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I woke up this morning. I wanted to see her. Dottie “Orenda”. My Horse.

I have a horse. Beyond my dreams, I never thought this would happen. But it feels so right.

A little scary, but so is anything really.

I have had some really great support along the way. Chris, Victoria, Students, Friends, Alex of Pasture Pals ER, and Jules, the owner of Peace Palace. A Sacred Space she created in her backyard.

One look at Dottie and she said, “Let’s do this!” No questions.

I had been following Pasture Pals ER on FB for a while and in November I came across Dottie’s posting.

WOW!!! The stuff she had been through. Once upon a time, Dottie had a good owner. But then he had a stroke and asked his daughter to take care of his horses. She should have said no or educated herself. She treated his horses with such ignorance. Ignorance as in the choice to not know better. Dottie lost her sight due to an eye infection. And then as greed so easily plays in most people’s lives, her new owner decided to breed Dottie. Blind and unaware of what was going to happen to her. She was mounted by a strange horse. I can’t even begin to understand. Dottie later had a little one of her own, but it died because she could not see it and the poor thing suffocated in the sac she was born in.

Dottie was neglected and she was very thin, on the brink of death.

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Thank goodness for people like Alex and Keith of Pasture Pals. The stories they share about their rescues are terribly tragic. The inhumanness of humans and the treatment of animals they encounter is really devastating.

I fell in love with Dottie as others have.

The thing that resonated with me recently was the fact that when I teach the yoga and horse retreats I teach people how to essentially lead a blind horse. They have to close their eyes and become fully aware of their surroundings. We live in such a world where aesthetics is too much relied upon, which I guess is one of the reasons Dottie had not been adopted yet. And now I lead a blind horse:) How cool is that?

I had lasik eye surgery when I was 23. I wore glasses since the 4th grade and used to close my eyes and just walk around my parents’ house. Feeling, hearing, smelling, even tasting the air. So it really made “sense” for Dottie Orenda and I to be together.

She is good, too. Real good. She is kind, and learns so quickly.

She arrived at Peace Palace on Monday December 26th, 2016. What a journey it was. To see her trustingly enter the trailer not knowing where she was going. But she trusted Alex and I know she trusted me. We connected.

The first day we met, I was super insecure and anxious. And she felt that.

The 2nd time we met, I felt good. I took her by the lead and knocked on the fences, said, “Metal” or “Wood Fence.”

Her expression understood.

When she would approach a fence I would say the standard “Whoa,” and she would stop. Then try to push me a little to get me to keep walking. Then I would knock on the fence. And she understood; she would be safe with me.

The 3rd time we met, she remembered. Even though she has no eyes, I can see them as if they were there. Her expression, her body language, her energy. I love her already. How could I not? She deserves it. I deserve her. She is a gift from the Great Spirit. Whatever her age whether it be 20 or 25 or 28, she is a living breathing creature. And she is mine to love.

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My intentions are to love her of course, but to also introduce her to those that are intimidated by the awesomeness of horses. To let each person that encounters her shift their breathing to a place of ease and comfort. Knowing she will not judge them, especially since she can’t see and we usually judge immediately with our sight. She will be truth. Truth in its very essence. And thus she is called “Orenda” 

Read up and see all the hard work Alex Daniels and Pasture Pals Equine Rescue, Inc. has done for Dottie. We can help ourselves. We can make conscious choices for our decisions. But if you don’t know about something, educate yourself. You don’t have to go to school to pick up a book. A horse, or animal or a child should never have to suffer.

Humans can be the worst predators. I think if this is how someone can treat a horse, then I can’t imagine how they treat themselves. And then there are people like Alex and Keith and their volunteers Pasture Pals Equine Rescue, Inc. Kind humans that genuinely care for the welfare of animals. They give them a voice. They bring them back to life. Please check out what they do to make our world a better place. It is not easy work, but they do excellent work. They are Love.

http://www.pasturepalser.com/

Pasture Pals Equine Rescue, Inc.

Thank you, Pasture Pals ER, for bringing Dottie “Orenda” back to life so she could be in mine. And saving the lives of others. Many say they would but you did and you do.

~Claudia Chamber

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About Hope Legacy Equine Rescue

Hope’s Legacy Equine Rescue was founded in 2008 when we took in our first donkey. Since then they have taken in over 450 horses, ponies, mules, and donkeys.

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