Four Years After Her Father's Tragic Death, Woman Courageously Rides the Horse Involved in the Accident (Exclusive)

Jenna Henley has found solace in an unexpected place — atop the very horse that was involved in her father’s tragic death.

Four years after losing her father, Darrell, Henley made the courageous decision to ride Buddy again, capturing the emotional moment in a now-viral TikTok.

The day that changed everything began with a simple text. “We were 20 minutes away at our house when we got a text message … just maybe three words: ‘dad kick down,’ ” Henley recalls exclusively to PEOPLE. The sudden loss left a deep impact on her family, especially her daughter, who was 15 at the time and considered him “the best paw in the world.”

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Four years after Darrell's death, Henley, a horse trainer, ended up relocating Buddy with a neighbor, though they had some difficulty riding him. Looking to help, Henley went over to the neighbor’s home on another horse of hers one day, accompanied by a girl she was giving horseback riding lessons to.

In the moment, Henley had to make the decision to leave the girl on the horse they came on while she bravely rode atop Buddy. “I got on him and I wasn’t afraid,” she recalls the life-changing moment.

“My neighbors began taking pictures and videos and at the time it didn’t hit me that it was a big deal,” Henley remembers. The transformative ride unleashed a range of emotions. “Once I started to go, I started crying.”

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She remembers her most profound insight came during that ride, “I had so much anger, but it was never directed towards Buddy,” she shares. “I cannot explain that to this day, but at that moment, when I was riding him, I let the anger go.” The realization marked a significant step in her healing process, allowing her to separate the tragic event from the horse involved.

It was then Henley decided to record the moment for herself.

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When Henley posted the TikTok, the response was overwhelming. “I’ve never had anybody show me anywhere near the kindness I received in the comments. People were saying ‘I’m so proud of you,’ without knowing me and I can just feel the kindness,” she shares.

The experience not only helped Henley process her grief but also remember the values Darrell instilled in her growing up. “He taught me pretty much everything I know about horses,” she shares.

Moving forward, Henley plans to honor Darrell’s memory by continuing his love for animals.

“Every time I do something good, especially for an animal … I feel like somehow I honor him every day,” she says.

Read the original article on People