A Hero's Work

One horse's will to live became an inspiration to many

by Catherine Madera, photos by Emily Greene

The working horses of Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch outside Bend, Oregon don’t have performance pedigrees. They don’t round up cattle or help hold wily calves. For their job of equine counselor, this motley crew need only the basics—two eyes and four good legs. One special horse doesn’t even have those.

Of the 30 horses that live year-round at this rescue and youth ranch, 85% have come out of heartbreaking situations. They are the undesirables—horses abused or abandoned by ignorant, cruel, or desperate owners. Since 1995, the nine-acre ranch has been instrumental in rehabilitating hundreds of horses. Some find a permanent place in the ranch’s award-winning youth program.

“We don’t rescue as many horses as we used to,” says co-founder Kim Meeder, “but we try to keep two spaces available at all times.”

One of those spaces was called upon last fall in the rescue of a young Arabian.

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