Golden hour light wraps everything in warmth, from the grass, to the breeze, to the outline of a dark bay gelding’s nose as he reaches out to the person who knows him best.
That’s Boone. Or, as Shannon calls him, Petunia, Tune, and Tunetune.
You can see it in those expressive eyes, Boone is sensitive, sweet, and always trying his best. He isn’t just well-mannered or willing, he’s kind. And if you ask Shannon, he’s also a teacher.
“I think Boone is a professor,” she says. “He’s taught me so much about how to interact with both horses and people. He’s made me more empathetic, more thoughtful, more present.”
Boone also taught her the value of just spending time together, no goals, no plan to ride; just two hearts enjoying each other’s proximity. Boone has always been more than just a horse, but over time he’s become a therapist, a sounding board, and a safe place, too. And while Shannon has gained skill and confidence through their partnership, she says the greatest gift Boone has given her is the reminder that relationships don’t need an agenda to be meaningful.
In every photo, you can feel the connection, the closeness between them. Boone doesn’t ask for much. Just scratches, snacks, and someone to stand in the grass with him as the light fades. For this evening during golden hour, and for many years of evenings to follow, Shannon is more than happy to oblige.
“I hope he thinks he lives the good life,” she says. “Whatever he needs, he gets. I want to keep him as happy as I can for as long as I can.”
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