Behind every animal is a human who loves them.
Learn about the many different relationships between animals and humans and find out things you never knew.
Tracy and Millie: "My Horse Helped My Confidence Grow and Thrive."
By Imogen Bavinton
For some of us, having a pet can not only provide us with comfort and a special friend, but pets can also help increase confidence and self-esteem.
As I stand at the gate of the field and watch Tracy, aged 45, confidently walk up to her horse Millie, I see their bond is more than that of just horse and owner. Millies head lowers in acknowledgement at the sight of Tracy and nuzzles her affectionately whilst they greet one another. For Tracy, even walking into Millies field used to send her into a panic but now she can confidently stride in whilst other horses whizz past her.
Tracy said: “I’ve always had problems with my anxiety, especially around horses. But I’ve been riding ever since I was a little girl so I just carried on and hoped it didn’t get the better of me.”
Anybody who knows Millie’s personality knows that she is by no means a ‘quiet’ animal. At the best of times she can be stubborn and flighty, especially if she doesn’t know the person who is handling her. Yet when you watch her with Tracy, she’s like an entirely different horse.
Millie chilling out after a bath on a hot summers day.
Tracy and Millie sharing a kiss after a long ride.
However, her relationship with Millie hasn’t always been so smooth. Back in 2007, Tracy had a horrible motor biking accident which left her in a critical condition in hospital. Tracy’s left leg was severely broken from the accident and as a result of this, had to have metal plates inserted into her leg. Her left leg often causes her pain simply by walking now but this hasn’t stopped her still going up and spending as much time as she can with Millie.
Tracy explained: Tracy explained “When I first got Millie she could be so naughty with me. Often she would rear up whilst I was out riding and generally just be a nightmare to control.”
“After my accident though, something really weird happened. It was as if something inside Millie clicked one day. She’s totally different now around me.”
“The risks of me riding are very high, especially if I were to fall off. I don’t want to think about what the consequences would be. It took me a lot of time to eventually get back into the saddle and I have Millie to thank for that.”
“I’ve never known a horse to be so gentle with a human before. She stands patiently whilst I hoist myself up into the saddle and adjust my stirrup lengths. This can often take quite some time as well because its sometimes very painful for me.”
“After I’ve done this we will walk gently around the schooling arena and sometimes has a little trot. It makes me sad that I can’t do as much riding as I once could but I’m slowly getting there.”
Millie has also helped Tracy overcome her fear of hacking out on roads and in wide open spaces and she can now happily ride out without a care in the world.
“Even before my accident I was terrified of riding out. Partly due to Millies reputation but also just the idea of riding where there are cars and huge lorries makes me rather nervous. The first time I rode out after my accident was amazing. Millie was so kind and patient. It’s as if she knew how scared I was. Its an amazing change.”
“It just goes to show you that animals can care about people. I never knew Millie would ever behave this way with me but now she is. She’s helped me with my recovery, confidence and anxiety and for that I have a lot to thank her for.”
Tracy sat proudly on Millie after a long ride in the arena.
Tracy and Millies first ever hack out!
