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@feathered gold stables, Wisconsin

by Alexandra Knoch
@pferdfotografiefreiburg

by Lucy Findlay, England
@winged horse photography

@Nikki de Kerf, Netherlands

by Virginia Romero, Spain
@equestrian art VR

By Chelsea Dooley, 20 from Ireland

This is my horse Beauty. She passed away on me 2 months ago due to a tumour in her stomach. She was my best friend.

I got her as a foal in Connemara in Galway. Broke her myself as a four year old. She was a cheeky mare. She had four foals. And for her last year, I was doing hunts, x country & charity rides on her. She had a heart of gold and would do anything to please you. Our yard isn’t the same without her anymore.

Everytime you go into the yard, if you asked her if she wanted food, she would nod her head as if to say yes. Another story would be the day we brought her home from Galway. I kept checking on her every 20 minutes to make sure she was ok. The last story would be they day I decided we were going to put her down and went up to the equine hospital in the curragh.

By Krystal Falkers, 18 from Wisconsin

This is Samson, my 14 year old mustang. Five years ago, he was wild out in Nevada running a herd of 48 mares. He’s now my cowhorse and helps me run my 90 head of angus cattle. I love him to death! He’s my big baby. The guy I got him from was part of the roundup and said it took four tranquilizers to get him down. He’s a tough horse even today I had to make a strong halter for him or he’d break it.

He’s my fire horse. I’m the only one who can ride him. He won’t ride for anyone else. We get along like best friends. I got him this spring; I first saw him in winter and fell in love, but figured I never would get him. Then I had an ad up saying I was looking for a horse and a guy contacted me and he wanted to sell Sam to me. I couldn’t believe it! My dream came true. Now we are best friends.

He only comes to me when I call him. One time, he got out in the cornfield. My dad flipped. I went out, called him, and he came running over the hill to me. I’d say we have a bond like Flicka and her girl. Sam is still wild, but a sweetheart who loves cookies, kitkat bars, and whinnies to get my attention when he’s in the pasture and I’m working. He hates storms and loves to go to the barn when it starts to rain, but he’s the boss and knows it. When I’m on him, we’re partners.

By Thalitha Verhaeghe, 13 from Belgium

I got Ocin when I was 12. I always wanted a pony like him: black and white, 1.10 meter and 8 years old. His name WAS Rambo. Now it’s Ocin. We’ve jumped 0.70 meter and it’s like we can fly. He came from a family with little kids and he wasn’t happy there.

He thinks that he’s an Arabian horse. He is my everything. And everybody that sees him want to buy him. Our special story is that we are born for each other. Because I wanted him before I even knew that my dream horse really existed. We are just the best team ever. People that just see us for a minute say that to.

By Nicole Hanning, 16 from New Zealand

I got Cairo at the start of this year. He is two years old. When we got him, he wasn’t broken in so I started to work with him. He is the most cuddliest pony I have ever met! Cairo and I have had our ups and downs (like most people with horses). If he does something wrong he comes over and rests his head against my chest like he is saying sorry. He has given me a lot of confidence over these past months. He truly is my best friend.

I was out riding one day on him around the lunging pen. It was our first ride together. Cairo was doing really well until one of the bushes moved and he got a fright. I ended up on the ground, but Cairo didn’t run away; he stayed with me and kept nuzzling my head to see if I was ok. I got up and he rested his head against me and gave me what felt like a hug. I got back on him and we finished off our ride. He is the best horse I’ve ever had.