been extremely rewarding.

Sasha is the most incredible horse I’ve ever ridden. She takes the saying "little horse, big heart" to a whole new level. She puts her heart and soul into everything she does. As a rider, there is no better feeling than that. Every jump, every movement, every stride, I can feel her putting every ounce of effort in. She tries so hard. Sasha is small but mighty, she’s a force to be reckoned with.

I am unexplainably thankful for everything Sasha has given me. The experience, the skill, the opportunities, the drive. I believe that Sasha is a truly special horse, but I hope that she is not a once in a lifetime horse. I want to ride a thousand more Sasha's in my lifetime. I want to ride thousands of horses that give me the incredible feeling that Sasha gives me. I want to ride thousands of horses that make me feel invincible.