Inspired by this year’s yearbook theme, the Blue & White staff is celebrating students who “found the silver lining” in challenging situations. The phrase reflects the idea that even dark clouds have a bright edge, symbolizing hope and growth in adversity. Join us each week as we showcase a student or staff member who has shown remarkable optimism and resilience.
Anna Squire grew up dreaming about horses, hoping one day to live out her dream of riding them. That dream came sooner than she expected for Squire started her horseback riding journey when she was five years old. By her freshman year, Squire started showing horses and qualified for Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) Nationals.
”It’s a sport that I knew immediately that’s what I wanted to continue doing,” Squire said.
After an accident at a horseback riding summer camp one year ago, though, Squire suffered an agonizing injury and is struggling to overcome her fear of horses.
Her accident occurred in the horse barn, when Squire had the duty to get a horse from the pasture. The horse’s head that she was supposed to get was down eating. Another horse came up behind the eating horse and bit it causing the horse to lift its head up, crashing together with Squire’s head. Squire fell to the ground and it wasn’t clear to her then that she was majorly hurt.
After the hit, visits to multiple doctors showed she had a broken nose, a fractured jaw, a mild concussion, a scratch inside her mouth, she was coughing up blood, and the nerves in her front four teeth were classified as dead.
Despite her injuries, Squire was able to resume riding only two and a half weeks later.
Unfortunately, she was afraid of horses for the first time in her life.
“I was a little scared just being around the horses,” Squire said.
Squire did not let her fears get in the way of her childhood dreams. She continued riding and her fear was slowly going away.
“Even with falling, I’ve always gone back,” Squire said.
Her love of horses remains strong. And Squire hopes to continue her passion in the future.
“They’re my prime source of happiness and the reason I keep going,” Squire said.
