Finn
finding his way to a new beginning
At just five months old they discovered he had been born with a physical deformity; in their eyes he didn’t fit into our world. Now known as “broken” there was no place in the race horse industry for him to run, or represent his bloodline. Discussions began for this young foal to face euthanasia. Fate stepped in, through a woman at their farm, who saw something special in him. She made it her mission to save his life. She supported and raised him into a young, handsome colt before a mid-west Thoroughbred rescue heard his plea. Instead of transporting him to be amongst 70 other rescues, Finn was shipped to us here in North Carolina to be raised the right way through the ROTH methodologies and lifestyle. As part of his settling-in process, Finn shed weight, shed much of his fur, and through it all began to process his past. Despite feeling at home his grief of losing his former farm, family, and ultimately his identity, saw Finn slipping deeper into depression. Surrounded by appreciation and affection, Finn still broke down further, feeling abandoned and had to find his way through the dark. He had to understand that he would and could be loved just as he was, that there was a place for him; all before he slipped away.
The day Finn put the past behind him and rose up was the day he whinnied to the crowd watching him perform in a round pen environment. Finn began to open up; he began to find himself and felt seen; he was about to rise and return as the warrior he was meant to be. He had to realize he had been chosen for a far more important role that was around the corner. This was not to be Finn's only lesson for just one year after boarding with us the Rescue who had “rescued” him failed to stay in touch or pay any bills. Finn was abandoned once again by the very people who had saved him. While we searched for answers we saw Finn burst through his own barriers to become the brave horse he was destined to be. Whispering Feather Farm has officially become Finn’s home through The Way of the Equine Warrior's “No Horse Left Behind” program, with his health closely monitored, his healing handled, and his training gentling integrated.
Today Finn helps to heal broken hearts. He carries the torch and is here to teach and touch lives; for Finn is whole once again. And this is just the beginning.
Goldie and Dahlia
AN UNBROKEN BOND BETWEEN MOTHER AND DAUGHTER
She was only eight years old when Goldie found herself discarded at the feedlot having been bred back to back by a veterinarian for five years. Used and abused as a money-making machine, she was no longer of value, despite having given the best years of her life. With a blown out hock and stifle, her body aged beyond her years, the “owner” sent her away to the feedlot - pregnant.
Saved by a woman with stage four cancer who saw the sadness in her eyes, Goldie gave birth a couple of months later to a paint filly named Dahlia. Dahlia came out of the womb bold and beautiful, bravely wishing to explore the world. Destiny brought them to us when we were asked to provide safety and shelter for a few months. At first Goldie would not leave her shelter having never been out of a stall, snatching hay from the hay net before running back to her place of safety inside. Afraid of human connection she would protect her head and her heart, having lost her trust as well as her babies. And so we made her a promise – that she and her last baby, Dahlia, would always be together. Goldie and Dahlia were signed over to us. Gradually, as Goldie’s confidence grew, so did her ability to explore the pasture and people. Integrated into her own herd, Goldie continued to not only raise Dahlia but also three orphaned feedlot foals from six weeks old onwards, teaching them life skills and the silent language of Equus.
Today Goldie and Dahlia make their home at Whispering Feather Farm, living together along with the now grown up trio of foals. They are active participants in the ROTH training program, offering students the opportunity to learn their language and in turn reinforcing their own ongoing trust-based communication and partnership with man.
Gigi, Guinness, and Apple
The Curly Mustang Gang
Victims of a messy divorce, this Curly Mustang band lost their homeland, the family who raised them and all signs of security in a split second. Having lived their lives out in the pasture without a care in the world, they suddenly found themselves completely out of control and potentially in an owner surrender situation. Therapy barns stepped in, offering them an opportunity to go into service. But the stress of being split up, the burden of taking on other's troubles, the transition to a life of confinement and the risk of the two elders being started under saddle at retirement age, would have destroyed them mentally, emotionally and physically.
Apple first came to us as a yearling for natural horsemanship training. Having been the “apple of her mother’s eye” Gigi had allowed her daughter much leeway, with little discipline building up towards dangerous behavior. Meanwhile Guinness, so soft and sensitive, stayed the strong and grounding father figure he had been since the beginning. They began to respond to the ROTH training methods, but it was Excalibur (our Reach Out to Horses and Spanish Mustang Ambassador) and his herd who came to their ultimate rescue, teaching respect within the ranks together with life lessons, affording Apple and her extended family a safer lifestyle.
With a soft landing at Whispering Feather Farm, the “Curlies” are once again living life in green pasture. They have come to appreciate farm engagements, enrichment and exposure to all kinds of new activities, while staying connected as a family. Having experienced great losses, they have not only survived, but thrived and they are now able to share their journey in support of others through our ROTH programs.