In December 2008, snowmobilers spot two abandoned horses high in the Canadian Rockies. Starving and frostbitten, the horses have trampled the ten-foot-deep snow into a narrow white prison. Those who reach them bring hay but also a gun, in case the horses are too far gone. A glint of life in the horses' eyes earns them the hay. The harrowing yet inspiring story of their near impossible rescue -- involving the volunteer efforts of an entire village, first the excavation of a trench six feet deep and over 3280 feet long, and then a nearly 20 mile descent at negative 40 degrees -- is sure to be read in one breathless sitting.
Horses are powerful beyond their physical measures. Through their unique bond to people, horses have the ability to heal, teach, and change lives. A person might rescue a horse, but so often it ends up being the other way around. And sometimes the deepest transformations come when we least expect them. Meet Sue Spence, who rescued little Larry, a pony that helped her through the stages of breast cancer. There's Rebel Morrow, whose journey to the Athens Olympics with her rescued horse, Groover, is nothing short of miraculous. And there's Michael Williams, in and out of prison for twelve years and finally seeing some light through the Horses for Hope program. These and a dozen other rescuers celebrate the special bonds they've formed, and share what they have learned from their amazing equine companions. 'What brings me joy are the inspiring, goose-bumping, enlightening rescue stories of exhilarating triumph, quiet meditative wisdom, life-changing moments and powerful self-healing.'
Equine Angelsis a celebration of the journey of horses and foals saved from slaughter. Accompanied by 200 stunning full-color photographs, it tells the surprising and moving stories of how these foals have changed the lives of the human families who adopt them—for the rescuers are often the ones redeemed when opening their hearts to an unwanted foal. The book focuses on the tens of thousands of foals born annually only so that their mothers can provide pharmaceutical companies with the hormones their bodies create during pregnancy. These foals—known as “PMU foals” (PMU being short for “pregnant mare urine,” a key ingredient of the drug Premarin)—are in effect, are unwanted byproducts. Normally they are taken from their mothers and sent to slaughter. There are more than 250 farms in North America—most of them in Canada—housing tens of thousands of mares, in agonizing conditions, for this purpose. Those photos grouped into the chapters “Birth” and “Rescue” are especially dramatic. Given their semi-wild conditions, these horses have a ruggedly beautiful, ungroomed appearance. In later chapters, we see the transformation of once-wild creatures into loving and intelligent companions for their human families. Included are stories of successes great and small: foals growing up to be successful national competitors, therapy horses, and other productive members of horse society. These foals give back more than they take. Heartwarming and beautiful to look at, Equine Angels will inspire and delight. Inside you will find: 200 amazing color photos showing horses with a rare rugged beauty Tells the story of how these foals have changed the lives of the people who adopt them Shows the transformation of once-wild creatures into loving and intelligent companions Addresses an issue that frequently captures headlines Tens of thousands of “PMU” foals are slaughtered in North America each year because they are unwanted byproducts of a process to extract hormones for human hormone-replacement therapy From the introduction: The human participants of Equine Angels Rescue Sanctuary could not sit idly by while these magnificent horses were killed. If it was just a matter of those lives saved, that would be enough, but fortunately, we have come to know the greater potential of these angelic equines. Each of the horses from EARS has touched and uplifted several human lives along the rescue path.
At the height of his show career, a beautiful Appaloosa became injured, and he moved from one owner to the next, ultimately experiencing severe abuse and neglect. A rescue group found Joey nearly dead from starvation--and blind. Then he came to Hope Reins, a ranch dedicated to helping kids who had been abused, emotionally wounded, or unwanted by teaching these children to care for rescued animals.mals.
This marvelous book, borne of a unique collaboration between Dr. Allen Schoen—a world-renowned veterinarian and author—and trainer and competitor of many years Susan Gordon, introduces the 25 Principles of Compassionate Equitation. These Principles, conceived by Dr. Schoen and Gordon, are a set of developmental guidelines, encouraging a level of personal awareness that may be enacted not only through the reader's engagement with horses, but can be extended to all humans and sentient beings he or she encounters. The 25 Principles share stories and outline current, peer-reviewed studies that identify and support methods of training, handling, and caring for horses that constitute a safe, healthy, non-stressful, and pain-free environment. Through their Compassionate Equestrian program, the authors encourage all involved in the horse industry to approach training and handling with compassion and a willingness to alleviate suffering. By developing deeper compassion for their own horses, and subsequently, all equines, equestrians transcend their differences in breed preferences, riding disciplines, and training methodologies. This leads to the ability to empathize and connect more closely with the “global collective” of horses and horse people. In doing so, a worldwide community of compassionate equine practitioners and horse owners will emerge, which will not only benefit the horses: People involved with horses are found in many influential segments of society and have the potential to affect wide circles of friends, acquaintances, and co-workers from every walk of life. These are simple changes any horse person can make that can have a vast impact on the horse industry and society as a whole.
