Mercy Came A Runnin'

5.

Mercy was more to me than just a barrel horse. She was my friend. I could tell her secrets. I could trust her to never hurt me.

One day I decided I wanted to ride her tackless. I trusted her.

Well, not completely.

I put her in the round pen and I rode her in just a halter. I'll never forget how amazed I was that she was being so good for me. She simply walked, stopped, and turned. That's all I asked of her, that's all I received. Because of this I decided I could trust her.

The very next thing I did was take off her halter and ride her completely tackless, not just in the round pen, but all over the pasture. This became something I did all the time. It was relaxing and reassuring. It boosted our trust in each other.

For the past couple years she's been my rock. She's been what I could truly trust in, especially when everything in my life was falling apart. Anytime I was depressed and not knowing how to continue, I did because I had her. She was my reason to keep going.

I've not always had it easy in life. I was going through some really difficult times, but I had Mercy. She taught me how to completely let go and trust.

Sitting on the back of that gorgeous animal made me feel safe. It made me feel at home.

She was my home.