Add to the list of the World’s Most Amazing Creatures: paradressage horses.

Though I’ve watched many equine-assisted therapy sessions, personally loved some very special therapy horses, followed Courtney King-Dye's rehabilitation, and wrote a feature for The Horse on therapy horse health, I’d never had the opportunity to see a paradressage world championship. But at the Hippodrome de la Prairie in Caen during the 2014 Alltech World Equestrian Games (WEG), I got to take in the beauty of this sport.

I went into the arena thinking I would find it interesting, even fascinating, and that I would be impressed with the riders’ abilities to communicate with their horses under the stress of competition despite their physical and mental challenges. I also went thinking, Well, I’ll watch for an hour or so, and then I’ll have seen enough and be ready to go.

I was right about being interested, fascinated, and impressed. I was wrong about wanting to leave