I was worried about my black-and-white paint horse, Storm. Two weeks earlier her pasture mate, Lightning, had to be put down after breaking his leg. Since then, Storm hadn’t been herself. She wasn’t eating well and didn’t want to run or socialize like she used to. She just stood listlessly in the pasture. Storm had lost her friend of 13 years. She was heartbroken. I understood. I was devastated too. I’ve loved horses all my life and losing one of them was like losing a piece of myself.
I set out to find Storm a new companion. Money was tight so buying a horse wasn’t an option. I considered adopting from a rescue or possibly taking in an abused horse. I looked at a number of adoptable horses online but none seemed like the right fit. I decided to take a break from searching. One day I was out buying grain. The store owner told me about a palomino show horse that needed a retirement home. The horse’s name was Kado, and he lived in Holland, Michigan, which was just 10 minutes away. I couldn’t believe it. I had always wanted a palomino!
One spring afternoon I went to Holland to meet him. The owner took me to the paddock. There stood Kado, his golden coat and white mane and tail burnished by the sun. I approached him slowly, not knowing how he might react to a stranger. To my surprise, he came right up to me, putting his nose so close I could feel his breath, the equine way of saying hello. I gently touched my knuckles to his muzzle to greet him back. He nickered, and my heart said, “I love you.”
I visited him every week and our bond grew. It was time to bring Kado to my farm so he and Storm could meet. I put halters on both horses in case they needed to be pulled back, and I led Kado to the pasture. The horses touched noses and sniffed each other briefly. Then Storm took off, running for the first time since Lightning’s death. She was showing Kado around the pasture! They ran around the whole property together. I watched, crying. My girl was happy again and Kado was home.
Now Kado has settled in and grown closer to both Storm and me. He loves being groomed and getting treats. As a matter of fact, he’ll take apple slices straight from my mouth, some-thing I’ve let all my horses do. In the winter-time, my sweet palomino, who doesn’t keep much heat, knows to stand by Storm to warm up. He’ll get as close to her as possible. You can see the steam rolling off Storm’s back. They’re the perfect pair.
I have no doubt God brought us all together. My mom always used to tell me, “Let go and let God.” I couldn’t find the right horse, but once I eased up, I was led to Kado. Other little signs confirmed he was the one. Even before he joined my family, Kado had been cared for by the same veterinarian, had been fed the same grain and had used the same farrier as Storm. And Kado’s previous pasture mate was a black-and-white paint horse, just like Storm.
Every day I go out to the pasture and visit my beautiful horses. I’m thankful that Kado came into our lives when we needed him most. What means even more is that he needed us too.
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