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With the Eyes of Love
Heart, Hoof & Soul
By Vicki Beach Knocke
As we worked to restore her health, Twisty and Jamie formed the bond that only happens between little girls and horses. Eventually, Twisty became a strapping blood bay with plenty of bounce and a special vocabulary of whinnies and whickers that only she and Jamie shared. My child was only truly happy when she was cantering that horse with the bad lungs and the scars and the ugly legs. Jamie did not see Twisty's flaws. Looking through the eyes of love, she thought her mare was the most beautiful horse in the world.
One April afternoon, after a long day of riding, Jamie told me that her back hurt and she asked me to rub it. She was at that stage where girls are often shy about their bodies, and I hadn't seen her undressed in some months. When I raised her shirt to massage her back, I almost fainted. Her right shoulder blade stuck out and I could see that her spine had begun to twist horribly.
The very next day X-rays confirmed that Jamie had developed a severe form of scoliosis, or curvature of the spine. We were referred to a specialist, who told us Jamie's condition was much too severe to be corrected with a brace and would require spinal-fusion surgery. The floor nearly collapsed under me. My brave child only had one question: "Can I ride my horse?"
It would be a few months before the surgery. The doctor said a fall could be extremely serious, but that as long as I was comfortable, he would not forbid riding. I knew I couldn't deny my daughter her greatest pleasure. I just had to trust Twisty to carry Jamie safely. The irony of my crippled child riding a crippled horse was not lost on me. There were days when their combined limitations were heartbreaking, but Jamie never complained.
