Every Spring they arrive from different horse rescues around Colorado, each with different stories about how they ended up at Summit Valley Horse Center to be trained and rehabilitated by volunteers over the summer. They were abandoned, neglected, surrendered by owners, picked up wild by the BLM, or plucked from agricultural auctions instead of being sent to a kill pen. Though with different backgrounds, all fell into a category of rescued horses known as “unlikely to be adopted” unless they could learn to trust people, connect and relate, take commands, and in the ideal case, accept a saddle and rider. This was their last chance.
“Hero” stammered out of the horse trailer in May 2023, frightened, confused, and blinking into the sunlight. He isn’t a full sized horse, nor is he a classic “mini.” Standing 40” high at the shoulders he looks like a foal or baby horse, even though he’s full grown. Technically, he’s a Shetland/Hackney cross, bred to pull carts and be approachable to very small children.
Picked up in Arkansas at a horse hoarder’s property, he had spent his entire 5 years of life in a dark crate on a 4-foot pile of his own manure. He’d not seen much sunlight, nor interacted with many people. His hindquarters were atrophied and misshapen from having to stand at an angle on the manure pile, and he obviously lacked both exercise and adequate food his entire life.
The horse rescue that picked him up from his awful circumstance sent him on to us at Summit Valley Horse Center (SVHC), in a last-ditch effort to see if we might be able to give him a second chance at life. Why not, it’s what we do. And though we never expected it, he in turn gave us the gift of learning four important lessons over the summer.
When he arrived at SVHC, Hero seemed to appreciate the space he was given in his open-air pen, and the food that came at regular intervals. But he was terrified of interacting with people and stood most of the day at the edge of his loafing shed wide-eyed, tense, and alert for danger. As Alex, our caretaker noted, he tended to eat only half of his food and then would drag the rest into the back corner of his shelter as if to save for later. Clearly, he had been starved.
To rebuild Hero, we started slow, knowing food was a key motivator. We filled a bowl of grain and pushed it to the edge of his pen, while a team of volunteers sat nearby, talking in relaxed tones to one another. He eyed the food from afar, calculating the safety of coming towards people to receive it. He stayed in his shed for a long while, then darted forward to eat. And just as quickly ran away.
It was at this point that Hero taught us the first lesson: the fine art of patience. We learned to wait and create space where Hero might feel safe, rather than forcing him into a timetable of performance that we preferred. For many weeks, almost daily, we pulled fresh grass and offered it to Hero by the handful through his fence. Repeatedly, he calculated safety, dashed forward and ate what was offered, each time lingering a little longer before running away. Hero became a beloved project among volunteers at SVHC, delighting us as he gradually learned to trust, feel safe, accept loving touch, and allow himself to be haltered.
After some weeks, we noticed his terrified eyes began to soften into curious eyes. This is where he taught us the second lesson: Go for awe and wonder. It’s restorative. Seeing the curiosity in his eyes, one of our volunteers began to halter Hero, and take him on daily walks around the SVHC ranch, allowing him to explore his new world at his own pace. At first cautious, and then clearly with unbounded curiosity, he explored ranch equipment, gopher holes, far pastures, other horses both large and small, and even our ranch kitchen. It became clear that he looked forward to these walkabouts and was experiencing both physical and emotional benefits from them. He was transforming before our eyes.
Over the summer Hero became a favorite among our volunteers, many of whom began to spontaneously exclaim I just love Hero! Volunteers showed up early for their shifts or stayed late just to spend time with Hero, offering him love and attention. Others admitted to coming to the ranch just to see Hero because they were having a bad day, finding that just being with him made them feel better. Showered with love from so many, Hero continued to transform into a confident, loving little horse. And this is where the third lesson that Hero taught us comes in: Love transforms us.
At season’s end in October everyone at SVHC is full of hope and anticipation that their hard work training the “unadoptable rescues” will have transformed them into animals that people will adopt. It’s a time of much pride and joy as we see our efforts make a difference in these animal’s lives, enabling them to go on to loving “forever homes.” And yet, there was a looming sense of sadness among us all about the possibility of seeing Hero go. Conversations began among volunteers as we mucked stalls and moved horses around the property. We wondered about who might adopt such a tiny horse, and what his future might be. He deserves a good life, after all he’s been through. He epitomizes our mission – a horrible start in life, and then transformed by our care. He should be our Mascot horse. He’s perfect for our children’s programs! But these quiet conversations always ended the same. It would be great to keep Hero with us, but an organization can’t adopt a horse from a rescue. Only an individual can. And there wasn’t really an individual we knew that would adopt him.
And then came lesson four, which we already knew, but can never be reminded of enough: Our generous donors make a HUGE difference. Just such a person stepped forward and began to privately ask us questions. Would you want to keep Hero here, if you could? Does he really represent your mission? It looks like everyone here truly loves him, and his life here is good. Is that true? If I adopted him, would you let him live at the SVHC ranch, being part of children’s programs and Events, continuing the life that he’s started here this summer? Our Board met, discussed it, and answered with a resounding Yes!
And so, this generous donor paid to legally adopt Hero, cover his veterinary bills, and winter boarding costs, allowing him to continue his life with us as a permanent member of our herd at SVHC. Of course, this donor also continues to be active in Hero’s life – the two share a special bond.
Would you like to meet Hero?
Come to Tiger Barn, our winter boarding facility, at 1684 Tiger Road, Breckenridge Colorado on December 23, 2023 between 10am – 2pm for our winter Event. Click here to see events
Or visit us at the ranch this summer, located at 35405 Highway 9, Silverthorne, Colorado.
Help us continue to do what we do by becoming a corporate sponsor or donor, click here to donate.
