Honoring Esme: A Legacy of Courage, Grace, and Unforgettable Lessons
It’s with a heavy heart yet profound gratitude that I celebrate the life of Esme, a horse who didn’t just walk through UMA’s gates; she reshaped them.
Esme arrived at United Mustangs of America on March 1, 2021, at age 11. Sheri, her previous owner, entrusted her to me, knowing she was meant for more. What followed was nothing short of a metamorphosis. Once my most challenging project, she blossomed into my most trusted teacher.
The Horse Who Rewrote the Rules
With countless hours of groundwork, patience, and stubborn belief in her potential, I guided Esme from an uncertain soul into UMA’s heart horse. But her greatest leap came through Lily, my student who didn’t just ride her, she lived alongside her. Together, they:
- Competed in Gymkhana events
- Carried flags in the Elks Rodeo 2024
- Explored many trails and beaches on the Central Coast
- Turned every grooming session into a ritual of love
Lily attended to Esme’s unique needs with devotion, gifting her more miles and memories in a short 2 years than many horses see in a lifetime. When Lily moved on, she left behind not just a horse, but a legacy: Esme became the go-to mount for beginners; steady on trails, gentle with new riders, and reliable.
My Living Lesson
Esme was beauty in motion: that champagne dun coat, Quarter Horse strength moving like a tank, yet learning to dance with grace. She showed me what a “compounded life” looks like; packing decades of purpose into four explosive years.
Her sudden colic left my corrals achingly quiet. I watch Chance, her lifelong friend, still waiting at the gate. I see Paris, the trainee who found her first friend in Esme, searching the area.
Her Final Gift to Me
In losing her, Esme seared this truth into my bones:
“Love deeper. Honor the herd before you. Never take a single day for granted.”
She lived so fully that her absence now teaches me how to rise.
How to Honor Her Legacy
To honor her legacy, I’ve created the Esme Memorial Fund to settle her emergency vet costs ($3,800) and vaccinate her grieving herd ($1,000 for 7 horses).
If her story moved you:
- Honor Esme (one-time or monthly)
- Share a memory: Send stories/photos to info@unitedmustangsofamerica.com
And when you visit the corrals: Hug the herd. Do it for her.
(To those with horses at home: Love them strongly today.)
What She Taught Me
Esme taught me that great horses aren’t just handed to us — they’re built through trust. She was difficult until she wasn’t; scared until she led; loved until she became love itself.
Though her body left, I feel her courage:
- In every student I teach brushing a horse
- In every hoofbeat I hear on the trail
- In every dawn I choose to live undimmed
Thank you for standing with me as we care for her final journey.
For Esme, who taught this stubborn teacher to run farther, dig deeper, and love beyond the horizon,
Monica
United Mustangs of America
If Esme ever nuzzled your hand or carried you down a trail, share your memory below. Let’s gather these moments like wildflowers for her legacy.
