By Haylie Tucker, 15 from Louisiana
This is Andy. He was born in my grandfather’s stables when I was only a few years old. We’ve grown up together and I learned to ride on him. He’s one of the sweetest, most loving animals I’ve ever met and he’s head over tail for me. He loves to follow me around and bury his nose in my hair. We love to take pictures together and this is one of my absolute favorites ever. He’s my goofy boy and will do anything to please, even make silly faces.
Like I tell my friends and family, Andy is the only man I’ll ever need. He was born in my grandfather’s stable on March sixteenth. He was named after an uncle of mine, who was quadriplegic and paralyzed from his neck down. I began learning to ride at a young age and always rode Andy. He was very patient with me and we learned together. As I became older and began wanting to gallop and do more experienced things, Andy refused to go any faster than a brisk trot. He acted different when I was on his back then he did with other people; he knew I needed to be safe.
I’m now 15 years old and Andy is still one of my best friends. When he sees me coming, he runs up to the gate and waits for me to open it, then he walks behind me wherever I go, usually with his nose buried in my hair. I can’t really explain the love for a horse; it’s something you have to experience. I can’t describe the feeling I get when he runs to greet me. I can’t describe the comfort I feel when I’ve had a bad day and I can just bury my face in his neck. I can’t describe the way his eyes look at me, full of love. It’s an extraordinary thing when an animal picks you to be his human.
Andy never ceases to amaze me with the thing he does, whether it’s nudging me with his nose towards his food bucket or standing in front of the gate so I can’t get out, or like in our picture making silly faces. He would do anything for me and I would do anything for him. Andy is even more special to me now, because our family lost my uncle last year, and every time I see Andy I get a wonderful reminder of my uncle. I wouldn’t trade my relationship with Andy for the world.
