A Note to My Beloved Family Horse: Sym Sym Serene

Nominated by: Jennifer Calabro

Dear Symie, 

We have been together for 16 years and think it is time to reflect on the time we have had together. First of all, thank you for humoring me through my teenage years. I laughed and cried and you were always there to wrap your head around me and feel my joy or wipe my tears.  Thank you for packing me around, (along with other teenage friends and horses) on numerous 8 mile rides down to Taco Bell for lunch. Thank you for making me feel special because my horse could drink a can of Mountain Dew in no time and finish off with tortilla chips. Oh my.  Thank you for being the excellent bareback tag horse!  I think you enjoyed tag as much as I. Thank you for being a wonderful, willing, strong trail horse and winning almost every trail horse competition I could enter you in. Thank you for tolerating me on those long camp-out nights, where I would lay on you till it was absolutely time to go to bed.  I love you!

I know it was awful losing your eye when you were 8 years old but we became so much closer because of it. With every tragedy there is a silver lining. That night in the UC Davis horse emergency room, I heard your sweet, sweet knickers when I returned from calling my mother. Thank you. That meant more than you will ever know.  I can still feel the warmth in my heart.  I am so proud of the way you adjusted from you injury. You had fearless strength.  You acted like it didn't even happen. Around the barn you were called "Sym the wonder horse". See how amazing you are? That same summer we had a great time on that 10 day ride up in the back country of Yosemite where you did not miss a step- thank god! Thank you for making an awesome "Bronco" (The Northgate High School's mascot) at the Homecoming football game my senior year. That was fun to hear the crowd go wild as we galloped by the stands, covered head to toe in school colors, sparkles and streamers!

My dear friend you were even by my side and saw me through 6 1/2 years of college- I know it took me a while! Pasadena was incredible.  What a memory we shared walking in the Rose Bowl Parade that first college winter break and then rode around the 165 miles of the Tahoe Rim Trail that summer. Again, thank you for all the careful steps! Thank you for teaching my love, Jeremy how to ride. You made our 1^st date go really smoothly! And sorry about all those midnight rides but thank you for always taking care of me!   You have to admit they were a lot of fun! 

It is heart warming to see you bringing the same experiences I had growing-up to another little girl, Kasey. You have given her so much confidence no to mention bringing her riding skills to all new levels.  She loves you as much as I do.  I know if she could curl up in your stall at night and sleep, she would. I bet you would just lay down next to her and keep her warm.  That's who you are. You and Kasey have done so well and you are now making your debut as a true show horse! I love watching the two of you together.  Best of luck for 2010 show season. I will be there watching my beloved family horse...Sym Sym Serene. 

Again...I love you "Symer, Nimmer, Nimmers". - Cookies are always in our back pocket.

Jenn