Kentucky Fall

I have owned horses all my life while residing in my beloved Kentucky home, but this beautiful creature, in the picture above was by far my absolute favorite. We found one another on a snowy February evening of 2009 in Knoxville, Tennessee and I can say without a doubt, that it was truly love at first sight. At the time I was in ninth grade and spent more time with my four legged friend than kids my own age, completely by choice of course. I don't know at what point Diesel went from being just a pet to a best friend, but it became a known fact that he was my world and the thought of parting with him was not even in the same orbit. We were the weekend warriors of trailing riding and exploring, not focusing on what was in front of us or behind us, blazing through life as it tried to drown us.

If you have never lived or visit Kentucky in the fall months, you are truly missing out, from the changing colors of the leaves, to the wildlife moving just before winter hits, to the harvest of crops that have been growing since early March and April. Yes it's one of the most beautiful times to all Kentuckians, but for me it's season I wait for all year, because that's the best time for Diesel and I to go exploring.

For those of you that haven't had the ability to own a horse, let me try to summarize it for you in a one word, fulfilling. Before Diesel I spent most of my time with my nose stuck in my cell phone, trying to figure out how to impress boys, find a group of kids that loved themselves and had a pretty good idea on who they were, which let's be honest was super hard to find in high school. I felt so out of place most of the time unless I was on the court playing basketball with my team, but even then I didn't feel like my team was "my tribe" so to speak. I was young, full of imagination and a love so deep for these majestic creatures that I was often made fun of, but I still voiced who I was anyway. I was also a total bookworm and that alone help me figure out that I was my own individual person, it was okay to love the things I did and want to spend more time with animals than people, they were nicer anyways. My point is, horses were always a part of me, it was never just a phase that I went through at three to four years old, there was just something about bonding with a thousand pound animal that made me feel on top of the world, who doesn't want to understand that feeling right?

Kentucky fall was complete because of Diesel and our bond, every year we planned a camping trip somewhere that we haven't been before to continue our exploring but also to meet new people and grow more as a person and a pair. So when I look at the photograph above I don't just see a horse and some trees, there is so much more to look at. I see an overly healthy white horse that is the heart and soul to my existence, I see his color has went from grey to white as he ages in my grass covered field, I see the wind as it rustles the changing leaves welcoming a new season, I see the family of foxes that play in the next field over because it's close to dusk and safe to come out, I smell the fresh bailed hay that will be stored in the barn for the winter months, I feel the chilly air lightly blowing Diesel's tail meaning there will be no bugs or flies around anytime soon, but most of all I see my bestfriend that is happy, healthy, and at peace. Told you it was more than a picture huh?

Kentucky is a beautiful place all year round but nothing beats a Kentucky fall with your bestfriend that you've had for over ten years. Since this virus has hit, there are a lot of things that have changed but this bond is forever, his trust is forever, his love is forever, and his hooves have left their mark on my heart forever. This picture will always capture the laughs shared around a campfire, the soggy sandwiches left in a saddle bag, the hay smelling hats you wear all day, and the stinky worn out boots that are so broken in they can't even stand up straight anymore. A season may just be a season to most people, but to us Kentuckians, we think of it as trail riding and bonfire season, where the water and beer are preferred at the same temperature, ice cold.