In Good Spirits...

It was a quiet day on the farm. I had cleaned out all the upper paddocks, marveling at how peaceful the horses were, except JayJay, who had been a bit agitated, calling out and acting unsettled. I had just finished dumping a wheelbarrow in the bin, when I turned to discover something beautiful. Our JayJay, had found a loving spirit, in Spirit.

Spirit and JayJay

At first I couldn't believe how calm JayJay had become. She stood still while Spirit gently nibbled on her neck. I crept up with my camera, expecting one or the other to move away, but they simply watched me, enjoying each other's company.

What we have all discovered over the short time our new boy has been with Serenity, is that the tall, handsome gentleman, is just that, gentle. A gentle soul, who exchanges nibbles and caresses with Chance (the two are so tall they can interact over the tops of their stalls in the barn). A gentle soul who loves attention from the people around him. A gentle soul who calms even JayJay, our beautiful Arab girl.

Every day, Spirit gets a little stronger. His confidence grows and he's slowly putting on weight. As he becomes healthy, his personality continues to emerge, his intelligence, gentleness, and good humor are all coming to the forefront. He is, without a doubt, a very special horse.

The Ghost Horse

His story is not unique. Thousands of horses die every year from neglect and abuse. And yet, his story is unique to him … and to me.

This was the first welfare check I ever experienced with Serenity. Patricia and I arrived at a small house on a busy street and knocked on the door. Yes, they had a horse living in the backyard. Yes, we could see him. This is what we found…

So thin, you can count his ribs, see through his back legs, and his cheekbones stand out like two dinner plates covered in pale white skin. His quiet dying took my breath away. Then, the next day, we got to bring him home. Back to Serenity. He's now in quarantine, and not out of the woods. He has to regain hundreds of pounds of lost weight. His kidneys could fail. He could give up. But he has a chance. We gave him that chance, all of us, who donate our time to these amazing animals. Come on out and meet the newest member of the family. With our help, he can make it back to the animal he is meant to be, and not remain the ghost of an animal he has become.