Bella Hadid is hopeful she can start riding again in a "couple of years".
The 20-year-old model had to give up her dream of an equestrian career when she contracted Lyme disease, which can affect the skin, joints, heart, and nervous system, and though it was a "really emotional" decision to take, she has accepted her situation but is focused on overcoming the condition – which her mother Yolanda and brother Anwar also suffer from – enough to get back on a horse.
She said: "It was really emotional for me. I thought I was going to ride horses for the rest of my life.
"But everything happens for a reason that’s my motto now, and I’m so happy to be where I am.
"Hopefully in a couple of years I can start riding again and buy a big barn upstate and me and my mum can go riding whenever we want."
In order to keep the symptoms of her condition at bay, Bella undertakes "a lot of shots every day, and vitamins, biotics, stuff like that" but admits it "takes its toll", especially when she’s busy with back-to-back modelling shows.
She said: "[During fashion week, I’m] exhausted but at the end of every day, I look back and I’m proud of what I’ve done."
The brunette beauty used to be gripped by anxiety when she saw groups of fans and photographers waiting for her, but has now learned how to cope better with the attention.
She admitted in an interview with the Daily Telegraph newspaper: "I used to get anxiety, freak out and start sweating.
"But now, I can walk outside and be a little calm.
"We get really emotional because we want to be able to meet everyone, but we also have to go to work."
Bella Hadid wants to ride again
