WOODBURY – Most days after school, equine science student, senior Gabby Distefano doesn’t head home; she heads to the barn. While everyone else is going to practice or scrolling on their phones, Gabby is with horses, the animals she calls her “four-legged therapists.”

From the outside, it looks like just another girl and her horses. Though, if you watch a little longer, you can tell this isn’t a phase Gabby will outgrow. It’s what motivates her, relaxes her, and keeps her coming back to them, no matter how busy senior year gets.

“Horses have always been a big part of my life, I have found more peace in horses than some people have found in therapy,” Distefano reflected. “Being around horses is a great escape from homework and school.”

That kind of bond didn’t happen overnight. Long before horses became her favorite escape from school stress, Distefano was the kid who lit up whenever she saw a horse — and she’s spent years turning that longtime obsession into a daily routine most people don’t even notice.

“Every morning you will find me in the barn feeding horses and doing morning barn chores,” Distefano said. “It gives me a good start to each day.”

However, loving horses and actually taking care of horses every day are two very different things. Between school, homework, and senior-year responsibilities, most teenagers would struggle to squeeze anything else to their schedule. For Distefano, though, caring for horses isn’t just an extra activity, it’s a commitment that shapes her everyday life.

“I find joy in knowing that each horse gets the quality care that they deserve,” Distefano shared. “Loving horses comes to me easily, but early mornings and late nights can get in the way of studying, so it’s hard to build a life around them as a busy high school student.”

There are nights when Gabby comes home exhausted, muscles aching, and wonders how long she can keep juggling it all. But then the quiet moments hit her, the way that one horse turns toward her voice showing her work is making an impact on these animals and the answer always feels simple.

“Working with rescue horses has taught me that actions mean more than words,” Distefano said. “It’s such a fulfilling feeling knowing that these animals have overcome trauma by putting their trust in me that I would be there to help them.”

The next question is: what’s next? Gabby is going to college in the fall and this raises the question of how the distance will affect her connection with them. Once again, there are two different feelings: on one hand, a sense of more freedom from no longer having that daily responsibility but also not having the early mornings in the barn with the animals she loves.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling because I want to keep horses in my life but the change of going to college will throw off the usual balance,” Distefano explained.

The barn has always been the place where Distefano has felt most like herself, especially as her back slowly healed and she could ease back into riding. But the routine will collide with the reality of what comes next: college.

“After a back injury, I am slowly working on being able to ride again. It has been a difficult period of time not being able to do what makes me happy,” Distefano confessed. “I am just hoping that college doesn’t take up too much of my time. I will do my best to be around horses, even if it gets busy”

Even through tough times, one thing is for certain.

“I love horses,” Distefano said smiling. “I will always have them in every stage of my life.”