Sweet as…a sugar cookie! A description befitting both Cookie, a beautiful and
affectionate chestnut mare, as well as Karen Tilley, her proud new adoptive mom
with a heart of gold!
After graduating from high school, Karen enrolled at Cal Poly as a pre-vet major, being the true
lover of horses that she is. There she spent three years as a student horse trainer, gaining a great
depth of knowledge around all things equine. She ended up changing her career path though, and
after marrying and becoming a mother, took a (25-year) hiatus from the horse world to fully
commit to raising her family. The years flew by, but Karen’s passion for horses remained strong
and filled her with an ever growing desire to bring these magnificent creatures back into her life.
She and her husband John attended our inaugural Ruby Red Gala fundraising event two years
ago where they were introduced to the Red Bucket mission, the Ranch and its residents. Karen
quickly formed friendships with the volunteers and team members, and both she and John
became well-liked and much-appreciated supporters of our organization. Susan Peirce is deeply
touched by the generous kindness of the entire Tilley family and their genuine rescue mindset.
There is a good reason for that mindset, and why Karen especially is so passionate about horse
rescue in general and Red Bucket in particular. In her 20s she had a deeply personal experience
with her Arabian mare, Nila’s Mirage, who she had entrusted to a small handicapped children’s
riding program, only to find out much later that Nila had almost starved to death at the hands of
her supposed caretaker. Luckily the mare survived her ordeal and was rehabilitated by a loving
and compassionate volunteer of the program. But Karen was shaken to the core and wants to
emphasize that this kind of story continues to happen today. People think their horse is going to a
good home, and they end up being neglected, abused or at the slaughter house.
Knowing of Karen’s affinity for Arabian horses, Susan’s mind immediately turned to her when a
call came in from the owner of an 11-year-old Arabian/Quarter horse mare who was no longer
able or willing to properly care for her. Of course, as anyone in rescue is well aware, we are
inundated with calls and emails for help seven days a week. Since our Chino Hills ranch is
usually bursting at the seams and our entire operation relies exclusively on kind donations, more
often than not, we have to firmly say “no” even if it is with a sad sigh and heavy heart. However,
with Cookie, Susan knew from the start that there was a very good chance of a forever home,
which is why she agreed to take her in.
Unlike so many of our charges, Cookie wasn’t terribly abused when she came, but she had been
neglected and her feet had suffered some as a result. Also, in Karen McGarrah’s words, she
definitely longed for that one person to love her and care about her. Karen M. is convinced that it
was love at first sight when Cookie finally met Karen T. Hearing her new mom describe her
beautiful and kind mare with so much love and adoration, it becomes clear that the feeling is
mutual! Karen T. says, “I am so blessed that Cookie is as sweet as her name and that my path
back into the horse world centers around her.”
Cookie officially became a Tilley on January 1, 2015, and is currently in full training at Red
Bucket which means she is groomed, ridden and/or turned out 5-6 days a week. This is very
important to Karen who is still a rather busy and involved wife and mother who faces time
constraints daily. This kind of full-service care also helped her make the decision to keep Cookie
at the Ranch after unsuccessfully searching for a stable closer to home. She recalls: “None of the
places I looked at felt as comfortable to me as Red Bucket.” The peace of mind that comes from
knowing her precious adoptee receives the absolute best care around the clock is priceless to
Karen. Plus, she loves the strong camaraderie among the Red Bucket volunteers and other
adopters and seeing first-hand all the good work the Red Bucket team and brigade of dedicated
volunteers make happen every day. For Karen, spending time at the Ranch and with Cookie (as
well as the other horses there to whom she has become attached) is such a positive experience
that she is always happy and relaxed when she returns home. This is also why hubby John
strongly supports her outings to Chino Hills!!
When Cookie hears Karen call out her name, her ears perk up instantly and she promptly
responds with a whinny which surely means something like: “Hey Mom – over here! I’ve been
waiting for you!” Their visits always involve much cuddling, hugs and rubs, many treats and an
extensive grooming session complete with a face massage (for Cookie…by Karen – we should
all be so lucky!). Cookie clearly relishes the attention and affection, quietly resting her head on
Karen’s chest in utter bliss during this bonding time. Then they saddle up and head off to the
arena where Karen takes her mare through her paces as they continue to get to know each other
and work as a team. Susanna Woeste, one of Karen’s friends and fellow volunteers at Red
Bucket, remembers being thoroughly impressed when she saw Karen riding Cookie for the first
time. “Cookie was working beautifully and Karen looked great! Not bad for someone who had
not ridden in 25 years!” For Karen McGarrah, their continued progress is evident in how
comfortable Karen is in the saddle and how relaxed Cookie appears as she learns to trust in her
rider’s lead more every day. Susan Peirce can definitely see this pair at some local horse shows
and riding competitions in the near future. Well, Cookie and Karen, your Red Bucket fan club
will be cheering for you!
By the way, we’re tickled pink to report that for her birthday on August 17th this year, Karen’s
wonderful husband surprised her with their second Red Bucket horse, a stunningly beautiful,
blue-eyed Paint gelding named Champ. Happy Birthday indeed!! Stay tuned for Champ’s
adoption story in a future edition of the Red Bucket Newsletter.