It’s six in the morning and the alarm clock buzzes. The young girl leaps out of bed. This is the only time waking this early is swift and without hesitation. She runs out the door with her boots on and her hat in hand. The barn door slides open with great force. The young girl stands in the doorway and smiles as she watches curious heads pop over the stall doors as if saying “which of us are you taking today?”
     Today she picks Sunny. She beams with happiness as she swiftly grooms him--stopping periodically to give him a pat and a kiss on the nose. The vibrant morning sun begins to beam through the barn windows...it’s almost time. The small young girl heaves the saddle so high above her head, pulls the cinch tight, and hooks the breast collar. She puts on her hat and bridles up. As she slides open the barn door once more, the warm summer sun beams and touches her skin. She thinks, this is the perfect morning for a ride! 
     The young girl puts her foot in the stirrup and swings her leg over with ease--the same way she has done it hundreds of times prior. She and the old white horse set to the fields. She gallops and feels the warm summer wind blow through her hair--she is free. The young girl is reminded of why she trudges through the seemingly never ending school year. It is for these moments like this where all of the stress, sadness, and struggles melt away like snow in the spring. This is why there is no struggle too hard for her...because of the horse.