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The triumphant true story of a woman who rode her horse across America in the 1950s, fulfilling her dying wish to see the Pacific Ocean, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Horse and The Eighty-Dollar Champion “The gift Elizabeth Letts has is that she makes you feel you are the one taking this trip. This is a book we can enjoy always but especially need now.”—Elizabeth Berg, author of The Story of Arthur Truluv In 1954, sixty-three-year-old Maine farmer Annie Wilkins embarked on an impossible journey. She had no money and no family, she had just lost her farm, and her doctor had given her only two years to live. But Annie wanted to see the Pacific Ocean before she died. She ignored her doctor’s advice to move into the county charity home. Instead, she bought a cast-off brown gelding named Tarzan, donned men’s dungarees, and headed south in mid-November, hoping to beat the snow. Annie had little idea what to expect beyond her rural crossroads; she didn’t even have a map. But she did have her ex-racehorse, her faithful mutt, and her own unfailing belief that Americans would treat a stranger with kindness. Annie, Tarzan, and her dog, Depeche Toi, rode straight into a world transformed by the rapid construction of modern highways. Between 1954 and 1956, the three travelers pushed through blizzards, forded rivers, climbed mountains, and clung to the narrow shoulder as cars whipped by them at terrifying speeds. Annie rode more than four thousand miles, through America’s big cities and small towns. Along the way, she met ordinary people and celebrities—from Andrew Wyeth (who sketched Tarzan) to Art Linkletter and Groucho Marx. She received many offers—a permanent home at a riding stable in New Jersey, a job at a gas station in rural Kentucky, even a marriage proposal from a Wyoming rancher. In a decade when car ownership nearly tripled, when television’s influence was expanding fast, when homeowners began locking their doors, Annie and her four-footed companions inspired an outpouring of neighborliness in a rapidly changing world.
From miniature donkeys to enormous draft horses, from regal Arabian stallions to sassy Shetland ponies, horses and other equines bring us delight and comfort whenever we encounter them. Even more so, perhaps, when humans and horses are brought together through a rescue. Whether someone has started a rescue ranch on purpose or circumstances align to match up the right horse with the right person, stories of second chances warm our hearts and restore our hope. This emotional and inspiring collection of true stories introduces you to a pony who helps a little girl get over her fear of riding, a donkey who discovers his purpose protecting vulnerable lambs, blind horses who teach their human about courage, and even a pony who somehow figures out how to drive a golf cart. By turns humorous and heartwarming, these delightful tales are the perfect companion for those times you long to slow down, take a load off, and enjoy the ride.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The Eighty-Dollar Champion, the remarkable story of the heroic rescue of priceless horses in the closing days of World War II WINNER OF THE PEN AWARD FOR RESEARCH NONFICTION In the chaotic last days of the war, a small troop of battle-weary American soldiers captures a German spy and makes an astonishing find—his briefcase is empty but for photos of beautiful white horses that have been stolen and kept on a secret farm behind enemy lines. Hitler has stockpiled the world’s finest purebreds in order to breed the perfect military machine—an equine master race. But with the starving Russian army closing in, the animals are in imminent danger of being slaughtered for food. With only hours to spare, one of the U.S. Army’s last great cavalrymen, Colonel Hank Reed, makes a bold decision—with General George Patton’s blessing—to mount a covert rescue operation. Racing against time, Reed’s small but determined force of soldiers, aided by several turncoat Germans, steals across enemy lines in a last-ditch effort to save the horses. Pulling together this multistranded story, Elizabeth Letts introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters: Alois Podhajsky, director of the famed Spanish Riding School of Vienna, a former Olympic medalist who is forced to flee the bomb-ravaged Austrian capital with his entire stable in tow; Gustav Rau, Hitler’s imperious chief of horse breeding, a proponent of eugenics who dreams of genetically engineering the perfect warhorse for Germany; and Tom Stewart, a senator’s son who makes a daring moonlight ride on a white stallion to secure the farm’s surrender. A compelling account for animal lovers and World War II buffs alike, The Perfect Horse tells for the first time the full story of these events. Elizabeth Letts’s exhilarating tale of behind-enemy-lines adventure, courage, and sacrifice brings to life one of the most inspiring chapters in the annals of human valor. Praise for The Perfect Horse “Winningly readable . . . Letts captures both the personalities and the stakes of this daring mission with such a sharp ear for drama that the whole second half of the book reads like a WWII thriller dreamed up by Alan Furst or Len Deighton. . . . The right director could make a Hollywood classic out of this fairy tale.”—The Christian Science Monitor “Letts, a lifelong equestrienne, eloquently brings together the many facets of this unlikely, poignant story underscoring the love and respect of man for horses.”—Kirkus Reviews
Kim Meeder has seen horses go where no one else can tread - stepping through the minefield of a broken child's soul in a dance of trust that only God can understand. From a mistreated horse to an emotionally starved child and back again, a torrent of love washes away their barren places. Kim's ranch is a place where this miracle happens over and over again. It is a place where the impossible flourishes, where dreams survive the inferno of reality - a place where hope rises. Where Wounded Spirits Run Free Follow a horse where no one else can tread, through the minefield of pain that surrounds a broken child’s soul. From a mistreated horse to an emotionally starved child and back again, a torrent of love revives their barren places. In the presence of unconditional love, a mute girl speaks for the first time. A defiant teenager teaches a horse to trust again...and opens his own heart to love. A rescued horse gives a dying man his last wish. A battered girl finds love and protection in the friendship of a battered horse... Come visit a place where the impossible flourishes, where dreams survive the inferno of reality—a place where hope rises.
