Baby was a scrawny and barely broken 5 year old gypsy cob, with hardly enough muscle to carry a person when he came into my life. We were both as broken as each other but were about to embark on a journey that would build a bond that transcended mere companionship.
We built a relationship that was a testament of strength and resilience, accumulating rosettes in local and county level coloured showing.
Yet the true essence of our relationship goes deeper than the show ring. In the wake of profound loss and heartbreak, Baby became my anchor, a beacon of light in my darkness and pain, and the only reason I had to get out of bed every morning. Following the deaths of my younger brother and later my father, he was my source of comfort and resilience, a silent witness to my tears. Baby had a profound understanding and empathy that transcended words. His intuitive nature allowed him to sense my emotions deeply and offer a comforting nuzzle or surround me with his neck as if to hug me back. This was what made Baby my soulmate.
In my moments of pure darkness, it was his back, amidst the rhythm of this breathing and scent of him that I found solace and healing, a sanctuary of shared understanding and profound connection.
As Baby’s ridden career was cut short due to injury we both adapted over and over again as he aged. From showing, to hacking, to semi- retired, to living his final days in a full retirement herd. Whatever Baby needed we did. Battling with many illnesses and injuries through the years, our unwavering loyalty and companionship was evident till the very end.
On April 12 I cradled his head and whispered my promises of reunion in our future lives. I stayed by his side, my heart breaking but also filled with gratitude for the profound love and healing he had brought to my life.
In the tapestry of life’s joys and sorrows Baby was a beacon of light and love, a testament of the transformative power found through connection, resilience and the healing that can come from companionship with a horse.
When my ‘kiss’ bracelet arrived, made from baby’s tail, it was a piece of my soul given back to me. It is a symbol of our eternal bond and a reminder of the love, healing and resilience that Baby brought to my life for 18 years. As I wear it, it feels like our souls are entwined once more. I will forever treasure it just as I did my Baby boy xxxxx
