Created To Love Horses

A Life Not By Chance

Rebekah Holt

In the beginning, when God created all things in just

six days, He thought about you and me.  He made the

universe, the earth, and all living things—the animals and

the first man, Adam, and woman, Eve—so one day we could

enjoy life. 

The Creator has made each of us for a special purpose.

Before you or I were born, He already knew what He had

planned for our lives. 

Let’s look through my scrapbook.  It records The

Creator’s unfolding blue print—a Master Plan—for my life. 

When I was just a small baby in my mother’s womb, my

parents didn’t know what I would grow up to be.  My

grandparents wondered whether I’d be another boy.  My older

brothers hoped I’d like trucks, frogs, and Lego blocks. 

Only The Creator knew what I was made for.  He created me

to love horses.

My love for horses started early.  I was only a

toddler with a sunbonnet and lacey dress when I stole away

to sit on my family’s backyard pony.  My mother was

frantic, but “Sugar Plum” lay fast asleep, stretched in the

warm Spring sunshine.  I waved a dimpled hand to the

slumbering pony while Mom carried me to safety.        

As I grew, my parents taught me that The Creator

wanted me to know Him.  They read the Bible to me.  I

learned about God’s perfect creation at the very beginning

of time.  Then we read about Adam and Eve’s sin in the

Garden of Eden.  Their sin caused bad things in the world

to begin happening.  People, animals, and all creation

started to grow old and die. Aches and pains were caused by

Then Mom and Dad told me about Jesus Christ. “God does

not want us to stay sinful.  He does not like us to suffer

or experience pain.  That’s why He sent His only Son, Jesus

Christ.  Jesus suffered for all man’s sin on the cross and

rose from the dead that every sin—yours and mine—could be

forgiven.  When we ask forgiveness for our sins and ask

Jesus to be our Savior, God promises in the Bible that we

will one day live with Him in Heaven, far away from death,

pain and suffering.” 

I wanted to know Jesus Christ and live with Him in

Heaven.   My parents prayed with me as I asked Jesus to be

my Savior and forgive my sins.  I was just six years old

when I became a Christian.   

When I turned ten years old, I longed to have my own

horse.  Daydreaming, I would doodle pictures of “my horse”

and write stories too.  I liked to read about Jesus riding

on a donkey and look at my Bible’s pictures of Jesus’ horse

in the Book of Revelation—proud, white, rearing.  I thought

I’d like to ride a horse like that! 

As the desire to own a horse grew stronger, my parents

encouraged me to pray.  “Bekah, God knows what He has

planned for your life.  If He wills for you to own a horse,

He will open the doors for you.  Let’s ask Him to guide and

keep us within His Master Plan for your life.”

As we waited and prayed together, my parents provided

opportunities for me to earn money for “Bekah’s Horse

Fund.” 

The horse fund grew as I learned to work diligently

and be responsible.  My tenth year felt like it would never

end.  Sometimes it seemed that I’d never get a horse of my

own.  But The Creator had a plan for my life.   Right

before my eleventh birthday, He blessed the desire of my

heart.  

 
Rebekah  & Acey - The Happiest Girl in the World!

I’ll never forget seeing my filly for the first time. 

Her eyes were big and brown just like chocolate cookies. 

On her forehead was a crooked white star.  Her rich, sorrel

coat was splashed with mud from the wet pen she was kept

in.  I had never seen such a beautiful horse—Acey was mine. 

When I turned twelve, I learned that The Creator

equips us for every task that He has for us to do.   I sure

didn’t like my healthy size or big feet.  But my Creator

knew I needed a sturdy frame to train Acey, who was now two

years old. 

Setting to the task of teaching Acey to ride, I read

books about training horses and my dad, who had good horse

sense, gave me advice.  He held Acey when I straddled her

for the first time. 

Acey was the perfect first “student” for a young

trainer.  She never bucked me off, but I still lost my

balance.  Once I went right over Acey’s head after I said

“Whoa”, and she really stopped!  She just waited for me to

get back in the saddle.  I wondered, was I the trainer or

maybe Acey was training me?

Scout and Brisk 

As I grew older, the Lord continued to guide my life. 

He gave me enough horses to fill barns.   There was Brisk,

the chestnut colt I bought when fourteen.  When I sat on

Brisk the first time, it felt like riding a toothpick!  He

was so tall and slender.  Scout, a golden palomino with a

flowing white mane, was the first horse to buck me off when

I was seventeen.   It didn’t hurt as much as I expected! 

Then there was Bucky.  

He was a toy-like buckskin Shetland pony.  

Together we won a cart driving championship our very first

show.  Hosanna and Benevolence, adorable Shetland fillies,

were born on my 20^th birthday just the color I wanted them

to be.  That was a happy birthday!   

 
Hosanna, Bonita and Champ (born the day after my B.D.)

Now I’m all grown up and I still love horses.  Many

horses have trotted by with my childhood, but the horse I

prayed for as a little girl is still my favorite! 

Acey and I are now horse riding instructors.  An army

of young equestrians arrives weekly to ride Acey and call

me, “Miss Rebekah.”  I guide their horsemanship skills as

Acey teaches them to trust and ride with confidence.  

    These children were created, just like me, to love

horses.  Many want their own horses just like I did at

their age.  Yet not all understand that 

The Creator made them and that He has a unique 

plan for each of their lives. 

Across the backs of horses, I sometimes share the news

of Jesus, the Savior, to freckled or chubby faces that

don’t know about Him.   Their eyes grow large with awe of

our Lord who made the horse so magnificent.  We enjoy

talking about The Creator’s amazing design of the horse’s

body.  Together we discover that according to Genesis 1:28,

we were made to enjoy and care for our horses.

Looking through my scrapbook, I see that God has used

my tender, childhood years to prepare me for what I was

made to do.  My life’s blue print is still unfolding, but

  so far I’ve lived an abundant and fruitful life.        

The Bible says that The Creator knows what plans He

has for each of us.   He even knew us before we were born.

Our God has made us all with a unique purpose and a one-of-

a-kind future―a life not by chance.         

I know without a doubt, God created me to love horses…

when a foal nuzzles my face with a velvety nose…Acey and I

fly like the wind across the prairie…and I see the rich

smiles of children astride a horse’s back. 

In the beginning, it was all part of His Master Plan.

I wonder what our Creator has made you for.  Were you

created to love horses?  
 

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you…” Jeremiah 1:5
                   

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord,

‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give

you hope and a future.’” Jeremiah 29:11 

Rebekah & Acey 2008

In memory of a good horse - "Acey" 

A creature that the Lord used to bring joy into many youngster's lives.