Friendship. It’s as important as the air we breathe. Not just for humans but for every living thing. This connection with another entity is important to our very well-being and our happiness. Horses are no exception. A solitary horse is an unhappy horse. We at Rainhill try to pair our horses up with others that have similar personalities, traits and energy levels. When we receive a new horse into our sanctuary, they are immediately placed in a stall so we can get to know them. Are they aggressive? Do they have food insecurities? Hard to catch? Difficult to handle? Many of our residents arrive with deep, troubling histories. Some of these we are never able to correct, but still they deserve a calm and loving atmosphere. So, we go slowly, trying to unravel the complexities of their journey through life as a horse with (sometimes) many owners.
We do have a few horses that have been damaged so badly they want no human contact at all. That’s fine. Rainhill has 202 acres, with several very large paddocks that are away from the activity at the barn. The few horses that just have no use for humans do very well in these fields. Of course, they always have other calm horses with them and that really helps them relax and remember how to just be a horse again. I never try to make a horse act better, I just want them to be happy, whatever that may look like to them.
For the lucky horses that arrive scared but with good memories of people, our work is easy and uncomplicated. You can almost see the light bulb go on in their head when they think, “Yes, I remember this.” They almost smile when treated with gentle care and two meals a day. Then we know they are ready for a friend and a start to a new and happy life.
Duke and Fancy are great examples of devoted friendship. They met at Rainhill. Duke came from Connecticut and Fancy from Louisiana. They are totally inseparable. It’s wonderful to see these horses living without sight but with love, peace and friendship.
I hope everyone has a New Year filled with love, peace and friendship, just like Duke and Fancy.
Thank you for reading our little stories. If our work has touched your heart and you’d like to help, remember we are a 501c3 non-profit. No one here receives a salary of any kind and all money raised goes to feed and care for our precious horses.
-by Karen Thurman
Rainhill Equine Facility
11125 Ky Hwy 185
Bowling Green, KY 42101
270-777-3164
