Return to Dignity: An Anthology of Horse Rescue Stories

By Krissi Miller

Krissi has worn many titles with respect to horses. She is horse owner and caregiver, horse and rider trainer, mounted search and rescuer, and mounted police horse trainer, but one of her favorite titles is horse rescuer. She and her best beloved, Wedgfire, have worked to bring many horses out of the darkness of abuse and neglect and into new lives free from indignity and mistreatment. Over the years, Krissi has written down stories of real horse rescues in which she and Fire have taken part. Some of them are included in this anthology to inform and enlighten her readers. The work of many is needed to restore lives of dignity to all the horses in need of second chances. Krissi believes there is a part of horse rescue for everyone. She invites her readers to discover what that part is for them in order to continue this wonderful task of bringing horses out of darkness and into Light.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781984585981

Krissi Miller

Krissi lives with one husband, several dogs which are affectionately referred to as “The Littles” and “The Bigs”, and the beloved occupants of her “Horse Hotel”. Wedgfire Farm is the name of this wonderful Kingdom of Love and horse happiness, and it a legacy of that truly immortal horse himself, the great Wedgfire. Krissi is often known to say that the “other man” in her life has always been a sassy coal black beauty with a heart of “Fire” and a soul as rare and radiant as the star from which he fell and to which he returned after he crossed the Rainbow Bridge. That Wedgfire Star is located at coordinates 1h 40m 15.3s, -24 degrees 50” 46.1” Krissi asks you to be sure to take a moment to say “Hello” to him the next time you find yourself admiring a beautiful starry night. He’s up there looking down and blessing the hearts of all who have ever loved a horse or helped one to find a happy life.

Book preview

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Return to Dignity

An Anthology of Horse

Rescue Stories

Krissi Miller

Copyright © 2020 by Krissi Miller.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 08/16/2023

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

813540

Contents

Dedication

Foreword

Acknowledgments

About the Front Cover Image

Chapter 1 Harriet’s Story: Charm School and Beyond

Introduction

Part One: Harriet’s World

Part Two: Coming to Wedgfire Farm

Part Three: Who Is Harriet?

Part Four: Going the Distance

Part Five: The Missing Piece

Chapter 2 Razee’s Story: The Power of Love

Introduction

Razee’s Story

Chapter 3 ZZ’s Story: Going the Distance

Introduction

ZZ’s Story

Chapter 4 Mahzak’s Story: Escape from Coyote Mountain

Introduction

Mahzak’s Story

Chapter 5 Beauie’s Story: The Right Stuff

Introduction

Beauie’s Story

Chapter 6 Eli’s Story: Against All Odds

Introduction

Eli’s Story

Chapter 7 Pebbie’s Story: Home Is Where the Heart Is

Introduction

Pebbie’s Story

Chapter 8 Two Stallions: And He Will Follow

Introduction

Two Stallions Story

Chapter 9 Krizee’s Story: Staying the Course

Introduction

Krizee’s Story

Chapter 10 Buddy’s Voice: A New Life

Introduction

Buddy’s Story -- As Told in Buddy’s Voice

Part 1 The Starving Time

Part 2 Our Confiscation

Part 3 The Rescue

Part 4 My Reawakening

Part 5 My Return to Health

Part 6 Blooming

Afterward

About the Author

Dedication

To all the wonderful horses and people who are part of horse rescue. Their spirits are alive with vision, hope, and compassion.

Together, they walk bravely out of past nightmares

and into future dreams.

Walk on! Dream on!

Foreword

Dear Reader:

I am delighted that you are joining me on these equine adventures of horse rescue. Throughout human history, horses have played a vital role. They have made history, changed history, romanticized history, and in many other ways influenced our history. During the last few millennia, they have played very many different roles. They have been war horses, plow horses, carriage horses, show horses, pleasure and sport horses. Today, however, more than any other time in human history, horses play the roles of companion and pet. Though it is true this would seem to be a higher evolution of the horse-human relationship, sadly sometimes it is not. Sometimes a pet horse is valued by an owner of today, not as a treasured and beloved pet, but as a coveted possession. Sometimes, when this occurs, the bond of nurturing caregiving is not present.

A domesticated horse must look to its human for all life-sustaining needs. Separated from a world where it once could roam and forage on its own, today’s domesticated horse is completely unable to provide for itself and, therefore, completely dependent on its owner. When the nurturing caregiving breaks down, so does the horse.

There are many reasons and circumstances through which this can happen, but whenever it does happen, the horse needs to be helped by outside forces. That’s where protective humane laws, informed legal proceedings, and enlightened judicial action can enter the life of the animal if it is lucky. That’s when amazing second chances can occur. That’s when the light penetrates the darkness, and that is horse rescue.

