FREEDOM!

Jean Johnson
Mar 22, 2016
3 min read

Once upon a time, I asked my friend Tanya (who runs a ranch on which she rescues horses and rehabilitates them to then assist her in reaching out to kids with problems) if she had a horse she'd be willing to try my goat's milk soap on. I'd had others try the soap (all natural without fragrances or colorants) on their dogs with great success, and was curious about how it would work on horses.

She told me she had just the horse...Freedom, a lovely-souled mare who was rescued by Tanya from a feed lot. For those who don't know..."feed lot" is where the horses are whose destiny is to become pet food and by-products. Freedom had some skin issues, and the commercial products weren't really helping. I offered some free soap if she'd like to try it on Freedom, and she agreed. Long story short...the soap was beneficial for Freedom.

It's important to point out that this is all purely anecdotal information. We do not make any medical claims for our products...not for people, dogs or horses. We cannot do that because we don't represent our soaps as anything other than soap.

Freedom is now rehomed in a lovely environment, she's happy, she's healthy, she's no longer dealing with skin issues, and she's loved. That's the important part.

We have had more than one report from folks who've used the unscented/uncolored soaps on their pets, and the response is the same as it is with human skin...the results are happy.

For me, the story's more about Freedom and Tanya, and the kind of heart and courage it takes to reach out to horses that other people see as disposable or worse...worth more dead than alive; and the horses who return with gratitude that love, respect and kinship.

It takes a special type of person to look at a condemned horse and say "I can fix this"; someone who sees not just what's before them, but what can be with the right amount of care and concern. Because Tanya saw potential in Freedom that no one else did, Freedom lived. Because of Tanya's dedication to giving Freedom a second chance, Freedom flourished. And because Freedom flourished, another family is served in having this beautiful little mare enrich their lives while they enrich and protect hers.

The horses that Tanya and her husband Mike rescue don't always go to other homes; sometimes they find their purpose and their future at Sun River Equine Youth Ranch in Nampa, Idaho. There, these special horses are rehabilitated...the shades and shadows of abuse and neglect are gently erased, and mistrust is exchanged for faith and hope and a relationship between horses and people that allows them to work with young people, to help teach them valuable life lessons the good, old-fashioned way.

So, save the horse. Rehabilitate the horse. Get the horse to work cooperatively with youths who need extra help and attention, and in doing so, help the young people to save and rehabilitate themselves. Toss in a whole lot of sweat, back-breaking work, endless hours in organizing and leading, add a generous helping of quiet, courageous faith in God, and the dedication and love of a family that borders on astounding, and you have this amazing thing called Sun River Equine Youth Ranch. This is a place where happy endings are built one horse, one child, one heart at a time.

I make no apologies for being one of Tanya's staunchest cheerleaders. She's a friend, but moreover, she's this genuinely good person who manages, while being fully human and fallible, to create magic for those around her. She's often disgustingly cheerful and positive, and even when she frets, she's funny and witty and easy to love and respect. I see why the horses trust her. I see how she's able to reach out to these animals who've been betrayed in other horse/human relationships, and make it work; and through these horses, she gets to reach the children who need that spark of love, respect, encouragement and faith. When they've met Tanya, they've met someone who has faith in them, and they flourish, too.

Those who're interested in Sun River Equine Horse Ranch can check them out through this link. It's a long way from East Texas, where I am, to Nampa Idaho...but if you want your heart to grow a bit no matter where you are, I highly recommend finding a way to open a dialogue with these amazing folks. It worked for me.

And you thought this post was just going to be about soap. ;)