Testimonial– Julie
I am a Denver school teacher and have worked with kids for twenty-five years. I come from a very long line of veterans and I am the proud mother of an Army sergeant. I had a really rough childhood and young adulthood; and experienced numerous forms of abuse and neglect. My great-uncle, Jewel, gave me my first horse when I was five and I have loved horses ever since. Trigger was a Shetland pony and we spent a lot of time riding back and forth between the mounting block and his stall because he was the boss. Shetland ponies are notoriously stubborn, but I was absolutely obsessed and read, watched, drew, and dreamed about horses all of the time. My horses are my touchstone. I'm never at peace as much as I am when I am with them and they have helped me overcome so much of the trauma I've experienced in my life. All they want is to trust you and know that you will take care of them. Sadly, you can force a horse to do anything, BUT if you bond with them, they will love you like no other and willing go to the ends of the earth with you.
My thoroughbred gelding, King, is a six year old two-time grandson of the famous Secretariat through both his sire and dam. Although he was bred for the racetrack, at some point the owner/breeder decided he was not going to make any money for them and sent him to a kill pen. Fortunately, he was rescued from death, but his difficult journey was not over. He was adopted by three owners and traveled halfway across the U.S. before coming to me. I purchased King in June of 2022 with the goal of training him for endurance riding. We faced a setback in August of 2022, when he developed severe colic and had to undergo life-saving surgery. It was scary but he is a fighter, has fully recovered, and is ready to start working again. He is energetic and sassy but very affectionate and follows me everywhere. He knows that he has found his forever home.
My paint mare, Pepper, is a 21 year old who was the victim of horrible neglect. When I met her, she was being given away because her owners didn't want her anymore and I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. She had been left in a small run for the better part of three years with minimal care and was severely malnourished. All of her bones were showing and she was missing a great deal of hair due to rain rot. In addition, she had developed arthritis in her front knees, needed her teeth floated, and hooves trimmed. Over the last six months, she has gained back the lost weight thanks to a senior diet and thorough veterinary care, and her hair has almost all grown back. She's now up to date on all of her medical needs and feeling so much better. Now a very happy girl, she always greets me with a whinny. Her joy is from scratches, grooming, getting out for light trail rides a few times a month, and playing in the corral with her little brother, King.