*****

I have hesitated for quite a long time to publish this anthology. Many of these stories are as old as twenty years.

I share them now because I believe it would be a disservice to these wonderful animals not to do so.

These brave survivors have something to say.

They have meaning to impart.

Wedgfire, aka Fire, my best beloved Arabian gelding and I are merely their voices.

These stories belong to them.

Acknowledgments

A special note of appreciation to Doc, my patient and supportive husband who cleaned more than his fair share of stalls these past few months as I worked on this project.

Another huge thank you to BFF Jeffer,

who saved my computer more over the past few months

from being thrown out of a second-floor window

and who talked me off the proverbial edge of the roof

on that occasion when Madame Computer ate my photo files.

You guys are the best!

Who will come and rescue me?

Not a bit of food or water

Shelter from the rain not here

Starving, freezing, just existing

Not a soul around to care

Sad beyond what words can tell you

Emptiness and deep despair

Misery in every footfall

Far beyond the heart to bear

Every breath an evil torment

Every moment, pain and fear

Dirty, straggly, sick, and starving

Waiting for someone to care

Who will come and rescue me?

About the Front Cover Image

Police Officer Eli on duty with his partner, Officer Doc.

This photo was taken less than a year after Eli’s trip to the slaughterhouse was diverted to a horse-rescue barn by a farmer

who saw something good remaining in the lame and injured Eli.

Chapter 1

Harriet’s Story: Charm School and Beyond

Introduction

Fire’s Voice

For Harriet, Wedgfire Farm was charm school, and never was there a pony who needed it more. The majority of rescue horses are rescued in such bad shape, physically, that they lack the will or the energy to challenge authority. In fact, most are relieved that some sort of benevolent authority has arrived on the scene. Not Harriet. If Harriet had been a person, she would have been a tough little street kid when she came to the rescue barn. She was not one single bit reformed when, months later, she came to Wedgfire Farm. She had little knowledge of the workings of the outside world and even less interest in them, but she was one smart little half-pint pony!

Harriet only stood about 11Hh high. She was probably a Shetland pony mixed with a miniature horse. The staccato beat of her running feet was cartoonlike, but her determination and bold spirit were as serious as a heart attack.

So here was this little street kid pony with enough potential to be president someday. It was our job to set her on course for a successful life. Krissi and I went up the road to the rescue barn to pony her down. I knew by the bottom of the hill that we would succeed. My Krissi took a little longer to reach my level of confidence in Harriet.

Part One: Harriet’s World

Krissi’s Voice

The first time I ever saw Harriet, she was dragging someone down the aisle of the rescue barn. She was quite good at dragging things. In fact, I’d venture to say it was one of Harriet’s favorite pastimes, second only to running away from things.

Harriet ran away from everyone and everything. She preferred seeing the world from a distance. She was the self-proclaimed queen of her personal space. The fewer people in it, the better. No people in it was best. She’d let folks know that by turning a wary eye toward them and lifting a rear leg in warning.

Giving Harriet a carrot or other horse treat was considered either a brave feat or a foolish one, depending on how quickly the treat-giver could pull attached fingers from between her snatching teeth. Probably, the only good thing to be said about Harriet and treats was she was, generally, not running away, dragging, or threatening to kick anyone at the time unless, of course, she had gotten hold of a finger in her single-minded pursuit of the treat. In that case, the running would be performed to get away from the howling owner of the seized fingers, and the dragging would occur as the human connected to the fingers between her tightly clamped teeth would be forced to accompany the fingers and Harriet on her quick escape.

Harriet’s name wasn’t even Harriet when I met her. I don’t remember what it was, but no matter, neither did Harriet. She appeared to be an independent, self-confident little scrapper who ruled her tiny world with innate intelligence and courage. She had no idea of the great wide world beyond the rescue barn. And she had no need of a name.

Harriet was probably about four years old at the time of our introduction, or so her teeth proclaimed. She was just as cute as a bug! Her snapping brown eyes sparkled with interest and intelligence. The speed of her short, sturdy, fast-moving pony legs during her frequent retreats was comical. They put one in mind of the blurred motion of a Roadrunner cartoon. The sharp staccato of her tiny pony hooves couldn’t help but bring a smile to anyone’s lips even if that someone happened to be her pursuer or her draggee. One just could not help admiring the pluckiness of that delightfully spirited, pint-sized pony. I, like many other folks at the rescue barn, admired her from afar. But no one wanted to take her home.

