08/26/2026
It’s been almost two years now, and somehow, I still think about him every single day.
I’ve never considered myself an overly sentimental person, but Carhartt was different. In the short amount of time I was lucky enough to have with him, he taught me more about truly communicating with a horse than I could have ever expected. Not just riding, training, or asking for the right response—but learning how to listen when nothing is being said.
Even now, I find myself wishing for just one more ride. One more quiet afternoon sitting with him. One more chance to put my hand on his neck and simply exist beside him for a while.
Carhartt was one of the most reserved horses I’ve ever worked with. He never gave himself away easily. But underneath that guardedness was one of the kindest, most honest souls I’ve ever known. I never saw him let his guard down with anyone else the way he would when it was just the two of us. Those quiet moments probably meant more to me than he ever could have understood.
There is something incredibly humbling about earning the trust of a horse who doesn't give it for free. I didn't make him choose me. Somewhere along the way, he simply decided that I was safe enough to be his person.
And I will carry that with me for the rest of my life.
One of the hardest things to know is that Carhartt was never really mine to lose. I knew that from the beginning. I didn't get to decide how long I would have him, and ultimately, I didn't get to decide when our time together was over, even though the decisions made were with his best intrest in mind.
But for a little while, I was his person.
And I wasn't really able to tell him goodbye.
Maybe that's why losing him has stayed with me the way it has. There are horses you own, horses you ride, horses you train, and horses you love. And then, every once in a great while, there is one who quietly changes something inside of you.
Carhartt was that horse for me.
And I wish more than I can put into words that I'd gotten more time with him.
Thank you Tinia Creamer for giving me the opportunity to work with him, and for taking care of him in the kindest ways possible.
