Personal Narrative-My Relationship With Scho White

It was a cool September evening when I stepped off the trailer. My partner followed me down the ramp and immediately looked at the surrounding landscape. My partner was a young, gray Warmblood mare called Scho White. Scho White had come to me just one year previously as an untrained and untrusting animal. In that year, I had gained the mare’s trust and formed a relationship. There are many people who would claim that one cannot form a relationship with a horse. These are the people who do not understand how much trust and unity it takes to create a successful team. My teammate may have four legs and an inability to form words, but I can assure you that my relationship with Scho White is as strong as any relationship between two human beings. Scho White and I examined our surroundings. To the left, was the barn that we would call our home for the next four days. To the right, was the pathway that led to three of the arenas on the show grounds. The pathway was a long and narrow dirt trail that weaved in and out of towering oak trees. We walked to the barn and unloaded the loads of supplies for the biggest horse show of the year. Once all the supplies were tucked safely into our

We were standing on a hill that overlooked the three arenas. Two of the arenas were occupied by horses and riders. Scho White and I walked shoulder to shoulder to the unoccupied arena. We entered the arena and began walking the perimeter. A year ago, Scho White would have cowered at the sight of the lofty grandstand. Today, we are preparing for our first Grand Prix (the highest level of show jumping) class the following day.

When I look back on the first year I had with this amazing horse, I realize that the good days would not have been near as good without the bad ones. To reach the final arena, to reach your success, you have to be able to follow the challenging and daunting path and trust that you will someday end up where you are meant to