The Day I Became an Angel

I've always loved horses. There are pictures of me on horses before I was able to walk. I've diligently collected everything horses, from registration papers to saddles to statues to toys and even paintings for as long as I can remember. I started with barrel racing and of course had a Quarter Horse. After years of failing I gave up and moved to riding Missouri Fox Trotters. My first Fox Trotter was a huge 15+ white gelding with a yellow mane and tail. He literally looked like something you'd see in a book about a princess waiting for her knight in shining armor. He saved my life twice, once when I got lost in a lightning storm, and again when an angry bull tried to kill me. Needless to say he made an impression on me that would never be forgotten. I started showing another Fox Trotter who was a short bay mare. I loved it. After a while we had to sell the show horses and my childhood dreams of winning the World Grand Championship were washed away. I found another cheap Quarter Horse and went back to barrel racing. After a while the novelty of it wore off and I remembered why I left Quarter Horses in the first place. So the hunt was on for another Fox Trotter to ride. At this point I had trained my barrel horse enough that I could sell him and get money for a fair show horse. So I listed him and started checking out what was on the market. I came to a Fox Trotter group on Facebook that rescues horses from the kill pen and decided to join. I never expected to find anything for myself. As days passed I found trail horses, foals, and horses listed for such a price I'd have to spend two years earning the money. Then one day I scrolled onto a horse posted in the rescue group. The first words I saw were "registered Missouri Fox Trotter mare." For those that don't know much about kill pens, it's where unwanted horses get sent to die. When you sell to kill buyer you're lucky to get an eighth of what your horse is worth so the main horses I expected to see neglected, injured, sick, or highly aggressive. Seeing that a Fox Trotter was there was a shock and it being a registered mare even more so. As I watched the videos and looked at the pictures I could tell she was none of what I thought. She was beautiful with a flowing gait and such a sweet personality... the last thing I came to was her papers and I nearly choked. Her bloodlines were some of the best I had ever seen and her father was one of my favorite horses. Immediately I called my grandpa (who used to breed Fox Trotters) and told him about the mare. He was hesitant because like me he never expected anything even able to survive to be there. We eventually decided she was too good to leave, even if she did have issues. After a couple days we were ready to leave and get her. We drove four hours to get her. When we went to catch her I saw fear in her eyes. The truck to ship her and others to their deaths was two days from arriving. I still wonder if she thought we were that truck. On the way home we stopped to get gas and I went to the trailer to check on her. She had calmed down and looked at me with thankful eyes. That look of exhaustion and peace still feels like it just happened. She knew she was sent to die. On the first day home I gave her some fresh hay and water. That's when I learned that she likes to play with buckets. After finishing the first bit of water she grabbed the side of the bucket and slung it onto the ground. The look she gave seemed like she was laughing. The second time I filled the bucket she splashed the water with her nose then again threw it and the remaining contents on the ground. That time I laughed! Most horses would've jumped the trailer if they saw that spectacle, but she did it for fun. After a few hours of resting she went to the vet to be checked out. Nothing was wrong with her. That's where it gets confusing. She is in perfect health, she's gentle and broke to ride, she has amazing papers, and is show horse material. Absolutely nothing to land her in a kill pen. I still can't figure it out. Of course, that doesn't matter now. Now, she's safe, standing in the barn watching the rain fall outside. She will never face that fate again.

However, there's still horses out there. They still need help and the people willing and able to help are running out of funds and space to do it. If you are able, or know someone who is, then please look up kill pens in your area. Save a horse's life because they will be the best friends you've ever had.