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A Forever Friendship
 
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by Susan Frank
 
I did not realize something was missing from my life until Katie came into it two and a half years ago. Horses had been a part of my life since I was 8, but when I started college I no longer had time for them.

One of my friends told me about ERRI, and introduced me to its founders, Debbie and Rhonda. Katie came into their rescue when she was a yearling. Katie was born on a thoroughbred farm that bred horses for the track. Unfortunately Katie was born with a birth defect on her hind legs. Her pasterns sat almost parallel to the ground and it looked like she had a false side bone. Instead of her owners sending her to slaughter, Debbie and Rhonda accepted her into their rescue.

Katie was 3 when I first met her, kind of homely and extremely green. But she had the most wonderfully calm disposition I have ever seen in a thoroughbred. The first time I rode her was like riding a spaghetti noodle. She didn’t steer and was very pokey, but so willing to learn. I fell in love with her and rode her a couple more times. I talked to Debbie and Rhonda and they decided that we were a match.

We didn’t know how much she would be able to do because of her hind legs. As she got stronger her pasterns stood up and you couldn’t even tell that anything was wrong with her. Our vet came out to look at her and pronounced her fit. She has never taken a bad step.

To everyone’s surprise Katie has matured into a very elegant horse and a beautiful mover. Last summer we entered into her first event. She received third in dressage and second overall. This summer we plan to do some more eventing and Katie is even going to learn to pull a cart.

Katie is is such an incredible horse with a wonderful disposition. She teaches me something new every time I see her. She fills a part of my life that I never realized was empty. Signing her adoption papers is one of the best things I have ever done. Each day our friendship grows stronger and I look forward tog rowing older with her. Without ERRI, Katie would not be part of my life, or anyone’s.

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