Rueben and I found each other in 1992; it was the year I learned the meaning of unconditional love. Never have I loved nor been loved so much; never before had I seen myself as pretty until I saw myself reflected in his eyes. Rueben was and is the sun, the moon, and the stars to me; he's my world. From the moment we met, I knew I belonged to him, and I spent every free moment with him. He was my faithful sidekick and followed me about like a big dog, helping me do chores and muck stalls, carrying kindling wood on his back, turning on the water faucet so I could fill tubs, you name it, and Rueben was there. I couldn't imagine life without him. Then, on June 30, 1996, Rueben foundered. I took a leave of absence from work and lived in his stall with him trying to keep him alive and happy and pain free. By early August, it was clear we were losing our battle, and at 2:00 a.m. on August 6, 1996, he nuzzled me, and the message couldn't have been more clear, "We lost the battle. I can't take it anymore." My heart broke. I have never felt such a pain nor such a sense of impending doom, and yet, I knew I owed it to Rueben to give him a way out of the pain that was inevitably going to get worse. The vet arrived at 10:45 that morning, and I stood by Rueben's side and held him as he went on to Heaven ahead of me. It took three lethal doses and over thirty minutes for his heart to stop, and after the third dose, his vet told me that I would have to tell him that it was okay to let go and that I'd be okay; she thought he was waiting for me. It was a lie, but I told Rueben to look for Heaven and run toward it...I told him to wait there for me, that I'd be along shortly, and then with one large sigh, he closed his eyes, and my beloved Rueben the Wonder Horse was gone from this world. Now, not a day goes by that I don't love him and think of him. I will spend the rest of my life honoring him and thanking him for teaching me about love. I help as many animals as I can, and I do so because Rueben loved me. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. Thank you Rueben. I love you first, last, best, and always, and I'll always be your Pet Human.