The importance of belonging

Friend suffered colic and all of the herd was worried about him. Friend looks like he will be just fine. One of the things that helped was the DOR never left his side, she even stayed outside with him. Now you may wonder why that might matter...well let me tell you a bit about Friend so you will understand.

Friend is ten years old. In those ten years he has changed locations nine times, five of those changes happened in the past year. Now these changes were not his fault. Some of the changes were for training and not a change in owners. But what all of these changes created was a horse who felt like he had no home, that he didn't really matter to people, he felt he couldn't count on people. This made him a bit standoffish, distrustful, and prone to protect himself. Friend felt like he didn't belong anywhere. Now Freedom saw through all of that and made sure the DOR did too.

While Friend was struggling to survive the DOR knew it was important that he understood that she was there, that she would not leave, she was not giving up and she expected the same of him. She wanted him to know he was home and where he belonged. She promised he would never leave the ranch unless she was with him, that they will be together as a team. The miracle that occurred at the ranch happened for many reasons, but we horses know that a horse who finds the unconditional love and dedication from a human will rise to meet that human's expectations. The relationship between Friend and the DOR is forever changed by their night under the stars, there is a oneness that can not be put into words.

I encourage any human who has an animal friend who is struggling for their lives to not leave their side, do not let them be alone. Your presence can make a big difference and if it can't they have the comfort of you being there as they cross over.

Enjoy your day and don't forget to hug your DOR!