They say you should never look a gift horse in the mouth, and so I didn’t.
Sybil was offered to me free of charge when her previous owner struggled to find a suitable home for her.
She had never been an easy horse, and there was a real fear that she would be passed from owner to owner and potentially mistreated.
I had always admired her, so I jumped at the chance to become the next person in her life. The only condition was that she would stay with me for the rest of her life.
The first two years were the most challenging as we learned about one another and worked out how to build a happy relationship. Once we had done that, however, we came to understand exactly what made each other tick. I often described our bond as being two halves of the same circle. I spent all my free time with her, preferring her company to that of anyone else.
She was my best friend and my confidant. She never judged me and was there for me during the most difficult times of my life. She always made me the best version of myself, and I was forever grateful to her.
We shared a wonderful 21 years together, and even when I went away on holiday, Sybil came too.
She loved her holidays, and we had the most amazing adventures.
She was the first thing I thought about every morning and the last thing I thought about every night.
When I met Steve, he quickly understood that if he didn’t accept the importance of Sybil in my life, he wouldn’t truly know me. He embraced the journey wholeheartedly. He learned to ride on Sybil and developed into a competent and compassionate horseman. Our holidays began to include a second horse, both as company for Sybil and for Steve to ride, and he soon grew to love the outdoor life. From that point on, we cared for Sybil together.
Steve was with me on the day we said our final goodbye to Sybil at the age of 28. It was the worst day of my life, and I was utterly heartbroken. Despite the generous offers from friends, I couldn’t face having or riding another horse, Sybil’s shoes were simply too large to fill.
When Steve proposed, I knew I wanted a part of Sybil to be present on our special day. I commissioned Alison to create a range of jewellery made from Sybil’s tail hair. I cannot adequately describe the comfort this brought me. It made me feel as though Sybil was with me that day, close by, sharing in the celebration.
I’ve worn my beautiful keepsake jewellery every day since.
Thank you Alison for giving me something so precious to treasure every day, Lesley.
