My Two-Year-Old Daughter Loved Spending Hours with the Neighbor’s Horse — Then We Learned Something That Changed Everything

Our neighbor, Mr. Caldwell, happened to be in the pasture that morning, brushing Jasper’s mane. He waved us over. “Want to meet him?” he asked kindly.

I hesitated. Lila was so small, and Jasper was, well, enormous compared to her. But something about the gentle patience in his eyes reassured me. So, with my hand firmly holding hers, we walked closer.

Jasper lowered his great head, almost as though he understood how tiny and fragile she was. Lila reached out her chubby fingers and touched his muzzle. Then she pressed her cheek against his nose and giggled. That was it, the beginning of something I couldn’t quite define.Continue reading…