The strong wind tangles my hair, the smell taking over my nose. The striped reigns bounce as if I was on a pogo-stick as we gallop down the narrow path toward the meadow. Unwillingly, I think of how my horse will be gone soon and he will have a different rider posting in this saddle. I love how we race through the woods, not stopping. No matter how hard I try, I can’t help but think about how he will have a new life and a new home. Just enjoy the time you have with him, I think, as I guide him high over a river with a swift jump. The thorny branches slap my face and tell me to turn back and give up. But I push on because riding helps me forget everything but my favorite horse. We go on a little longer, getting slower, breathing harder. The thumping stops. I slide off his back and sit on the grass. I am exhausted.

“Come on, Doc.” I whisper as he eats grass. “I want to go once more before you leave forever.”

Gently, I rub his ears and pull myself to my feet. As I slide back into the worn-down saddle, my heart shatters. I can’t hold back the tears. “Just one more time.”