Niyaha (left) Wakina (right)


Receiving The Gift of Wakina The Story of a Young Horse that Chased Her Dream and Caught It


by Bruce Cox • photography by Joyce Tanner


Guardian Angels Some people have a guaranteed place in


heaven. People that rescue neglected or abused animals are near the top of the list. They are the guardian angels for the animals that humanity discards, unself- ishly opening their hearts to gather in the throwaways and give them a new chance at life. They work tirelessly as individuals or as groups, and they network their efforts when the task is overwhelming. Saving the herd of 27 would unquestionably be an overwhelming task.


The Herd of 27 The setting sun provided a brilliant backdrop for the herd of horses visible on the distant hori-


zon. The horses appeared frozen in time, as if posing as the background for a painting steeped in Americana. From a distance, the young herd looked magnificent and strong. But time was al- ready taking a toll on the neglected and forgotten horses that roamed freely on the Texas range. The herd had started as just two saddlebreds, a stallion and mare, put out on 500 acres of open range. But they were ignored and received little human care or interest. In just a few years, the herd had grown to 27 horses. Many of the horses were still very young, and several mares were again pregnant. As the herd grew in numbers, the newborns had assumed all of the qualities of being born and raised in the wild. The herd was their nomad family. Living off of the land, the pastures provided food but little else. Nourishment of a horse’s soul requires more than grass. The horses had never felt the gentle touch or kind spirit of a human. The herd merely existed from one sunset to the next.


The Texas rancher who owned the herd had lost interest in their welfare. To him, the horses were nameless and faceless as they were occasionally seen from afar. All that mattered was their number and the value they could add to the rancher’s wealth. With little remorse, he made the fateful decision to sell the entire herd for slaughter.


18 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2018 I HORSE & AG MAGAZINE


But the task was not impossible. Word spread among guardian angels in three states about the rancher’s decision to sell the herd for slaughter. To rescue the herd, new homes had to be quickly found. There are only a few horse rescue groups who can quickly respond to such a challenge, and there are even fewer groups that have the capability to then rehabilitate, or gentle, a wild horse. Finding homes for 27 horses would not be easy. There were also the financial requirements of a large rescue effort. A sizeable outlay of cash at least equal to the slaughter value would be needed to purchase the entire herd for res- cue. The cost of transporting the horses to their new homes also had to be addressed. A large commitment of time and resources would be needed to save the herd.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48