Horses and ponies come to a rescue barn for a number of reasons, most of which are not happy. It is always a traumatic experience for an animal to be moved to new surroundings, but horse rescue also involves some other strains and stressors. There could have been neglect or abuse in the previous home. An owner could have passed away. Perhaps, the animal was just unsuitable for its past circumstances. The most difficult cases though are confiscations. This means the animal had to be taken from its previous owners by law enforcement officials because its situation was unhealthy, life-threatening, or in some other way, in serious violation of the humane laws of the State. Harriet fell into that category. However, because she was young, full of energy, and so darn cute, it was assumed she would have no trouble finding a new home.

Many folks did come and spend long moments in front of her stall, looking her over carefully. She was so charming standing there in her fresh, clean stall, munching sweet-smelling hay and looking up at her admirers with bright, interested eyes, giving curious inspections of outstretched hands with her soft, velvety nose. She even allowed her head to be petted over the stall partition, which is something most horses do not like strangers to do. But as soon as someone wanted to groom her, walk her, or even spend time in her stall with her, things didn’t go so well. Harriet seemed to want to experience the world on her terms with no compromises. I watched person after person walk away from the strong-willed little pony with regret in their eyes. No one wanted to take on a running, dragging, kicking biter of a pony no matter how cute and angelic looking she was.

I watched this for about eight months. In all that time, she didn’t drag any less, run away any more slowly or less often, take treats any more respectfully, or allow her coat to be groomed any more patiently or with all four feet remaining any more firmly on the ground.

How could she be so dumb? was the question everyone was asking about her.

In all that time, Harriet got no better in her relationship with humans. She seemed to consider them entertainment only, interesting to watch but not good for much else. That’s probably not a lot different from how most humans view ponies. I wondered if maybe Harriet wasn’t dumb at all but smarter than a pony should be. Finally, one day, I’d had enough of watching Harriet’s supposed successes in conquering the humans of her kingdom. I decided to act because on that fateful day I overheard something that galvanized me into action.

Harriet was being removed from her stall so it could be given its daily cleaning. As soon as she cleared the doorway, she immediately went into her usual running dragging routine. A grown man was holding tightly to her lead line, leaning his entire weight heavily into her to try to control her mad dash down the aisle of the barn. The best that could be accomplished was a semi-controlled drag down the aisle with Harriet as dragger and him as draggee.

He was taking her outside to eat some grass while others cleaned her stall. The truth was she was taking him outside and when she got where she wanted to be, she stopped, put her head down, and began happily chewing off big mouthfuls of lovely green grass. This whole scenario was not the least bit unusual for Harriet, so this was not what precipitated my action. What set me on my course of action to bring her home to Wedgfire Farm was a comment I overheard as Harriet dragged her human down the barn aisle.

Most volunteers at the rescue barn would not take on Harriet outside of her stall, at least not alone. She was simply too strong. There was too much chance she could get away from them and become injured. When Harriet dragged her stalwart handler past us that day, a nearby volunteer watching the ordeal said, Oh, look how good he is with her! I knew right then and there if she didn’t get some consistent, effective training soon, she’d never get a good home.

A rescue barn is a wonderful place, but in cases like Harriet’s, there were too many volunteers and too few trainers. She had devoted herself to outsmarting and outlasting the volunteers. That was her entertainment. I finally began to really understand Harriet. I spoke with the rescue barn manager about adopting Harriet and brought her home with me that day. I left a note on the board at the rescue barn. It said, Harriet has gone to Charm School.

Part Two: Coming to Wedgfire Farm

Harriet left the rescue barn that day, but this time she was going to arrive at a new home without the usual stress. This time she was going to a new home that had something Harriet had never had before—a teacher, two teachers in fact.

When I spoke to the rescue barn manager that day, I asked to adopt Harriet. I promised I would give her a good home. I promised to provide things like food and shelter and medical care if she ever needed them. I also promised something more. I promised to train Harriet. I promised to give her an education. I promised to help her understand how to get along with others and how to work together with humans. I knew that Harriet ran away from things because she did not understand them. That is what horses naturally do. I also realized that Harriet had no desire to understand. She liked her world just the way it was. I accepted the challenge of teaching Harriet. But I also knew I had a secret weapon. I had Uncle Fi. He was going to be my secret weapon to use against Harriet’s indifference.

Uncle Fi’s real name is Wedgfire. He is my very wise and wonderful coal-black beauty of a horse. He has been with me for over twenty years. We are so connected in spirit we almost think as one. After speaking to the rescue barn lady, I went home to get Uncle Fi. I told him about Harriet. He listened like he always does. He carried me back up the hill to the rescue barn, and together we brought Harriet to Wedgfire Farm.

All the way back down the hill, Harriet tried to show Uncle Fi how independent she was. She tried pulling then prancing, then she tried to get ahead of him and cut him off. She tried to bump him. She even tried to nip at him. He just ignored her. He is such a smart horse. He knows that the worst thing you can do to someone trying to annoy you is to