There are days when I can’t wait to get in the saddle – Griffy will barely get a hello cookie before I’m running around doing his feet and trying to brush off the dirt so we can get on with our ride. Then there are days when I feel like I could spend hours just brushing his coat and making sure every hair is in place before I even think of putting a saddle pad on him.

Monday was one of the latter days; I spent a solid 45 minutes just on his mane. In the summer we keep it braided because it’s thick and beautiful and so heavy and hot his neck starts to sweat just standing around. Unfortunately the braids only last for a few days, so they need to be constantly redone. I discovered that if I undo them, then spray them with de-tangling spray, then brush & rebraid, the hair does not get pulled out and and it’s easy to keep it nice. He is very good about having it done – I just throw up a hay net and he munches away while I do everything, with occasional nudges to see if maybe I want to give him a cookie (I do!) I think most horses like to be groomed, as its a big part of their social behavior, but Griffy really enjoys the attention (and the cookies.)

Griffy’s owner is a co-worker of mine; I had been to her house with a group once to meet her horses and we’d talked a bit about riding, so when my friend and I were talking about getting our own horses, I reached out to her to ask how exactly one goes about finding a horse to buy (pro tip, dreamhorse.com is fun to browse!) After we e-mailed back and forth for a bit, she said she had a proposition for me – one of her horses had been injured earlier in the year and could not be ridden while he recovered. She was focused on her competition horse, her husband had his jousting horse, her friend primarily rode their other Haflinger Paddington Bear, and this poor little Gryphon was just lonely and looking for someone to love on him. “Would you be interested,” she asked, “In coming over to brush him and maybe take him for a walk on the trails?”

Needless to say I was at her house the minute I could break away from work that day, and I was introduced to this absolutely adorable little horse. At the time, my dream horse was a 17hh Fresian – everything I pictured myself doing on horseback was on this fancy black giant with a flowing mane and tail rippling in the breeze. I wanted something huge and dramatic.

I thought Griffy was adorable, but at 15.1 hh and basically palomino color (yes I know Haflingers are not palominos but it’s just the easiest way to describe his coloring) I definitely did not think he was the horse I wanted. But he was sweet and it turns out that just taking him on walks was an absolute blast – I’ve never walked a horse before, the way you’d walk a dog, but it turns out it’s super fun. Plus, it was great exercise for both of us, so I started spending a ton of my free time going to the barn, brushing him, then walking him for 45-60 minutes, and spoiling him with treats.

We began to bond as we spent more & more time together – he has such an awesome personality, it was impossible not to love him. But the main turning point came when Jester passed away. Jester passed on Monday, November 9th, and I was back at the barn that Wednesday. All I felt was overwhelming sadness and grief crushing me, but I thought seeing Griffy and getting out for a walk would be good for me. Horses are sensitive creatures, and Griffy knew me pretty well at that point – and while he might not have understood why, he definitely understood that I was hurting. I remember that walk – every few minutes, he would stop and gently turn and nuzzle me, as if he was checking in to make sure I was ok and remind me that he was there. I still tear up thinking about it, and how comforting he was, and how much it meant that he was worried about me.

I knew deep down in my heart that day he was going to be my horse.

“I don’t think he’ll be a good archery horse,” co-worker warned me. He had initially been a jousting horse, and while he’d given it his all, it was clear he did not like violence. “He also probably shouldn’t ever jump.” due to his previous injury.

I don’t know if it was just my love for him blinding me, but I knew he’d do archery for me. I also was becoming increasingly interested in dressage, and Griffy already had a dressage background. As for jumping, well….I did that as a kid and it was something I was interested in, but I wanted to ride Griffy more than I wanted to jump. Turns out I was right about archery – the first time I fired an arrow off his back, he didn’t even blink.

“You might not like riding him,” she warned me. I knew I would. She told me I’d have to lose a bit more weight to be able to ride him (which, for the record, was said in a kind, non-judgemental way and I was totally fine with hearing that. The horse’s health is more important than my ego. Plus, I already lost 100 lbs, which I am extremely proud of – but I’m aware I have further to go.). Turns out I didn’t, really – he can carry a lot of weight. I am very conscious of not riding him for too long, or too hard, and he’s never had an issue with carrying me. Actually as a jousting horse he had to carry over 250lbs of rider + armor + tack so he’s pretty strong!

Now when I picture myself riding in the future, it’s on Griffy, his mane dancing in the wind as we gallop down an archery lane, or perfectly braided in the dressage ring. As far as I’m concerned he could not be more perfect.