Ode to our volunteers

                                                                                     


In today's blog post I would like to honor our volunteers. You guys really do make this barn turn. Without you, we wouldn't be able to do what we do. You clean stalls, you feed, you haul hay. And all the while you show the horses that they are loved. You show them with your touch, with the gentle voice and with your dedication. And the occasionally sneaked treat. You do all this in the heat of summer, in freezing cold temperatures, on weekends and on holidays. You attend meetings to learn how to make things better at the  barn, you help raise the funds that enable us to feed and house the horses and you attend training sessions to make yourselves better horse people. You see the horses come in skinny and scared. As they gain health and strength, you deal with their emerging personalities. As the once dull coat starts to shine again and the eyes regain sparkle, you rejoice in the progress they make. And your only reward is to see them leave. They leave for their new homes and new lives but they leave. The journey is bitter sweet. It takes a lot of emotional strength to take this journey again and again. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you do for the horses. 


picture courtesy of Randy Gracy, a volunteer