It takes time. Baby Steps. Be Patient.

As the president of a fledgling animal rescue, these are the phrases that I keep saying to myself over and over again. I know that one misstep can not only bring the rescue to it’s knees, but will also cost draft horses their lives. I have named the process “Controlled Growth”; a methodical course of action to grow the rescue so as not to deplete our resources. It is the logical and the responsible thing to do.

However, I am an animal lover and have been for as long as I can remember. There has always been room for one more homeless soul, and cost has never been a consideration when one of my furry friends is in need. Logic and consequence are cast aside and replaced with the overwhelming desire to do whatever it takes to protect the life that I have been charged with. Some would call it blind zealousness, I call it being true to the person that I am. Have I made sacrifices? Hell, yes! Would I do it all over again? In a heartbeat.

I have a vision for this draft horse rescue, and so my desire to save every desperate drafty that I see at the auction must be held in check. As painful as it is, and however much it goes against the core of who I am as I person, I am not willing to put the future of the rescue at risk. I know that someday we will have the capacity to take on many more horses with the addition of a second barn and dedicated quarantine area that will be solely for intake. We will become a regional resource for other animal welfare organizations to turn to. We will consistently have clinics and educational opportunities so that the public can learn about draft horses and why they are called gentle giants.

But until that day comes, everyday is a struggle between who I am as a person and where I want the rescue to be.