My definition of riding includes hope. Hope was given to me by a furry little pony at Spirit of Hope named Zeke. During my first session at the ranch, the director started telling the volunteers and the kids the stories of the horses that were at the ranch. She came to the last horse and told his story. Zeke had been at the ranch for a long time and he developed a severe case of Cushing’s. The disease had gotten to the point where Zeke could barely walk from one end of the small barn to the other. The vet had already recommended that Zeke be put down, but it was decided that they would wait one week to see if he progressed at all. A small miracle happened, Zeke started to recover. As this story was being told I was staring at the jolly little pony in his stall, thinking how strong he must have been to overcome that obstacle in his life. A few months later as I was leaving for school my mother told me that the little pony I had grown to love had relapsed and was not doing well. The entire day at school I worried and hoped for him. The next day, news reached me that Zeke was doing much better and would recover. Now, whenever the story of Zeke is being told, instead of looking at Zeke, I look at all the children listening and watch as the hope shows through their eyes for the furry little pony I will never forget. He taught me that with a little hope, fantastic things can happen in life.
