Paris

This is my new horse, Paris.  She is a 5 year-old Morgan, and has utterly stolen my heart.  Looking at her today, you'd never guess that she spent 2 weeks in Equine ICU following her rescue from dire circumstances.

This is how she looked when she was found with 18 other horses who were without food or water.

Here are links to a couple stories about the rescue.

19 Abandoned Horses Rescued
http://www.kionrightnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=12920685

Red Cross Hero:  Woman Rescues Horse Near Death
http://www.kionrightnow.com/story/14621156/red-cross-hero-woman-rescues-horse-near-death?

Paris was so weak when she was found that she could hardly walk onto the trailer.  At the shelter, she collapsed.  Larry Carr, Barn Supervisor at the SPCA told me that when a horse goes down like that, they don't often get back up.  Her chance of survival was slim.

When I met Paris at the trainer's, about 17 months after her rescue, I worried that she'd be too much horse for me.  She is young and still fairly green; at the time she could hardly stand still to be tacked up.  But the moment I got on her, I fell in love.  I love the way she moves, I love the way she responds to the lightest cue.  She wants to do the right thing, even if she isn't completely sure what it is you are asking of her. Everyone who meets her comments on how sociable and curious she is.

We hadn't planned on adopting two horses.  But one day my husband said, "If you want to bring two horses home, you should."  And everything fell into place.  Paris and Nutmeg had become solid friends while they were at the trainer's, so keeping them together allowed them to emotionally support each through their transition to their new home.  They give each other confidence when we go out on the trail.

Another surprise has been what a natural leader Paris is.  She always wants to go first on the trail (or at least, ahead of Nutmeg).  If we encounter something dodgy (which for a horse can be pretty much anything), she is more easily convinced to approach it, explore it,  and let go of her fear.  Nutmeg takes her cues from Paris;  it's all good.  Hooray for the brave young horse!

I would again like to thank Larry Carr, Stephanie Nicora, Stacy Sanders, and everyone at the SPCA who helped bring Paris back from the brink of death.  And I think I could never say enough about the horse trainer, Kristi Fredrickson, who starts these green horses from the SPCA with so much patience, intuition, intelligence, dedication, and plain old hard work, giving them the best possible foundation for their future relationships with humans.  

You are, each of you, profoundly inspiring, largely unsung heroes, and you have our eternal gratitude and admiration.