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Ezekiel

by Elizabeth from Hawaii

Horses have amazed me since I was a little girl. As soon as I was old enough, I started taking lessons and absolutely fell in love with these amazing creatures. Every horse I’ve ridden holds a special place in my heart, but none more so than Ezekiel, or “Zeke,” for short. He helped me through one of the toughest times of my life, and gave me the will to live.

When I was 14, I was riding a horse named Sox, an old pony that wasn’t too hard to ride. That was also the year I developed an eating disorder called anorexia. I lost so much weight that my body couldn’t function. Nothing was fun for me anymore because I didn’t have the energy to do anything or to enjoy anything. Even horseback riding, one of the biggest passions of my life, wasn't enjoyable.

Near the middle of the year, my mom and doctor told me I’d either have to gain weight or be hospitalized. I decided it was time to get healthy. Over the next seven months, I gained back all the weight I was supposed to and went back to being myself. With one exception…my love for horseback riding didn’t come back. I didn’t tell anyone, but kept riding Sox, hoping my passion would return. At the end of the summer, Sox was sold and my horse trainer found a new horse for me to ride—a younger horse that would be more of a challenge for me. His name was Ezekiel.

The first time I rode Zeke, I knew I was going to end up riding him. We were a great match, and it ended up working out. Because he was only seven years old, Zeke would sometimes get scared and just take off galloping and bucking with me on top of him. The only reason I was able to stay on was because I was physically strong. So many times during the year I rode him, I’d think about starving myself again, but one thought would stop me: Ezekiel. I’d go visit him and remember that he was counting on me to stay healthy, and I didn’t want to let him down.

Zeke not only helped me physically, he helped me emotionally as well. He gave me back my passion for riding that had been lost the year before. Suddenly, I was excited to go to the barn again, excited to see “my buddy.” Ezekiel is, in every sense of the word, my hero. He rescued me from myself and gave me wings so I could soar.

Page created on 8/27/2011 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 8/27/2011 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.