Lilly, the pinto pony mare with a tan and white coat, is an angel. No questions asked. If you don’t believe in miracles, here’s a story for you.

I started riding at Percival Lane Farm in Sandwich, Massachusetts, in November of 2004 when I was ten, and now I am twelve. I had competed with Lilly in several shows and was looking forward to attending the Pinto World Show in Oklahoma in June 2005.

Two days before I was scheduled to leave for the show, Lilly reared up and fell on top of me. This horse is bombproof, so it was a complete fluke. My trainer, Jess, said that my accident was the worst she had ever experienced.

But I love Lilly even more now because when she fell on me, it saved my life.

After the accident I was taken to the hospital emergency room and given a bunch of tests, including a CAT scan. The tests showed that I had no broken bones but some internal bleeding. This, however, was the good news. The bad news was that the doctors had spotted something bad on the CAT scan. An aneurysm was stuck on the middle of my aorta, where my legs split. None of my doctors had ever seen an aneurysm in this location.The doctors believe that I was born with this condition. It was not caused by the fall.

The doctors at Children’s Hospital in Boston were outstanding. They did surgery to remove the aneurysm. The surgery lasted almost seven hours. The doctors said that it if hadn’t been taken out, I would have eventually died.

The week I was recovering in the hospital from the accident, Jess was on her way to the Pinto World Show. She called me during every stop to see how I was and to tell me how Lilly was doing. At the show Lilly won Top 5 in showmanship and Top 10 in in-hand trail. I was psyched!

After my surgery all I wanted to do was to see Lilly again. She was all I could think about. When I recovered I went straight to the barn. I couldn’t help myself. As soon as I got there I saw that Lilly’s mane was braided and fancy from being in the show.

I ran into her paddock and gave Lilly a hug, a kiss, and treats as I cried into her neck. I had missed her and needed to see that angelic pony once more. Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought more and more about the accident. I wasn’t mad at her. I was greatly appreciative of the experience she gave me.

Lilly is not just some pony, she’s the pony who saved my life. Lilly has been and always will be the pony of my dreams and my angelic friend.

From the book Angel Horses: Divine Messengers of Hope, Copyright ©2006 by Allen and Linda Anderson. Reprinted with permission from New World Library, www.newworldlibrary.com or 1-800-972-6657, ext. 52.