Hannah the blind horse
Hannah was a North Carolina riding instructor's prize lesson horse until she went blind. That was the first thing that went wrong. Then the instructor lost the lease on her facility. She ended up sharing a smaller facility that only had enough space for two of her horses. There was no room for Hannah.
The instructor spent months searching for a home for her beloved mare but had no luck finding anyone who would take Hannah. Finally she called us.
We had one stall left we were saving for an emergency case (i.e., a neglect/abuse or slaughter-bound horse) and reluctantly declined to take Hannah. Steve could hear the anguish when he told the instructor the news; we had been her last hope.
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We felt awful. We discussed it and changed our minds. Steve called her back and said, “Okay, Hannah can have the last stall.” The instructor was so relieved she started crying. Then she sent a $1,200 check to ship Hannah to Montana.
A few weeks later Hannah arrived at dawn on a cold winter day. She was wearing a fleece blanket, which was a good thing since she hadn't grown the kind of winter coat a horse needs for a Montana winter.
Hannah turned out to be a big, sweet red-headed lovable goof. She's a talker who will whinny and nicker as soon as you walk into the barn, and she won't stop until she gets what she wants (i.e., a treat or grain). Hannah can dangle her lower lip in a way that is so cute it's irresistible. .. it almost looks like she's pouting.
We soon learned that the instructor's clients were big fans of Hannah's. Some mailed sizable donations to help pay for her care, while others sent brand-new Arctic-style horse blankets to help Hannah get through her first Rocky Mountain winter.
And yes, we found out why everyone loved Hannah. She is a doll. We adore her, too.
